I have an issue with not being able to start the vehicle. I just purchased the 92 truck a month ago. It was not starting, so I replaced the fender mounted relay. It worked for a day, but then I figured out the problem was the clutch safety switch (had to push the clutch way down to the floor). I bypassed that by jumpering the red/blue wires and its been starting fine. Until yesterday....... When I turn the key, I get a click. With the truck in neutral, I jump the 2 large terminals on the relay (did this before and the starter would crank). It does nothing now, not even a click. I put the old relay back and the same thing. Could it be the relay?

 

Welcome to FTE

It could be the relay.

Many autoparts stores today sell parts made in CHINA. The quality of these parts is terrible.

So your "new" relay might be defective. And did they sell you the correct one...or not?

This is the correct one. > >

E9TZ11450B .. Starter Motor Relay (Motorcraft SW1951C)

MSRP: $37.22 / FTEpartsguy.com price: $22.10.

Autoparts stores can cross Motorcraft part numbers over to the brands they sell. See if it matches the one you bought.

Are the battery cables or the posts they connect to corroded? That's another thing to consider.

Remove the cables, clean up any corrosion.

 

if your jumping the relay that takes it out of the mix-check wires on your starter-they some time will come loose-and check the ground wire to the starter real good-won't work with it loose or corroded

 

Numberdummy...thanks for the reply. The solenoid is from NAPA (not sure why they call it a solenoid if it is a relay) and it is made in china. ST404 is the number on the box. The cables were corroded when I bought the truck, but I brushed them up really well.

jr...thanks for the reply. That is what my thought was. By jumping the 2 terminals, something should have happened. I just took a class in electronics and it has helped me understand a lot of the terminology (but I am still no genius). I will give the wires at the starter a look tonight.

 

Starter solenoid is another term for the starter relay.

Ford has, what I refer to as "dueling" references, for the same part.

In the 1990/2002 parts catalog, Ford refers to it as a: Starter Motor Relay.

In the 1964/72 parts catalog, Ford refers to it as a: Starter Motor Relay-Solenoid Switch.

 

i know my 95 e250 had a plug in connection on the starter-it broke-and after that the wire corroded and went south-will drive ya nuts-and only happens on a rainy day when your parked over a deep mud puddle?

 

Your truck has both a Relay on the fender and a solenoid on the starter.
Your problem is more than likely a bad spade terminal on the starter solenoid located down on the starter.
To fix cut back about an inch of wire, strip and crimp on a new spade connector.

If this does not fix it then it is starter time.

A solenoid and a relay are to different things and the auto part stores are behind the times and did not catch it when Ford moved the solenoid from the fender to the starter. A solenoid has a moving plunger that rams contacts closed and a relay does not.
A relay moves a plate with contacts on it with a magnetic field.

Here is a diagram of your system.


/

 

Thanks for your help everybody. I went below the truck tonight, cleaned off the terminal on the starter, then wire brushed the spade on the solenoid. It started right up. I have a few more issues with the truck, but I will just keep plugging away at them. It has 198,000+ miles on it, so there are bound to be some issues. For $950 + about $300-$400 in repairs, it feels good to being driving a new truck.