Hey guys! So I've recently bought a 1989 Ford F-150 XLT Lariat Longbed with the Fuel-Injected 5.8 351 Windsor Small Block in it. The truck has 173,000 original miles and runs like a champ, except one problem. I'll start from the beginning. I bought this truck from someone who informed me it has an"issue" every once in a while. This issue was a cranking problem and I soon experienced this problem. This is what would happen. The truck cranked up great, whenever cold, but once the engine warmed up and the truck was drove awhile if you shut the engine off it wouldn't crank back. It would turn over slowly as if it had a bad, or weak battery and wouldn't ever crank. The starter solenoid never clicked, either. The operating temperature of the engine was around 210 degrees Fahrenheit. After you waited about 20-30 minutes, or until the engine reached 160-180 degrees Fahrenheit it would crank right back up. Now this wouldn't happen every time I would shut the truck off once the engine warmed up, just only once, or twice a week. The individual who sold the truck to me told me his mechanic told him it was the fuel pressure regulator. I replaced the fuel pressure regulator and fuel filter after about a month of dealing with the issue. I also only ran 93 octane unleaded gasoline. Even after replacing the fuel pressure regulator, the problem persisted and only got worse. After about 2 months of having the truck, one day I came across the situation where every time I tried cranking the truck it seemed the battery was getting weaker and weaker until eventually I tried cranking it and the starter solenoid clicked and the battery was dead. I finally got fed up and replaced the starter solenoid, starter motor, alternator, battery and the negative and positive battery cables. I ran into a problem whenever I was wiring the wires back to the starter solenoid. I made sure that I wired the wires back up to the new starter solenoid the same exact way as the old one. The only problem was whenever I went to go crank my truck I had no juice whatsoever going to the inside of the cab. I checked my wiring on the solenoid to come to find out I somehow had it wired backwards. I didn't understand it, because I wired it up the exact same as before. I have six wires that attach to my starter solenoid. The cable that runs to my starter motor, the positive cable, a green wire that I believe runs to my alternator and three yellow wires that are hot all the time. This is how the wires going to the starter solenoid where wired originally. The starter motor cable, the three yellow wires and the one green wire where all on the side where the starter motor cable attaches to. The positive cable was the only thing attached to the positive side. After I switched the wiring and put the three yellow wires and green wire on the positive side and left the starter motor cable by itself on the other did I finally get power to the cab and the truck would crank and run just fine. I thought all of the worries behind me until I've ran until an even worse problem. Now my truck will crank every once in a while and then all of a sudden while I'm driving down the road I will lose power to my radio, my headlights, etc. and my engine will eventually shut of. If I try to crank it back the starter solenoid clicks and the battery is completely dead. Throw a new battery in it and it cranks right up. I don't know what it could be. Maybe the aftermarket radio in it is effecting it, or the wiring to the alternator is bad? Please help guys! I'm running out of options.

 

Ending up with a dead battery, I would definitely check the alternator and it's wiring. The trucks of that and surrounding years had a poor electrical connector on the alternator. There is a replacement pigtail available to solder onto the existing wires on the alternator.

How does your volt meter read normally and before the battery goes dead?

 

Well that's another peoblem...the instrument cluster has been removed at one time and the volts needle is broken, but I did have the truck tested at O'Reilly Auto Parts and they said the charging system was perfectly normal and charging like 14.23 volts. Now that you mention about the aftermarket pigtail, whenever I went to go purchase a new alternator I had different options. I had choices from a 65 amp that didn't come with a pigtail and then there was a 75 amp that had a pigtail already attached to it. Of course I bought the 65 amp, because I didn't want to mess with the wiring. I don't know if this makes a difference, or not, but also the positions on the alternator where I plug in the two connectors are different that my original alternator. On my original alternator you had a plug on the left side and on the top of the alternator. The new one had a plug on the top and right side like as if the plugs had been rotated 90 degrees on the alternator. Either way, the wiring still reached and worked. One of the connectors that go to my alternator has wire showing as if it is starting to pull out of the connector. Let alone that it's filthy dirty and the clips on the connector is broken off. Maybe this pigtail needs to be replaced? The 75 amp alternator I was speaking of earlier came with this pigtail. Also, I have a brand new Everstart Maxx battery I bought for the truck. Keep in mind whenever I put a recharged, or new battery the truck will run and drive great for about a week to a week and a half then the radio cuts off and the battery just dies. Now if the alternator isn't working properly shouldn't that battery have died within a day, or so?

 

This is the original connector. The new alternator comes with one of these. Its pretty dirty.<br/>




Thats the exposed wire I was speaking of.





This is my new starter solenoid.I wanted to post a picture and wanted you guys to see how I have it wired up and if its correct?

 

Your solenoid looks to hooked up properly. The one large post on the solenoid should have ONLY the cable that goes down to the starter.

 

Do you think it is that connector?

 

Hard to say. It sure could be. It's a bummer when your volt meter doesn't work.

 

Well I'll replace my existing alternator with the 75 amp alternator that also comes with that new connector. I guess in time I'll see if my battery ends up dead, or all is well. Whenever I get everything hooked up I will go have it tested again at an auto parts store. Eventually I'll just be installing all aftermarket gauges anyways. So if my truck continues to kill the battery what other reasonable explanation could it be?