Starter Relay?
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5th Wheeling
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
From: Oak Harbor, WA
Starter Relay?
Sometimes it seems there is not enough juice to start the engine. At those times, I turn the key to on, open the hood, jumper between the positive battery terminal and the starter relay terminal, and the engine starts! Should I...
a. do nothing? (no thanks)
b. install a new battery?
c. install a new starter relay?
d. install a new ignition switch?
e. check the wiring between the ignition switch and the relay?
f. do something else? please explain
Thanks, Tod
a. do nothing? (no thanks)
b. install a new battery?
c. install a new starter relay?
d. install a new ignition switch?
e. check the wiring between the ignition switch and the relay?
f. do something else? please explain
Thanks, Tod
Postmaster
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 4,516
Likes: 1
From: SoCal
There should be a wire with a rubber boot at the starter relay. Pull that off & jump 12 volts to that post.
Does it crank?
If it does you're not getting 12 volts from the ignition switch when you turn it to start.
Could be a bad ignition switch, bad neutral switch (slugomatic), bad clutch switch if it has a real trasmission, or a busted wire.
Does it crank?
If it does you're not getting 12 volts from the ignition switch when you turn it to start.
Could be a bad ignition switch, bad neutral switch (slugomatic), bad clutch switch if it has a real trasmission, or a busted wire.
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5th Wheeling
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
From: Oak Harbor, WA
I jump 12 volts to the small terminal on the starter relay (the terminal that has the red/blue wire) and it cranks.
I have a 4-speed manual transmission.
Sometimes it cranks when I turn the key to start, sometimes it doesn't. Does that help to figure out what it could be?
I have a 4-speed manual transmission.
Sometimes it cranks when I turn the key to start, sometimes it doesn't. Does that help to figure out what it could be?
Postmaster
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 4,516
Likes: 1
From: SoCal
My last starting problem was with my 87Ranger & it was the same as yours. Sometimes it would crank & sometimes not. Makes it kinda hard to find the problem
Starter relays are so cheap that I just went ahead and replaced it & that solved the problem.
Or you could connect your voltmeter to the red/blue wire & have someone turn the key a dozen times. Do you get 12 volts each time?
Starter relays are so cheap that I just went ahead and replaced it & that solved the problem.
Or you could connect your voltmeter to the red/blue wire & have someone turn the key a dozen times. Do you get 12 volts each time?
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,573
Likes: 207
From: Washington
My point here is to test the red/blue wire under normal load/current draw, not just with it hanging in the wind.
When it "doesn't crank" with the key in start, do you hear the starter solenoid CLICK once... and then no starter/engine rotation????
Jim
New User
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 22
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I just had sort of the same problem myself with my '86 302 efi, aod. I replaced the solenoid and it did not fix the problem, i ended up pulling the whole steering coloum (mine was cracked anyway) and replaceing it with one from a bone yard for 45 bucks and now i have no issues starting at all. It must have been an issue with the connection between the ignition switch and the wireing plug on the coloum.
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FTE Legend
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 56,542
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From: In my own world
could be that the clutch switch is starting to go bad. next time it wont start, stomp the clutch pedal to the floor a couple of times, and see if it will start then. my 1 truck has to be all the way to the floor before it will start. there is an adjustment for it, but I forget how.
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