Bad starter or NSS?

[team39763]

My wife was driving the dually and pulled into a gas station, when she came out the truck wouldn't start.  All the lights work fine.  When I turn the key the gauges move like they normally do when it starts, but there's no action from the starter.  A local mechanic came by and said it's likely the neutral safety switch or the solenoid.  He went under the truck and jumped the starter by hand.  Does that mean the starter is still good and I should be looking at electrical/NSS?  I know my wife was shifting into R and D (from P ofcourse) without really hitting the brake pedal, and the shifter/trans would clunk into gear a lot.  Would that ruin the NSS?
  The truck is a 94 C3500, is the NSS hard to replace if that's what's needed?

[team39763]

I just got the NSS off the truck.  It just looks old and dirty.  How do you clock/calibrate these things?  I've searched but I'm not finding any mention of how to set them correctly.

EDIT: I think I figured it out.  We have a new one on the way.  I tried to bypass the NSS but the truck still didn't do anything.  If that doesn't work, I'm gonna inspect and clean the connections on the starter.

[beastie_3]

It also could just be the starter if you bypassed the NSS and its still doesnt work. If my truck sits for a long time, I have to tap on the starter. Is it coated in oil?

[team39763]

From what I can see from the top it doesn't look coated in oil, but I'll get a closer look in a few minutes.  I'll try tapping the starter too.

EDIT: The new NSS didn't make a difference.  I'm about to get under the truck and mess with the starter.

[VileZambonie]

Put the truck in Park. Take a test light to the S terminal on the solenoid. Hook the other end of your test light to ground. Have an assistant crank it. If it lights up replace it. If it doesn't light up check the ignition switch as those trucks like to kill ignition switches.

[Blue 82]

I had the NSS go bad on a road trip
Pulled in for gas and the starter would not spin unless I jumped the solenoid
Bypassed the NSS with a paper clip in the plug to complete my trip

[team39763]

I'll do the S terminal test this afternoon.  Hopefully it is just the ignition switch rather than the starter.

I thought the NSS was gonna be in a hard place.  I did a few google searches and it seemed to be giving people a lot of trouble(finding them and replacing them) on other models.  Good thing it was just on the firewall and easy to bypass.

[Lt.Del]

Hopefully it is just the ignition switch rather than the starter.

Your starter should be good if the good samaritan mechanic came by and jumped the starter and sent you on your way.  The bottom line is the starter is getting no signal to do anything. Could be the solenoid, could be the ignition switch.  Your starter should be good from what i just read.

Besides, i think it is easier to replace a starter rather than an ignition switch.

[team39763]

My wife went and bought the ignition switch and we installed it, but now we can't get the steering column back together.  How do we get that lock ring back in the groove?  We can't even get things compressed enough to see the groove.  Is there a special procedure?

[VileZambonie]

Did you check it out or are you just throwing parts at it? Did you use a lockplate depressor? Did you replace the ignition cylinder or the ignition switch? 

[team39763]

Uh oh, they told my wife the ignition cylinder was the same thing as an ignition switch.  NAPA convinced her that she needed the cylinder and that's what she brought me....if I didn't install it, she would have done it herself.  I haven't tested the starter/solenoid yet because I just barely got my new floor jack this morning(truck was too low for my old jack).  I'm headed out to do the S-terminal test in a few minutes.

Nope, we didn't use a lock plate depressor.  Nobody within 100miles had one...or so they said(you know how these kids are at autozone).

EDIT: My wife just called and said she ordered the depressor tool and autozone will have it this afternoon aswell as a new ignition switch.  I'm about to go do the test now...just waiting on my assistant.

[team39763]

We did the s terminal test and we aren't getting power there.  I have the lockplate tool and the new ignition switch.  I'll try to get it done in the AM and report.

[team39763]

I replaced the ignition switch, but it's still not starting.  I'm gonna try the S-terminal test again.  Maybe the wire to the starter broke...it was pulled pretty tight.

[VileZambonie]

OK, stop changing parts and re-check for B+ at the S terminal while cranking in park. report back.

[VileZambonie]

Better yet, I'm not going to be around tomorrow much so hope this helps: