So, my daily driver 1993 D250 with the 5 speed all of the sudden won't crank or start...the key turns on all the dash lights but does not seem to have the last 1/4 inch spring back action when the starter is supposed to be activated by the key in the switch..I was able to start by jumping a wire from battery to the starter brown wire off the 2 wire connection by the battery so I know the starter works fine...however when I tested the battery when it was running it only showed 12.15 or so and not the 12.7 I would expect if it was charging...
Some had said it might be the ignition switch itself that is not fully activating the alternator or starter relay but not to just throw parts at it till figure out which is the issue but not really sure HOW to test to see which could be..ANY help in figuring it out would be great and where to start at first.
TIA
PS last week it would not do anything to start and as soon as I put in a extra ground strap from engine to firewall it started right up but even without that it was charging at the normal 12-8-14.00 range which now is not

could it be one of the fusible links that is keeping the power from getting to the switch to activate alternator?

what the manual says goes to the ignition switch..

 

U say it does not have the spring back action. Maybe the rod in the column.


edit. Look it up. I just seen a thread on this. It’s an older thread but I think your answer is ther. I would post a link but not sure how

 

Looked and found one from earlier in year about ignition issues. Thanks for the heads up!

 

When mine did that it was the tumbler part of the switch, it fits over the rod that starts it and a piece had broken off from it not allowing it to engage the start function, I had to replace the tumbler part of the switch

 

Do you by any chance a link to the part or something like it have no idea where to get it...weird thing is it worked fine then in AM when I went to start it did this!
I'm assuming you took the steering column apart to find this out?
TIA

 

I see that you have read Jim Lane's " how to replace your lock cylinder thread " If what happened to yours is the same as the one I had, the part circled in red is what broke on mine so it wouldn't let the key turn it all the way to the start function.
The pic is from Jim Lanes post

 

These parts are all available on rock auto:

.https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...cylinder,10041

Is your wheel a tilt type? If not, the change is a bit different:

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...r-t312883.html never mind this thread is for 89-90 non-tilts

...Mark

 

As I recall, I had a fusible link rot. That was some 20+ years ago..