Starter Won't Kick in on a 1994 Ford F-150

If the starter won't kick in on your 1994 F-150, the issue could be with the solenoid or the starter motor. A gear is housed inside the starter motor and the solenoid sends the electrical signal to the starter motor. If one piece of equipment fails, the gear inside the starter motor will not engage the engine and your Ford F-150 will not start for you. A quick bit of troubleshooting will help you determine the faulty component.

• 1

  Locate the starter. It bolts to the transmission housing on the driver's side of the vehicle. It is 8 inches in length and cylindrical in shape. The solenoid bolts to the top of it.

• 2

  Locate the electrical contact points on the back of the starter. The left contact has a wire bolted to it that goes to the ignition. The right contact has a wire that goes to the back of the starter.

• 3

  Place the blade of a screwdriver across both contacts to create a connection between the starter motor and the ignition switch. This completely removes the solenoid from the ignition system.

• 4

  Tell the second person to turn on the ignition key. This sends power directly to the starter motor. The starter motor should make a constant humming sound while the key is on. If it does, the solenoid is defective and no longer sends the necessary signal to the starter motor to turn on. If the starter motor does not turn on or the motor sound like it cuts in and out, the starter motor is defective and no longer has the ability to push the starter gear into the engine.