Engine does not start..where is starter located...

celunoid ?? SOLENOID ! Could be starter , test ! VOLTAGE DROP TESTING .

Starter Voltage Drop

What size engine ???
Starter Motor, 4.6L C1020
Lower right side of engine Starter Motor, 5.4L C1020
Lower right side of engine

Starter Motor Relay, 4.6L C166
Right rear of engine compartment C167
Right rear of engine compartment Starter Motor Relay, 5.4L C166
Right rear of engine compartment C167
Right rear of engine compartment

Sounds like the starter is going bad it is located on the engine no pun intended . The starter will be located where the engine and the transmission come together that is called the bell housing. The starter starts the car by way of the fly wheel dont worry you cant see the fly wheel just a little FYI. If you change it your self make sure to unhook the battery first to prevent a spark.

check the starter and ignition fuse. starter fuse is located in the fuse box in your engine bay, ignition fuse is located in the kick panel which is right under your steering wheel.

the neutral switch is located in the left side of the transmission and its connected to the shift cable.

The starter is located on the backside of the engine (firewall side) on the drivers side, from symptom described it sounds like a bad starter drive. The starter needs to be removed, disassembled and the drive replaced. I have found that banging the starter usually only works when the starter has very worn brushes that builds a pile of carbon in the bottom of the starter causing a short and banging the starter sometimes disrupts that unwanted ground path or the brushes are so worn they don't contact the armature properly to make good contact after the armature stops spinning from it's last start. Some times the shock of banging the starter will shift the brushes enough to allow it to start the car.

This job is easy to do, dissconnect battery terminal wait 3 min, before continuing, next remove cooler line clamp off starter, then remove the cable wire and the small wire from the starter, next remove the two bolts holding the starter and starter is removed,
the location is at rear of the engine, if you look at where the engine and trany meet the starter should be it thatr area at the top,

When you go to start the engine you are actually sending power from the ignition switch through a 20 amp fuse [crank fuse] then through the Park/Nuetral safety start switch and finally to the starter relay [located at the center rear of the engine compartment] This relay then sends a more powerful current flow down to the starter solenoid located on top of the the starter which then closes and allows full battery voltage from the large battery cable to energize and spin the starter. I don't think I've ever had to replace a starter relay on these but have replaced a large number of starters with bad solenoids and bad Park/nuetral switches. The "crank" fuse could also be bad but that is also pretty rare.

1. Check the Starter Relay located in the PDC = Power Distribution Center located in the engine compartment on the left side. Remove the cover. The Fuse and Relay location/identification should be on the back (inside) of the cover. Also check your owners manual for addtional information on the Fuse and Relay identification/location.
2. After locating the Starter Relay: There should be a Spare Relay; IF NOT then LOCATE a non-engine operation Relay (on a function that works!) of similar Type and Size and switch these out. Again check for Starter Operation. If this works: then the original Relay is bad and must be replaced. If it does not work, and the other non-engine function you switched out with does still work, then the Relay was not the problem.
If this does not work:
3. With a partner at the wheel: You go under the front of the vehicle. Locate the Starter which should be on the front of the engine. Using a heavy gage jumper wire. Touch one end of the jumper wire to the large (red) wire connection (bolt/nut). Touch the other end to the main body of the Starter Motor. The Starter has two components: the Starter Solenoid and the Starter Motor. They are integrated/combined into one unit. The Starter Solenoid is the Smaller of the cylindrical shapes. The Starter Motor is the Larger of the cylindrical shapes. Have your partner turn the Key to the Start Position. If it Starts, then the Starter Solenoid is bad and the Starter (Solenoid & Motor) Unit must be replaced.
Let me know if this helped, or if you have additional questions or information. Feel free to contact me on FixYa.com!

Does the starter crank the engine over? Saying your truck won't start could mean that the starter spins be the engine won't fire. If the starter is not spinning is it at least clicking?

ealsip13;

First, let me ask why you think the starter is bad?

What symptoms do you get when you try to start the engine?

The starter will be located on the lower portion of the engine towards the rear of the engine, right about where the engine connects to the transmission.

Let me know some details and perhaps I can help with the diagnosis

Loringh