Unexpected side effect

[Bo-bo]

I replaced my speedometer wire today, When I tried to start it I had all my lights and my stereo came on, but it would not turn over. I thought I may have ran the battery down to far with the door open. I put the charger on and had it on the 200 amp setting to help start the bronco. Still no movement from the starter. I got my meter out and checked voltage at the battery...12.6 volts. I checked the voltage at the solenoid with the key turned over. I had 12 volts on the front side of the switch, and none on the post down to the starter. I pulled the plug off of the top of the solenoid and checked voltage there. I have 7.5 volts there. I got my hande-dandee jumper wire out and jumped from the battery + to the starter post and the engine started. I shut it down and jumped from the the battery + to the small pin and the engine started again. So, my question is, what could I have messed with in the dash/column that would cause a drop in voltage to the solenoid. Thanks for all responses!

 

[Yardape]

Not to sound like a smart ass but did you put the shifter back in park to start? Check the neutral safety switch, maybe you unplugged it while rooting around under the truck

 

[Redneckn]

I've found old wires will lose conductivity inside the insulation can cause that. Oddly enough, I've also swapped solenoid out before and resolved that same type problem. If you just cannot track the problem down, you can always run your own wire from the switch to the little terminal on the soleoid. I try not to do that kind of thing because once you see how easy it is, you end up doing it to everything and you have a big mess of multi-colored wires that you'll never recall what they all do...

 

[Bo-bo]

Hahahaha, yeah it was in park! I also tried in neutral. The really confusing part is it started no problem yesterday. I oroginally thought I pinched the wire with the 2 part plastic column pretty up piece <----tecnical terms here I know, but have no idea what else to call it. I had tore everything back down to check on that before I posted the first time and everything looked in good condition and the neutral safty switch was fully pugged in. I also tried changing the solenoid with one out of a junked pickup I also still have around for parts. I'll look around tommorow and let you guys know what I end up doing. Thanks for the posts, and I may end up following your suggestion with running a new wire redneckin

 

[Bo-bo]

I found out something new today. The neutral safty switch is a slotted unit. Well to make a long story short the nuts worked loose and the whole unit was shifting. :-"

 

[Yardape]

So its fixed?

 

[Bo-bo]

yup! Thanks for the posts.