Starter Relay?

Tod1985F250 · #1 (**permalink**) 11-07-2009, 11:58 AM

Sometimes it seems there is not enough juice to start the engine. At those times, I turn the key to on, open the hood, jumper between the positive battery terminal and the starter relay terminal, and the engine starts! Should I...
a. do nothing? (no thanks)
b. install a new battery?
c. install a new starter relay?
d. install a new ignition switch?
e. check the wiring between the ignition switch and the relay?
f. do something else? please explain

Thanks, Tod

87 XLT · #2 (**permalink**) 11-07-2009, 12:38 PM

There should be a wire with a rubber boot at the starter relay. Pull that off & jump 12 volts to that post.

Does it crank?

If it does you're not getting 12 volts from the ignition switch when you turn it to start.

Could be a bad ignition switch, bad neutral switch (slugomatic), bad clutch switch if it has a real trasmission, or a busted wire.

Tod1985F250 · #3 (**permalink**) 11-07-2009, 01:00 PM

I jump 12 volts to the small terminal on the starter relay (the terminal that has the red/blue wire) and it cranks.

I have a 4-speed manual transmission.

Sometimes it cranks when I turn the key to start, sometimes it doesn't. Does that help to figure out what it could be?

87 XLT · #4 (**permalink**) 11-07-2009, 01:20 PM

My last starting problem was with my 87Ranger & it was the same as yours. Sometimes it would crank & sometimes not. Makes it kinda hard to find the problem

Starter relays are so cheap that I just went ahead and replaced it & that solved the problem.

Or you could connect your voltmeter to the red/blue wire & have someone turn the key a dozen times. Do you get 12 volts each time?

Tod1985F250 · #5 (**permalink**) 11-07-2009, 02:27 PM

Thanks, I'll give that a try.

JimsRebel · #6 (**permalink**) 11-07-2009, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 87 XLT

Or you could connect your voltmeter to the red/blue wire & have someone turn the key a dozen times. Do you get 12 volts each time?

Leave the red/blue wire attached when checking voltage, the starter solenoid should click and you should get 12 volts and of course the starter should engage.

My point here is to test the red/blue wire under normal load/current draw, not just with it hanging in the wind.

When it "doesn't crank" with the key in start, do you hear the starter solenoid CLICK once... and then no starter/engine rotation????

Jim

hobbes · #7 (**permalink**) 11-10-2009, 08:53 PM

I just had sort of the same problem myself with my '86 302 efi, aod. I replaced the solenoid and it did not fix the problem, i ended up pulling the whole steering coloum (mine was cracked anyway) and replaceing it with one from a bone yard for 45 bucks and now i have no issues starting at all. It must have been an issue with the connection between the ignition switch and the wireing plug on the coloum.

dustybumpers · #8 (**permalink**) 11-10-2009, 09:05 PM

could be that the clutch switch is starting to go bad. next time it wont start, stomp the clutch pedal to the floor a couple of times, and see if it will start then. my 1 truck has to be all the way to the floor before it will start. there is an adjustment for it, but I forget how.