new '89 f250 starting problems

[gust]

hello, i just got a great deal on an '89 f250 that i plan to use for towing my travel trailer from here in southern california back home to montana. it is running well, but received a rodent attack under the hood & the wiring is problematic. my main issue is starting - currently there is a wire running from the battery to the coil, which i have to attach/detach every time i want to start up or shut down the truck. here is a photo of the where the wire attaches:

can anyone tell me what the first step would be in getting this thing back to a normal starting state?

here is some slightly-chewed wiring to the right of the first image:

this is an unknown live wire found between battery and firewall - don't know where it leads to...

here is the chewed-up wiring at this motorcraft part (don't know the technical name)

this photo was taken under the steering column, where a plug end doesn't seem to be attached to anything:

and while we're at it, this is what $600 got me!!!

i'm really stoked about this super-clean older pickup, just need some help getting it all back together electronically. please let me know if you have any thoughts on this & thank you!

 

[F 150Cobra]

i have no idea what all that crap is but i know that when i bought my new truck it didnt have the key i used to run a + wire from the selenoid to the + side of the coil for it to turn everything on like it has the key in it.. when you turn the key all it does is send a + to the positive side of the coil witch runs the ignition on the engine..

maybe something in the ignition/switch / steering column is bad?? dont ask me what thats all i know lolz

but what do you do to start it? and to turn it off?

 

[blacksnapon]

Picture 3 looks like a previously fused wire with only half of the fuse holder showing. The motorcraft part in question is the starter solenoid. The connector under the dash is the abs diagnostic connector.

 

[gust]

thanks for the reply, f150cobra. to turn the truck on/off i just connect the other end of that red wire going to the coil to the positive post on the battery, using the battery cable end to pin it on there. then i pull both off to shut down. i'd leave the battery cable hooked up, but i've noticed that when i reconnect that, something seems to be running over near the coil, and pulls power from the battery. could not pinpoint what is doing that.


aha! that might be why the "rear antilock" light is always on. thank you blacksnapon.

 

[F 150Cobra]

you have some ignition switch problem... start to trace some wires from the key switch to where they go..

i did that like you said witht he red wire when i didnt had the key.. and i jumped the selenoid..

 

[gust]

oh, okay - maybe i should clarify, i do start it like normal with the key. that red wire just needs to be hooked up to the battery, or else it just cranks & cranks. our assumption is that whatever wire was supposed to do the job of the temporary red one, had been chewed up. i just don't know where to be looking/tracing to see where that would be.

to shut down, i disconnect that wire from the battery. thanks for the feedback.

 

[F 150Cobra]

thats what i mean...
if the coil doesnt get a 12+ it wont fire... just cranks and cranks.. soo your coil isnt getting that 12+ for it to fire when you turn the key.. so trace the wire where its coming from ( the key ignition switch to coil ) is my bet..

 

[gust]

ah, alright - i gotcha, f150cobra. thank you

 

[O'Rattlecan]

Welcome to the site! You're right about that being a clean truck! That looks fantastic!

Ryan