more electrical woes
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From: Rockville, Ct.
more electrical woes
I have a 72 F250 that has chronic electrical issues. Of course this is my weak point. It wouldn't be right any other way.
Anywhoo. I have had a hard time starting it if I leave it set for more than a day.
I noticed in the past that the starter side wire to the starter gets extremely hot if I have to crank it for extended periods. Not long bursts just repetitive. I know better than to keep a starter cranking for more than a few seconds.
Today I went out to try again. Cranked it about eight times and I saw the wire was starting to melt ( casing ). I gripped the wire with a glove and noticed the whole terminal was loose like the terminal melted the solenoid housing. I also realized that wiggling the terminal would cause the starter to crank. This was with the ignition off.
I know that can't be right. It says to me that I have juice running to the starter side without the ignition on. What the heck could cause this? Is it just because the solenoid is fried now and moving the terminal makes a connection it would make normally when the solenoid is sound?
Also, since I have had ongoing elctrical issues could this be why she is hard to start ( not good spark )?
Anywhoo. I have had a hard time starting it if I leave it set for more than a day.
I noticed in the past that the starter side wire to the starter gets extremely hot if I have to crank it for extended periods. Not long bursts just repetitive. I know better than to keep a starter cranking for more than a few seconds.
Today I went out to try again. Cranked it about eight times and I saw the wire was starting to melt ( casing ). I gripped the wire with a glove and noticed the whole terminal was loose like the terminal melted the solenoid housing. I also realized that wiggling the terminal would cause the starter to crank. This was with the ignition off.
I know that can't be right. It says to me that I have juice running to the starter side without the ignition on. What the heck could cause this? Is it just because the solenoid is fried now and moving the terminal makes a connection it would make normally when the solenoid is sound?
Also, since I have had ongoing elctrical issues could this be why she is hard to start ( not good spark )?
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Joined: Jan 2001
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From: Virginia
I believe you are correct, the starter solenoid is ruined now, and wiggling it is making the connection. I would replaced the solenoid and also the wire to the starter. The wire is probably what started the whole thing.
Cross your fingers that you get a good new solenoid. They are cheap junk now, and like to stick on after you release the keyswitch.
What do you mean by "hard starting". It cranks and cranks but won't fire off? Or it struggles to crank and won't turn the engine over very fast.
Cross your fingers that you get a good new solenoid. They are cheap junk now, and like to stick on after you release the keyswitch.
What do you mean by "hard starting". It cranks and cranks but won't fire off? Or it struggles to crank and won't turn the engine over very fast.
Thread Starter
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Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 1,241
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From: Rockville, Ct.
I believe you are correct, the starter solenoid is ruined now, and wiggling it is making the connection. I would replaced the solenoid and also the wire to the starter. The wire is probably what started the whole thing.
Cross your fingers that you get a good new solenoid. They are cheap junk now, and like to stick on after you release the keyswitch.
What do you mean by "hard starting". It cranks and cranks but won't fire off? Or it struggles to crank and won't turn the engine over very fast.
Cross your fingers that you get a good new solenoid. They are cheap junk now, and like to stick on after you release the keyswitch.
What do you mean by "hard starting". It cranks and cranks but won't fire off? Or it struggles to crank and won't turn the engine over very fast.
It cranks fine just doesn't want to fire up. The carb is junk I know and I think that is the biggest issue but I had to ask about the spark possibility. Once she is running and warmed up she is fine.
I think I could write a short book on the electrical gremlins this girl has.
Coil fried
Alternator fried along w/ wires to alt.
fried regulator
fried the electronic ignition.
I know she's old but I had a 65 F100 that never presented with any electrical problems.
I'm tired of treating the symptoms but I can't seem to find the underlying problem and I haven't come across anyone that can point me in the final direction shy of re wiring the whole shebang and that ain't gonna happen with me. If I pulled out the harness I may as well roll it off a cliff.
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 56,978
Likes: 2,734
From: Virginia
Most things have reasons they happen. I don't know if the alternator went first, or the wiring to the alternator went bad first, but either one will cause the regulator to fail. So one thing leads to another. If you have the wiring all fixed over there with new components, then that should be good to go.
Same with the ignition system. A fried coil can ruin the ignition module. Why did the coil go bad, I can't answer that. But I would check the voltage at the coil + with the engine running. If it's 12v, you need to install a resistor in the wiring to the coil +. It should be around 9v, the factory had a resistance wire in this wire from the ignition switch. If someone has done some re-wiring, they may have cut the special resistance wire out, and running 12v all the time on the coil can make it overheat and fail, and also make the ignition module overheat.
If it turns out the ignition wiring has been monkeyed with, then they may have left off the resistor bypass wire. This is a wire that hooks to the "I" terminal of the starter solenoid, and runs around and hooks directly to the coil +. The "I" terminal sends a direct 12 to the coil during cranking only. This makes the engine fire off quicker, especially when it gets cold outside. Once the key is let go and the solenoid opens and stops the starter, the "I" terminal quits sending 12v to the coil, and the coil gets it's voltage through the resistance wire I was talking about before.
Same with the ignition system. A fried coil can ruin the ignition module. Why did the coil go bad, I can't answer that. But I would check the voltage at the coil + with the engine running. If it's 12v, you need to install a resistor in the wiring to the coil +. It should be around 9v, the factory had a resistance wire in this wire from the ignition switch. If someone has done some re-wiring, they may have cut the special resistance wire out, and running 12v all the time on the coil can make it overheat and fail, and also make the ignition module overheat.
If it turns out the ignition wiring has been monkeyed with, then they may have left off the resistor bypass wire. This is a wire that hooks to the "I" terminal of the starter solenoid, and runs around and hooks directly to the coil +. The "I" terminal sends a direct 12 to the coil during cranking only. This makes the engine fire off quicker, especially when it gets cold outside. Once the key is let go and the solenoid opens and stops the starter, the "I" terminal quits sending 12v to the coil, and the coil gets it's voltage through the resistance wire I was talking about before.
Thread Starter
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Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 1,241
Likes: 2
From: Rockville, Ct.
Most things have reasons they happen. I don't know if the alternator went first, or the wiring to the alternator went bad first, but either one will cause the regulator to fail. So one thing leads to another. If you have the wiring all fixed over there with new components, then that should be good to go.
Same with the ignition system. A fried coil can ruin the ignition module. Why did the coil go bad, I can't answer that. But I would check the voltage at the coil + with the engine running. If it's 12v, you need to install a resistor in the wiring to the coil +. It should be around 9v, the factory had a resistance wire in this wire from the ignition switch. If someone has done some re-wiring, they may have cut the special resistance wire out, and running 12v all the time on the coil can make it overheat and fail, and also make the ignition module overheat.
If it turns out the ignition wiring has been monkeyed with, then they may have left off the resistor bypass wire. This is a wire that hooks to the "I" terminal of the starter solenoid, and runs around and hooks directly to the coil +. The "I" terminal sends a direct 12 to the coil during cranking only. This makes the engine fire off quicker, especially when it gets cold outside. Once the key is let go and the solenoid opens and stops the starter, the "I" terminal quits sending 12v to the coil, and the coil gets it's voltage through the resistance wire I was talking about before.
Same with the ignition system. A fried coil can ruin the ignition module. Why did the coil go bad, I can't answer that. But I would check the voltage at the coil + with the engine running. If it's 12v, you need to install a resistor in the wiring to the coil +. It should be around 9v, the factory had a resistance wire in this wire from the ignition switch. If someone has done some re-wiring, they may have cut the special resistance wire out, and running 12v all the time on the coil can make it overheat and fail, and also make the ignition module overheat.
If it turns out the ignition wiring has been monkeyed with, then they may have left off the resistor bypass wire. This is a wire that hooks to the "I" terminal of the starter solenoid, and runs around and hooks directly to the coil +. The "I" terminal sends a direct 12 to the coil during cranking only. This makes the engine fire off quicker, especially when it gets cold outside. Once the key is let go and the solenoid opens and stops the starter, the "I" terminal quits sending 12v to the coil, and the coil gets it's voltage through the resistance wire I was talking about before.
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