paparcl3
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paparcl3
I am new to the FTE. I have an 87 Aerostar with 186000 miles. I changed my thermostat, no biggy, but when I went to start it, I turned the key and heard that awful sound of a elecrical short and saw some smoke come out from the front drivers side engine compartment. I pulled the black box off and I assumed that it came from the starter relay so I replaced it and put back all wires where they came from and went to start it and it started cranking over and would not turn off so I jumped out and disconnected the battery. Then after checking everything over again I connected the battery and it started cranking without the ignition on, so I pulled the battery cable off again and got a another new starter relay and now I have nothing, no lights nothing. There is power to the relay from the battery side but nothing on the other post. Help!!
Last edited by paparcl3; Dec 15, 2004 at 08:38 PM.
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From: brooksville, florida
sounds like to me you also have a bad ignition switch and or a burnt wire from the computer brain, I would first pull off the the steering column covers and check out the ignition switch and the wiring block going to it, the clips holding this wiring block broke on my van and it gave me all sorts of problems.
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From: Kansas City, Missouri
You definately have a short. I would start reviewing what you did and took off while replacing the thermostat and make sure you didn't pinch a wire or on the alternator or something. It could very well be in your ingintion switch as advised.
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1081 I noticed when I replaced the thermostat that there were 2 wires pinced and touching, but it looks like they go in to a small cylinder that is hooked to a vacum hose, but I think you are right on about shorting out because right after I changed the thermostat it started right up but when I went to check it I found out that the thermostat gasket was on wrong so I switched the gasket around and went to start it and had that awful sound of something shorting out and got out to find smoke coming from around the starter relay, thats when I found that when I fixed the thermostat I pinched the wires with the bolt. Thanks for the info I will be looking at it tomorrow.
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From: Kansas City, Missouri
Pinching those two wires may have melted wires at the starter or by the fuse box and not necessarily at the point where you pinched the two wires. You may have to find a couple of wires, probably where the the smoke came from, and splice in some new wire. I am going to guess a couple of wires burned off thier casings and now the exposed wires are now touching each other causing it to crank constantly. Just a theory though.
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(1081)-I have fixed the 2 wires that were pinched and have looked at where the smoke came from by the starter relay and can't find any wires that that appear to have melted together or show any signs of shorting out, I am going in to the ignition switch to take a look at that and then check by the starter, I have been under the dash and checked all fuses and checked for any signs of shorting or melted wires. I know that if I take a screwdriver and jump it across to the other post on the starter relay it will crank over but there is no spark. I will let you know what happens tomorrow. Thank you for your helpful tips. (paparcl3)
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From: brooksville, florida
sounds like the wires you pinched were from the air bypass valve on the air intake manifold. I would check all the wires going to the relays on the left side fender, check the yellow and green wire on the fuel pump relay it also powers up the injectors.
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I got busy today and haven't been able to look at the steering column yet, but as far as the wires that go to the starter relay when I took them off, the post nearest the battery had only that connected to it and the second post that I took the wires off had about 5 going to it and I put a cable tie thru them so I wouldn't mix them up and then the mall wire with the boot to the small post, I don't have a wiring schematic or owners manual and the Chilton Guide I looked at just showed me how to by-pass the starter relay, and I think you are right on which 2 wires that I pinched but I will let you know what happens tomorrow. Thank you for all your help, I very much appreciate it. paparcl3
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