1999 Ford F-53 V10 will not start after sitting for a year

Well thanks for everyone's help from RV.Net. A mechanic look at the motorhome today and determined it's the neutral switch on the transmission. He will order one from Ford on Monday. Hope this works , he played with the stirring column and got it to start with the MH in rev.& neutral.

sometimes the brushes in the starter lose contact. Have someone hold the key in the start position while you tap the starter with a hammer. Keep hands out of the moving parts. Sometimes a few small taps will free up the connection.

I know its far out, but carefully check you battery cables. I have seen this type problem several times when the cables were corroded enough that they would pass enough voltage to look and seem OK, put would not pass the heavy current for the starter and?or Solenoid, In these cases, the cable looks fine externally, but is failing under the insulation. Otherwise, get your voltage meter, and start backward from the starter. One good thing about a gasser, just about any good mechanic with truck experience can work on most problems.

Do you have any interlocks that may be affecting your starting? On some coaches, the engine will not start if the slide is extended or a leveling jack is down. Yours may have different interlocks other than the neutral safety switch so you need to make sure that each one of them is functioning properly.
Sorry to hear about the death of your Son.

ugh wrote:
What about the starter relay. My went bad on 97 Pace Arrow, but I am not sure about 99. At some point, the starter relay was built into the starter.

That is what went on my 1999 F53 --- to the OP, it is not the solenoid on the starter, it is a separate relay on the firewall that sends the activation current to the starter solenoid

Neutral safety start switch or it's circuitry. All thats left.

Sounds like mice chewed your feeder wire from the switch to the starter relay. If you have no power there when someone turns the key and the switch is new (plus there's power going to the switch...did you check?) what else could it be.

Just thinking back through the KISS method.... aren't there two fuse boxes? One under the dash and one under the hood? Have you checked both locations for blown fuses? On mine, the one under the hood is located dead center above the radiator next to the oil dipstick.

Ok just put a new solenoid on motorhome and still does not crank. When wife turn key there is no voltage from control wire on solenoid.. The motorhome started when I jumped the two big terminal solenoid Now I have new ignition switch, chassis battery, and solenoid an will not start. What's next?

Is this the solenoid you checked??


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Even if you checked this and got voltage on the side going to the starter, it may not be passing enough current to activate the starter. Take a jumper cable (one) and jump the two large terminals. If the engine cranks, you've found your problem.