No POWER after Starter Solenoid Change
 

My first post so hang in there...

Went to change the starter solenoid on my recently aquired (through marriage) 88 Bronco II. Changed out the old clicking model for the new part and suddenly had no power at all. Exchanged new part thinking it might be bad still no power. Got a different solenoid from different store...still no power...put the original solenoid back in still no power. This lead to a battery replacement...still no power. Put the most recent solenoid back in with the new battery...no power...did however briefly arc the terminals and the starter cranked liked crazy. Went through the fuses on drivers side interior but can't locate any other fuse box inside or out. Please help before this 40 year old and very novice mech rips out what little hair he has left...
Thanks

check your neutral safty switch on the bottom of the steering colum

More help needed
 

I have an auto trans. if that makes a difference. Bought the manual today but could not find a blow up of safety switch...what does it look like and how do I check it...manual was not much help or I could not find it.
Thanks

it should be on the top of your steering colum on the bottom above the brake pedel it ismounted with 2 screws to the colum

Other ideas
 

No such animal. There is not one thing mounted on the collum. The Haynes manual says that neutral switch is somewhere on the automatic tranny... other ideas? Thanks for sticking with me.

My Ford EVTM isnt real clear on this but if you have the 2.9 it appears that the backup lights & neutral switch are the same. Do your backup lights work? Looks like the switch is on the drivers side of the trans 2nd switch below the gear shift lever.

I have no power at all to anything. The whole truck is dead in the water since I changed the solenoid...that's all I did that is why this is so frustrating! (It is a 2.9) Thanks

i had same problem one time
when i changed solonoid i accidentally unpluged a wire that is located near the battery. it is a 2 piece wire that clips together. it is black in colour. it simply came apart.
see if thats problem.
good luck

Do you have power at the wire from the battery to the solenoid? If you do, do you have power to the little wire at the solenoid with the key to start?

OUCH, if nothing at all has power, you probably have a blown fuse link. the black/orange stripe wire at the starter relay is wired to an orange fuse link (smaaler diameter section of wire) if it looks blistered, thats the problem.

I looked at the fuse links,they look OK but I'm no expert. I do not have any power, no dome, no ding, no headlights, nothing. I did test the little red wire with the blue stripe...no power. However, when I use a jumper wire from the battery to the little wire terminal on the solenoid the truck turns over...go figure.
Any more ideas?
Thanks to EVERYONE that has helped with this problem!

Are you testing for power using a test light or voltmeter? If not, I suggest you at least get a test light from an automotive store. That way you can tell exactly where the power is and is not.
Now lets start at the begining. What happened first? The solenoid clicked everytime you went to start? After you changed it there was nothing at all?
First off, it would help out a lot if we can get what year and what engine you have. I can look up the individual wires by color if you want. The red/light blue wire goes to the ignition. You don't want to be testing that right now.
If you don't have a test light or voltmeter, now would be a great time to invest or borrow one from a friend,neighbor or relative. It will make you life so much easier when trying to diagnose this puppy.
start at the battery. How much available voltage do you have? Make sure the terminals are not corroded and clean them up with a battery terminal cleaner(you can get this from any sutomotive store real cheap) make sure both of the battery terminals are secure and tight.
When you arced the terminals at the solenoid, was it before there was no power or after there was no power. Clicking indicates you are getting juice to excite the solenoid. No click means no juice.
If there is no click, make sure all the terminals are on nice and tight. Now comes the test light you have to find out if all of the fusible links are good. There is one that is used basically for just about everything that you mentioned
could even be a slight break in the ground or positive battery wire.
It's kind of hard telling you what to look for without the specifics. Let me know what year and what engine your Bronco II has.
By the way, the neutral safety switch is on the tranny.

Thats some xlnt advice from Wolfpax. Only thing I can add is that there are 2 more fusible links at a splice you might want to check, it's near the "alternator takeoff" one wire leaves the splice black/orange the other is yellow. As Wolfpax sez check for voltage there with a test lamp. Poke a sewing needle thru the wire connect test lamp between there & the ground post on the battery. BTW this info is for my 87, your 88 is probably the same. Are your electric door locks & rear wiper working?

Are the fuse links and battery cable connected together at the starter relay?

Resolution
 

Well I have had it with this thing...taking it to the mechanic. I really wish I could say this...when what I really need to do is fess up...

The posts from the last few days got me to thinking about getting back to the basics...how does a circuit work and what actually happened the first day. What happened was I assumed. I saw a black cable, a red cable marked positive on the insulation and some other ones that attached to back terminal of the solenoid . So, I assumed (without checking) that the red wire came from the battery and the black...I didn't know where that came from and didn't care, I just knew it went on the opposite terminal. I went and picked up my new part which had 4 terminals instead of three and had a 45 degree different orientation after install then the OEM part... and as you all have guessed the recipie for failure. (I feel extremly stupid here. I am going to have to change my screen name so you don't know it is me!)

The red that I took for the battery cable actually went to the starter and the black cable was the + from the battery. I of course have been rewiring the thing wrong since the fist darn day because I didn't take the time to actually mark anything. I switched the black and red around and the darn thing started like it was brand new!

Thanks to all who took the time to help me with this and I am sorry you ended up saving me from myself...I will be back but I am still thinking about changing my screen name.
Tim