Electrical Perils
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From: Buffalo
Electrical Perils
So I'm working on my 84 F250 (5.0L) and had to replace the starter switch because the ignition cylinder would stick forward when starting and not return to run position without help. Long story short, it's fixed. Today I hook up the battery, dome light come on, I turn the key forward, dome lights cut out for a second, come back on. I cycle the key a couple times, I hear this electrical crack and suddenly smoke from near the starter solenoid. Shut key of, run up front, pull ground wire off of battery. The orange fusible link that connects to the "Starter" side of the solenoid is hotter than hell. So what would cause this. It wasn't occurring with the old starter switch, but it could be purely coincidental that it's happening now.
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From: Buffalo
What could I have hooked up wrong? All I disconnected was the starter switch and that connector only goes back together one way. The switch had the lock pin in when I installed it and I had the lock cylinder itself in the "LOCK" position when I hooked up the actuator rod. Nothing else was touched.
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From: Buffalo
I did drop the column to do the switch. I was pretty careful about doing it but I suppose I should check that and make sure I didn't pinch anything. There was a prior repair done on the harness, someone tapped a wire and has it running out to the hood. I may have to investigate that. But the weird thing is, it wasn't doing this before the switch replacement. What are the chances of a bad switch?
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From: Virginia
You are thinking correctly. "it wasn't doing this before the switch replacement". Just keep that in your head.
It really can't be the switch. All the wires in the switch are hot, there are no grounds in the switch. So if something was wrong in the switch, the likely hood it would cause a short circuit to ground is slim to none.
If you do find the problem, there is a possiblity that the problem did ruin the new switch, so keep that in mind if you get it fixed and the switch is acting crazy.
It really can't be the switch. All the wires in the switch are hot, there are no grounds in the switch. So if something was wrong in the switch, the likely hood it would cause a short circuit to ground is slim to none.
If you do find the problem, there is a possiblity that the problem did ruin the new switch, so keep that in mind if you get it fixed and the switch is acting crazy.
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