Notices
1987 - 1996 F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks 1987 - 1996 Ford F-150, F-250, F-350 and larger pickups - including the 1997 heavy-duty F250/F350+ trucks

Relay Question

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Oct 24, 2023 | 04:53 PM
  #1  
ggroninger's Avatar
ggroninger
Thread Starter
|
4th Gear
Joined: Oct 2023
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Relay Question

Hi, I bought a 1989 f-150 XLT Lariat 5.0 I have been going thru it, working on anything that I find that needs work. There were 2 relays laying on the drivers side fender in the engine compartment. After some research I figured out that these are the Fuel and the EEC relay. The Plugs that the relays plug into and the relays were all badly corroded. I found new plugs with pigtails online and spliced them in. I also ordered 2 relays. I got one from auto zone and the other online. When I looked at the little diagram on the top of the new relays, they (functionally) looked identical. So this means either they are identical, and just carry different part numbers, or one of them is the wrong relay. Does anyone know if these relays are in fact the same? And if not how can I tell which one is the wrong relay.
Thanks in advance for any help anyone can offer.
Glenn
 
Reply
Old Oct 25, 2023 | 06:10 AM
  #2  
tjc transport's Avatar
tjc transport
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,564
Likes: 5,601
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
Club FTE Gold Member
relays should be the same. the different part number probably comes from getting them from two different places.
 
Reply
Old Oct 25, 2023 | 06:40 AM
  #3  
ggroninger's Avatar
ggroninger
Thread Starter
|
4th Gear
Joined: Oct 2023
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Thanks Tom, now I can get on with my work!
 
Reply
Old Oct 25, 2023 | 07:52 AM
  #4  
manicmechanic007's Avatar
manicmechanic007
Hotshot
5 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Shutterbug
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 10,534
Likes: 2,664
From: Near Salt Lake City
Club FTE Silver Member

The green one (fuel) and the grey one are not the same
Neither is the brown one the same (the connectors have different dead lineup posts)
With different connectors you can make any of them work
Get yourself a new little black plastic box that holds them right side up to lessen the corrosion
 
Reply
Old Oct 26, 2023 | 08:20 AM
  #5  
ggroninger's Avatar
ggroninger
Thread Starter
|
4th Gear
Joined: Oct 2023
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Here are the Pigtails and relays I bought. One was purchased as a fuel relay the other from another source as a EEC relay. when I took the pics I had not yet heat shrunk the pigtails.



I found this after some digging on the part # of the relay (It turns out there are different numbers from different stores) I found this from a place called Summit Racing
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/S...-size/5-0l-302
This website was the most informative and easy to use that I have come across so far. Based on this I'm going to try the relays and hope it works out. Now I have to find the plastic holder so they don't lay on the fender.
Also, sorry the pics are so huge, I don't know how to fix that. It took me a while just to figure out how to upload them. Thanks to both you guys.
 
Reply
Old Oct 26, 2023 | 09:46 AM
  #6  
Soup bean's Avatar
Soup bean
Cargo Master
Community Builder
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 2,258
Likes: 742
From: Maryland
The one on the left, marked 23170, has a diode in series with the coil of the relay. It should be the ECM relay.
Diodes prevent current flow in the opposite direction of the arrow looking part of the symbol.
 
Reply
Old Oct 26, 2023 | 10:28 AM
  #7  
ggroninger's Avatar
ggroninger
Thread Starter
|
4th Gear
Joined: Oct 2023
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by Soup bean
The one on the left, marked 23170, has a diode in series with the coil of the relay. It should be the ECM relay.
Diodes prevent current flow in the opposite direction of the arrow looking part of the symbol.
Wow! thank you very much! I have much to learn about this.
 
Reply
Old Oct 26, 2023 | 01:22 PM
  #8  
tjc transport's Avatar
tjc transport
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,564
Likes: 5,601
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
Club FTE Gold Member
yup. besides the diode, those relays are the same.
the only difference is the one on the left can only be hooked up one way with #1 being negative and #2 being positive.
the relay on the right can be hooked up either way.
 
Reply
FTE Stories

Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts

story-0

Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership

 Brett Foote
story-2

10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-3

Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained

 Brett Foote
story-4

10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-6

Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)

 Brett Foote
story-9

Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies

 Joe Kucinski
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
xr4000
1987 - 1996 F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks
4
May 16, 2025 08:05 PM
Jd1a
6.0L Power Stroke Diesel
3
Feb 22, 2023 02:18 PM
Shattered
1999 - 2003 7.3L Power Stroke Diesel
14
Sep 21, 2012 11:04 AM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:26 PM.

story-0
Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals

Slideshow: Top 10 Fords at 2026 Ford Nationals

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-09 11:10:08


VIEW MORE
story-1
3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership

Based on years of owning multiple modern Ford products.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-09 10:53:36


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches

SPONSORED: From muddy boots to rain-soaked cargo, these upgrades address some of the most common frustrations Ford truck owners face every day.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-06-08 18:50:34


VIEW MORE
story-3
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained

Here's everything you need to know about every Ford engine available for the 2026 model year.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-05 12:58:01


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Ford trucks that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 09:51:16


VIEW MORE
story-5
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: the best gifts for dads & grads

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:58


VIEW MORE
story-6
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath

Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-03 11:38:36


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer

Slideshow: 10 most expensive Ford trucks ever sold on Bring a Trailer.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:24:34


VIEW MORE
story-8
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)

Here's everything that has changed for the latest model year.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-27 16:17:28


VIEW MORE
story-9
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies

Slideshow: Top 10 Ford truck tragedies.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-18 19:34:33


VIEW MORE