Update:

Ran through the entire starting system as far as my knowledge goes yesterday.

Ignition switch: good. when turned to start supplies battery voltage at cavity 86 on starter relay.

starter relay: good. can hear and feel click when ignition is turned to start. also confirmed with another working relay.

starter solenoid: good. runs starter motor when battery voltage is jumped from + terminal to s terminal on solenoid.

starter motor: good.

battery: good. holds steady ~12.5v

Cleaned battery posts with baking soda, water and battery brush.

replaced battery cable terminals

cleaned battery - to engine block grounds

resistance tested nss: (ran through test multiple times)

park - a,g - infinite
b,c - .6, .8, .6, 4.5
3 - a,g - 20.2, 150, 2.4, .3
a,h - infinite
1-2 - a,e - infinite
R - a,e - .5, 6.3, .1 .6
b,c - infinite
N - b,c - .8, .5, 2.1, 1.1

Not sure where to go from here

 

How exactly did you test this? NSS mounted or not?

Holding the key in the start position, slide the shifter slowly from Park to 1-2 to see if it starts in ANY position.

Check the OTHER side of the transmission to see if the nylon bushing is intact. Observe shift shaft from NSS side to insure it moves properly.

Those are some weird Ω"s. Prob just technique.

 

tested nss on vehicle. It is currently ‘in proper adjustment’ from shop. Reverse lights working. So I’m hesitant to remove it.

I will visually inspect shift linkage And try starting through entire shift range and follow up.

I thought the values were strange as well. That’s why I ran through the test several times. I probed the pins from the front side of the connector cavity. Do the changing values show a fault with the nss?

 

The b-c measurements seem normal. Do you have any voltage on B or C (pins 7 or 8 in the FSM) in any gear position with it plugged in? You see voltage across them in anything other than P or N. Does jumping them together still let the starter work?

 

Even the obscure high values? The directions I followed said the reading should be near 0.00

I will check voltage. If I see voltage in P or N what does that mean?

Yes, I still can start with the nss bypassed or by jumpering the starter solenoid without.

 

How is the NSS bypassed? Is it B to C (or the black and black with yellow stripe from the NSS)?

 

A few ohms shouldn't matter as that's likely just how well your connecting with the backprobe. Assuming you see voltage between B-C, that means the switch is getting power but it's not connecting the two pins together (which should only happen in P or N).

 

bypassed by jumping bk to bk/y

 

Can you post an image of that?

I'm really not getting this. It seems to me that the harness side may be damaged. The jumper and Park and Neutral Positions on the NSS do the exact same thing.

 

 

98 4.0 - The starter solenoid switch clicked like it was working fine but the reality was one of the internal contacts was gone. Kinda happened suddenly. Took it off, opened it up and could see the contact simply worn away. I think I spent $26.00 on a new solenoid and it fixed the no-start problem.

 

Still no crank

 

what key position for this test? Also, to clarify, + probe on b or c and - probe on opposite, correct?

started with no cel today when I went to run errands. Thought I got lucky. On second start is throwing 4 codes now: 0700, 0705, 1899, 0171. Not worried about the lean 0171 at the moment, pretty sure it’s due to cracked header.

 

Measure between B-C. I'm pretty sure one of them is grounded, and the other comes from the starter relay. When the shifter is in P or N, you should not have voltage between the B and C pins -- that would mean the NSS isn't connecting the pin like it's supposed to.

 

Seems to me the engine side of the harness has a poor connection. Can you take your jumper wire and bypass the black wire through the plug, then the black/white wire through the plug.

I stare at this every day and wonder what you're wondering. This is impossible.