Turn key....wait for it

[shoebridge]

My 2002 1500 hd wont start , turn the key everything is good but starter does not engage , Battery is new, ignition wiring harness is new starter is new , switched starter relay with ac relay and still no dice, Truck starts if you turn the key to on and get under it and ground it out i guess you could call it. Any ideas guys could it be the key ignition cylinder its self? any help would be great thanks. Do these trucks have the old school ignition switch with the rod or no? I am thus far stumped

[EX-F150 owner]

Have you tried to start it in neutral? Why did you have to replace all those parts and how long ago?

[brainpause]

If you are having to ground the starter, get a better ground on its bolts. Doubt that's the problem though.

[shoebridge]

Where i live we see between -25 to -40c most of the winter so batterys dont last, Hence why i replaced the battery , as for the starter and ignition wiring harness, You can send kudos to a gm service department on that one that is what they told me was the issue, and obviously there wrong again. The parts have all been replaced in the past week. And i just tryed it in neutral, gear indicator wouldnt light up around the N but it was in neutral and still nothing. Any thoughts?

[kstruckcountry]

Solenoid?

[Coolmaker]

Sounds like something in the safety mess is preventing it from starting..

[gmtech4]

there is no rod to the ign switch like the old days,the ECM starts your truck,,,,,

 

the N not being underlined is from the the NSBU (neutral start back up) switch on the trans shiter shaft

 

do not go and replace anything without having it looked at first

[ride65]

My 95 sierra did that and it was the starter solenoid, had to replace the starter.

edit: the first new starter had a bad solenoid.

[shoebridge]

Starter is brand new ,Picked up a new neutral saftey switch. where is the neutral switch located?? This truck is really starting to fry my nerves. I tryed to jump the new starter and it wont engage now WTF just spins

[gmtech4]

i told you already were it is

[shoebridge]

so put new switch on and... still nothing and now P N and 1 dont light up when you shift and still no start, so 500 dollars in parts in for no reason monday its off to a mech shop.

[shoebridge]

Is there any way that switch can be miss installed? Ie wrong trans position when shift line reinstalled? Im trying to figure this out it cant be that complicated

[EX-F150 owner]

Yes. I replaced one on my car a few years ago. As I recall, you have to use something like a 1/16" drill bit to align it. There should have been instructions that came with it. I can't remember but I think it needs to be in neutral when installing it. Hopefully some else can help confirm but this is most likely the reason the indicators are not lighting up now.

[Wolfmanjohn]

Something a few C5 Corvette owners learned the hard way: having a keyring full of keys/whatnots dangling and swinging from the ignition key while driving exerted weight and stress on the ignition key and cylinder causing the latter to become loose in its' bore, thus creating contact/start/run problems. Any possibility of that here? Might be worth looking into if all other wiring checks out.

[drew101868]

You may want to replace the ignition switch, electric portion that plugs up under the key. Mine had recently failed in 2004 Sierra for accessory items, could be that portion is bad on yours. If you do pay close attention to the postion of the "cogs" when you pull out the old one so as to align the new one the same. Mine did not come with instructions.