No Crank, No Start issue with Ford 460 on F53 Chasis 1991 Airex Rexhall

Hello fellow RVers,

I am facing a No Crank, No start issue with my 1991 Rexhall Airex on a F53 chasis with the Ford 460 engine.

I found that Tomed01 was facing a similar problem and followed the steps in his thread to troubleshoot. http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php/topic,90211.0.html

When I crank the key, all I get is one click and everything goes dead.  The Battery connectors have to be disconnected and reconnected to get power back.

Here are the steps that were taken:

1) Replaced Battery
2) Checked for voltage across Battery posts and Battery connectors with Multimeter. (12.6V seen across both loops)
3) Checked Battery ground to the chasis. Removed the set screw, sanded down the ground connectors and wires and reattached.
4) Located the Started Relay on the Radiator support. I jump the 2 terminals on the Relay. I got some sparks (i gather the ignition switch is energizing the starter relay) but got nothing from the starter with the key in "on" position.


Only thing remaining is removing and bench testing the starter, but the top mounting 1/2 inch bolt is broken.

While I figure out how to remove the broken stud, I would appreciate any other recommendations for further troubleshooting?

Make sure the wire from the solenoid to the starter is not missing insulation and grounded somewhere. And the connection at the solenoid and starter is not corroded. Since you got sparks shorting the solenoid then electrically that only leaves the starter at fault.

If a new starter doesn't work this is what a gearhead would try next. Try taking the spark plugs out and manually turn the engine over just a few degrees each direction with a socket on the crankshaft nut (harmonic balancer) and a very long cheater bar. If it turns but you hear any strange noises call a tow truck. Starting the engine could cause it to self destruct. Otherwise you may have a bind in the flexplate/flywheel you may be able to fix yourself by tightening down the bolts by removing the torque converter housing. If it won't turn over at all call a tow truck. You have something broken.

I would double-check all your battery connections.  I've seen that same problem in different vehicles - including my motorhome - and it's always been due to a poor connection.  You can whip out your digital multimeter and test for voltage drop between the battery and the starter, but I'd start with triple-checking that all the connections are tight and clean.  Unlike a strictly automotive system, you might not go directly from the battery to the starter, so check all the way along the path and make sure everything is tight.  If it is, then you'll want to check for voltage drop along the path to see which cable is corroded internally or if there's a solenoid that isn't making a good connection.

Holding one voltmeter probe on the post or terminal itself and the other on the connector while someone tries to crank the engine will verify if the connection is good or has an issue.

Same thing for testing a solenoid or cable.  Put one lead of the voltmeter on one side, the other on the other side or end and engage the starter.

Good = 0 volts or a few tenths of a volt.  A bad connection will show up to the full 12 volts when you draw current.

wae said:

I would double-check all your battery connections.  I've seen that same problem in different vehicles - including my motorhome - and it's always been due to a poor connection.  You can whip out your digital multimeter and test for voltage drop between the battery and the starter, but I'd start with triple-checking that all the connections are tight and clean.  Unlike a strictly automotive system, you might not go directly from the battery to the starter, so check all the way along the path and make sure everything is tight.  If it is, then you'll want to check for voltage drop along the path to see which cable is corroded internally or if there's a solenoid that isn't making a good connection.

Click to expand...

Totally agreed. Sometimes that poor connection is internal to the battery!

wae said:

I would double-check all your battery connections.  I've seen that same problem in different vehicles - including my motorhome - and it's always been due to a poor connection.  You can whip out your digital multimeter and test for voltage drop between the battery and the starter, but I'd start with triple-checking that all the connections are tight and clean.  Unlike a strictly automotive system, you might not go directly from the battery to the starter, so check all the way along the path and make sure everything is tight.  If it is, then you'll want to check for voltage drop along the path to see which cable is corroded internally or if there's a solenoid that isn't making a good connection.

Click to expand...

Lou Schneider said:

Holding one voltmeter probe on the post or terminal itself and the other on the connector while someone tries to crank the engine will verify if the connection is good or has an issue.

Same thing for testing a solenoid or cable.  Put one lead of the voltmeter on one side, the other on the other side or end and engage the starter.

Good = 0 volts or a few tenths of a volt.  A bad connection will show up to the full 12 volts when you draw current.

Click to expand...

thesameguy said:

Totally agreed. Sometimes that poor connection is internal to the battery!

Click to expand...

TheBar said:

Make sure the wire from the solenoid to the starter is not missing insulation and grounded somewhere. And the connection at the solenoid and starter is not corroded. Since you got sparks shorting the solenoid then electrically that only leaves the starter at fault.

If a new starter doesn't work this is what a gearhead would try next. Try taking the spark plugs out and manually turn the engine over just a few degrees each direction with a socket on the crankshaft nut (harmonic balancer) and a very long cheater bar. If it turns but you hear any strange noises call a tow truck. Starting the engine could cause it to self destruct. Otherwise you may have a bind in the flexplate/flywheel you may be able to fix yourself by tightening down the bolts by removing the torque converter housing. If it won't turn over at all call a tow truck. You have something broken.

Click to expand...

Thank you guys! I will definitely give the wires/connections/grounds one more go around as suggested. I will also check for voltage drops when cranking.