I am having issues with my 53 f100 6 volt not starting. When you turn the key on then hit the starter button nothing happens i.e. no click, no noises, no starter motor spinning. Wind back a week ago I decided to make new battery cables and order a new battery as I was having some issues starting my truck in cold weather but once I got it started it ran like a champ. I made new cables from 2/0 wire, soldered lugs on, new gold plated battery terminals, new optima 6 volt battery and even changed the starter solenoid. When I was cleaning up the harness that goes on the solenoid (3 wires - ground wire to firewall I think, firewall junction block then starter switch, hot wire not sure where it leads yet) I saw the insulation had been eaten away over time and there was bare wire so I used electrical tape to cover it but was hesitant about it. After hooking everything back up I turn the key and hit the starter button nothing. I tried installing the old starter relay with no luck, triple checked cable connections (compared to pictures), used a continuity test to test the cables making sure the ends did not get messed up. I started checking connections first verifying the battery was working and was charged, then I turned on the headlights and they came on, next I checked the starter button and have confused myself more and need some help. There are two cables going to the switch when I did a continuity test without depressing the button the voltmeter was beeping indicating a connection. When I depressed the button no change the voltmeter was still beeping. -Is the switch just bad? -Maybe the 3 wire harness that is on the starter relay is shorting out (wires touching)? If either was true wouldn't as soon as I connect the battery the starter motor would start spinning or I would at least hear a click from the relay? I am leaning to something in the 3 wire harness but am confused on how it could be causing the problem of nothing happening.
I'm not sure if I have this right, but you have a switch AND a start button? If so, the start button should have power going to one side when the key is turned on. When you push the button, voltage should flow through the switch to the starter relay control side. (little wires). Sounds like there is a missing connection somewhere. Since your solenoid uses an integral ground , (one small wire, two big wires as opposed to two small wires, two big wires) make sure you have a good ground connection between the body and the battery.
I know it sounds goofy but yes there is a ignition switch with a key that you turn on (almost like an accessory setting on newer cars) then there is a starter button you use to start the car (push momentary switch). From my understanding the ignition switch has 6v coming to it. When you turn the key it supplies voltage to the coil, starter button, and charging gauge. That is why I am confused on how the starter button is acting. I am thinking of unhooking the 3 wire harness from the starter relay and use make a tester with a wire from the battery to a momentary switch then to the post on the starter relay. It should bypass the ignition switch and starter button to allow the truck to start.
The 1953 Ford Trucks used a insulated selinode.Meaning a one wire starter botton is used. If grounded seloinode you need a 2 wire botton completeing circuit from hot to selinode. Put the dirty one back if orginal.
With a multi meter or volt meter, you should be able to isolate where the problem is. First off the battery should read 6.33 volts. If memory serves me correctly, Ford used a positive ground in the early fifties. Make sure the ground cable is clean and attached to the engine block. If attached to the frame, make up another cable to go from frame to engine block. You should be able to read the battery voltage at the solenoid and engine block. At the solenoid you have a small wire that goes to the starter button, make sure the vehicle is in park or neutral, park brake on, now jumper over from the battery cable to that small wire. This should energize the solenoid and complete the start circuit, if it do does turn the engine over, the problem lies between that solenoid and the starter button inside the vehicle.
Can you explain this more in depth I am not following you 100%. My starter button has 2 wires but it just connecting the wires to make one when you press the button. is that what you meant? ONE CRUSTY ONE - The battery is 6.30 volts and is a brand new optima. I did even put a battery charger on it to check and its fully charged. It is a positive ground system using the 3 post style solenoid. Excuse the crappy paint drawing but here is how my cables are done and the connections are all clean and new cables.
If you have 2 wires going to the start button, 1 should come from the I terminal of the ignigion switch. The other wire from start button goes to the terminal on the solenoid.
Yes one cable goes from the starter switch to the starter button. The other cable goes to the firewall at a junction block then leads to the solenoid. The starter button and junction block has block had the connectors cleaned as well.
If you have a key switch with just on, no key start.When key is on you have power from there to botton from there to soinode. I guess the easy way to test. With ohm meter ground case in hand and touch to small terminal.should read something.thats ground type. Your insullated one should read nothing to ground, but read something to big terminal thats the battery side.
Did you get a 6V 3 wire solenoid? A 12V 3 wire solenoid will not work on a 6V system. If you got your parts from a local store it's probably not a 6V unit. Also the 6V solenoid has to have the cables hooked up exactly like Henry did it. You can't swap sides with the cables. The 6V solenoid is built differently inside. You can't see it but the little terminal is tied internally to the battery side terminal. You can't switch them. The solenoid will energize when the small terminal is grounded. The small terminal should be hot at all times. When the starter button is pressed it completes the circuit to ground and the solenoid is energized. If the cables are on the wrong side the small terminal will not be hot so grounding it won't do a thing. A test light should light on the small terminal at all times. If it doesn't, you either have the wrong solenoid or the battery cables are connected to the wrong terminals on the 6V Ford solenoid. If someone has changed from Henry's wiring to something else then disregard this.
Check for voltage on the small terminal if you don't have it you might have the bat and starter cables backwards. If you have 2 small terminals or no voltage on the small terminal you have the wrong solenoid. Grounding the small terminal should make it crank
If it was starting ok put back the way it was. Someone put a 2 wire botton and if one end goes to ground thats used as a fast fix. I have found 3 selinode for 6 volts ST62,St61,ST 58 they should be found at NAPA they are the grounder type,so you need 6 volts to work at selinode.The big cable as said could be on backward.
I did not swap any cable locations its the way it has been since I got the truck and the truck has been running until this part swap. I never changed any cable locations I just made new ones to replace the existing. The solenoid is 6 volt and it has a 6v stamp on the bracket, it is a napa ST58. I did try the original with no luck as well. That is why I am suspecting the 3 wire harness as it was mangled some and I cleaned it up best I could (look at 1st post). What confusing to me as how the harness could be causing this problem electrically. It is a 3 terminal solenoid(bigger lug on each end and smaller on in front) but why would the small terminal always have voltage? If the starter switch puts voltage to the starter button and when you press the button it complete the circuit from the starter switch to the terminal it is sending 6 volts to the terminal closing the switch inside the relay allowing the negative battery cable to flow voltage to the starter cable. If the terminal always had voltage the relay would be closed and the starter would be spinning anytime you connected the battery right? Below is what I mean in picture form.
First off jumper from neg to starter direct, Make sure that good connection at starter,and frame. I see you have the grounder type.Take a piece of wire from neg and spark to frame 1 sec,.should spark. Now touch small terminal should click .Now with the big wires connected touch again.The starter should turn over.If it works put botton in middle.ok thenTake the wire from neg post and put on key switch.
Yes and if the button on the dash does not have a good ground when it is pressed the solenoid will not work. Check that the button is grounded before anything else.Could save you a load of money and time. Piant or rust around the hole where the button fits in the dash is all it takes.
On the last pic you show 6 volt at starter,The cables are new but are they clean and tight.Make sure the start works use jumper cable.Another test clean silonode to fire wall put battery cable on take a wire and go from there to small terminal and should hear click.Once you know it works then find your wirng problems. Someone put a newer soilnode and requiers 6 volt to small terminal,older style small terimal was hot and button went to ground.Check those cable they may look good but are not clean.
Okay after banging my head against a wall about this I charged the old battery which is in so so shape that's why it getting changed and it started! I think the new optima I recieved has issues. As of now it show 6.22volts. When I unpacked it from the shipping box I undid the plastic protective caps and installed it in place and tried starting it. This is my first optima is there any special tricks I might be missing? I tired calling optima but they are closed today.
There has been problems with them being charged backwards,The larger post should be pos some are labled wrong. Turn it back and get a new NAPA battery.
The bigger side is labeled as positive. I really dont want to get another Napa battery if possible. The optima has 200cca more than the Napa. Also my Napa is just under a year old and they will not warranty it so unhappy with Napa and had a similar issue with another battery in a off topic car.
Learned a lesson today never buy batteries from Amazon. They will not take returns or get you another one even if in 30 days.Also Optima does not warranty batteries unless you buy from Authorized retailers......Even if you could not buy one locally under 45 minutes away. Looks like I picked up a 24 day old $122 paper weight. Oh joy, sorry I had to vent somewhere.
The Jalopy Journal
