# Truck clicks once and won’t start **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** noises, engines, ford, f150\ **Created:** [July 20, 2020, 7:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-clicks-once-and-won-t-start/167596 "2020-07-20T19:34:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Alva-R-Hux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@Alva-R-Hux](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Alva-R-Hux)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 7:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-clicks-once-and-won-t-start/167596/1 "2020-07-20T19:34:38Z")
I have a 94 4.9L straight 6 f150 with 151,879k miles and every time I turn the ignition I just hear one click nothing else. I’ve changed the battery, solenoid, and starter still nothing. My wires have no problems that I can visually see I checked the top to bottom. Nothing is locked up I took the belt off and checked and I can turn the motor manually perfectly fine. Any thoughts or ideas would be very appreciated I’m at a loss with this one. ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 7:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-clicks-once-and-won-t-start/167596/2 "2020-07-20T19:37:13Z")
Might be a problem with the neutral safety switch. The click you hear might a relay somewhere. Try starting it in neutral. ---
**Author:** ![Alva-R-Hux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@Alva-R-Hux](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Alva-R-Hux)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 7:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-clicks-once-and-won-t-start/167596/3 "2020-07-20T19:39:12Z")
Yeah I’ve tried to start it in neutral and in drive and then both again with a roll start still nothing ---
**Author:** ![eddo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/eddo/32/2594_2.png) [@eddo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/eddo)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 7:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-clicks-once-and-won-t-start/167596/4 "2020-07-20T19:57:18Z")
Have you verified at least 12v at the battery before trying to start? Have you verified all connections are tight- Batt, solenoid, starter? with the truck in park or neutral (auto trans? manual?) can you jump the starter solenoid and get the engine to turn over? If this has a fender mounted solenoid, that could be the click you hear. Power getting to that solenoid from the ign switch, but power not going thru it to get to he starter. Check for 12v on the battery side, then check for approx that on the other side with someone turning the ign key. ---
**Author:** ![Alva-R-Hux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@Alva-R-Hux](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Alva-R-Hux)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 8:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-clicks-once-and-won-t-start/167596/5 "2020-07-20T20:03:17Z")
Yeah the battery checking in at 12.7 V . It’s an automatic trans. I’ve tried jumping the solenoid both times on the old one and new one (fender mounted) and the starter clicks but still nothing. All connections are good I’ve double checked and triple checked. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 8:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-clicks-once-and-won-t-start/167596/6 "2020-07-20T20:24:02Z")
The starter relay may be bad. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/c/9/c917e5ad6d60a618cd2d3aa28baf60c21a49dd3e.jpeg) Tester ---
**Author:** ![Alva-R-Hux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@Alva-R-Hux](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Alva-R-Hux)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 8:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-clicks-once-and-won-t-start/167596/7 "2020-07-20T20:40:49Z")
My truck doesn’t have a starter relay ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 8:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-clicks-once-and-won-t-start/167596/8 "2020-07-20T20:44:20Z")
> [@Alva-R-Hux](#): > > My truck doesn’t have a starter relay 1994 F150 starting circuit. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/6/f/6f7c3de3e70fb0b33a95a3d1720b3d665d545d1d.png) Tester ---
**Author:** ![Alva-R-Hux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@Alva-R-Hux](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Alva-R-Hux)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 8:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-clicks-once-and-won-t-start/167596/9 "2020-07-20T20:51:56Z")
No wires are touching on the solenoid I’ve checked that already ---
**Author:** ![Alva-R-Hux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@Alva-R-Hux](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Alva-R-Hux)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 8:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-clicks-once-and-won-t-start/167596/10 "2020-07-20T20:52:28Z")
If my flywheel is locked will it still click like that just the one click? ---
**Author:** ![eddo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/eddo/32/2594_2.png) [@eddo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/eddo)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 8:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-clicks-once-and-won-t-start/167596/11 "2020-07-20T20:58:15Z")
> [@Alva-R-Hux](#): > > If my flywheel is locked will it still click like that just the one click? you wouldn’t be able to turn your motor by hand if the flywheel was “locked” ---
**Author:** ![Alva-R-Hux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@Alva-R-Hux](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Alva-R-Hux)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 9:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-clicks-once-and-won-t-start/167596/12 "2020-07-20T21:01:25Z")
Man then I’m at a loss I’m so confused ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 9:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-clicks-once-and-won-t-start/167596/13 "2020-07-20T21:15:09Z")
Is the thick cable from the battery + to the starter motor bad - internal corrosion, for example? On a 1994 vehicle that would be a possibility. Try something in its place - a heavy jumper cable, for example - unless you have an actual heavy cable with the correct end fittings on hand. Can you turn the engine over by hand, with a big lever on the harmonic balancer? - that eliminates one reason for a single click and no turning over. ---
**Author:** ![Alva-R-Hux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@Alva-R-Hux](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Alva-R-Hux)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 9:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-clicks-once-and-won-t-start/167596/14 "2020-07-20T21:33:23Z")
Yeah I’m able to crank the motor by hand and no pulleys are locked up. I’m not sure about internal corrosion ok the cables I can only tell by what I see that they’re fine, I would use a voltmeter if I had one that would make that pretty easy to check. The only way I was able to check my battery is because I had a friend with me that had one ---
**Author:** ![eddo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/eddo/32/2594_2.png) [@eddo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/eddo)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 10:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-clicks-once-and-won-t-start/167596/15 "2020-07-20T22:13:25Z")
> [@Alva-R-Hux](#): > > Man then I’m at a loss I’m so confused Check for voltage on the battery cables at the starter- the one wire from the solenoid should go right to the starter. When cranking, it should be 10-12v on both ends of that wire. -if ivoltage is about 12v at the solenoid- the solenoid is working (both big plugs at the solenoid should be about 12v, and should be the same.) -If voltage is about 12v at the starter when cranking, then the wire is good- your starter is bad. -If voltage is not about 12v at the starter, but voltage is 12v at the solenoid- and you are sure you are working the same wire- then you have a broken or defective wire. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s-Me](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/it_s-me/32/12660_2.png) [@It\_s-Me](https://community.cartalk.com/u/It_s-Me)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 10:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-clicks-once-and-won-t-start/167596/16 "2020-07-20T22:16:26Z")
> [@eddo](#): > > Check for voltage on the battery cables at the starter- He would like to, but > [@Alva-R-Hux](#): > > I would use a voltmeter if I had one that would make that pretty easy to check. ---
**Author:** ![eddo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/eddo/32/2594_2.png) [@eddo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/eddo)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 10:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-clicks-once-and-won-t-start/167596/17 "2020-07-20T22:40:31Z")
> [@It\_s\_Me](#): > > > [@eddo](#): > > > > Check for voltage on the battery cables at the starter- > > He would like to, but > > > [@Alva-R-Hux](#): > > > > I would use a voltmeter if I had one that would make that pretty easy to check. ok? Then OP knows what to check when they can borrow a voltmeter again. OP asked for input, I gave input. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Alva-R-Hux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@Alva-R-Hux](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Alva-R-Hux)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 10:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-clicks-once-and-won-t-start/167596/18 "2020-07-20T22:55:53Z")
lol yeah that’s what I need to do that’s why ya told me. I was gonna pick one up at autozone but they don’t have any of the cheap ones so I’m just gonna assume based on everything it isn’t that it is the wires. That litterally the only thing left that it could be and if it’s not then hey that’s one more thing I don’t gotta replace later ---
**Author:** ![Alva-R-Hux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@Alva-R-Hux](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Alva-R-Hux)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 10:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-clicks-once-and-won-t-start/167596/19 "2020-07-20T22:57:03Z")
And if new cables don’t work I’m just gonna rip everything out and put me a 302 in there ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 11:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-clicks-once-and-won-t-start/167596/20 "2020-07-20T23:21:57Z")
Is there a Goodwill store nearby? They might have a VOM that was donated. Worth a look. Also, one of the public libraries in my county has tools you can check out. Really! Check on line or call the library and ask. If that branch doesn’t, a nearby branch might. Ask about it. [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-clicks-once-and-won-t-start/167596.md?page=2)