Hi all! My name is rob and I am trying very hard to fix my problem and I will give you a quick description and Please email me at r23k4u@yahoo.com or private here please so I don’t have to search. The reason I am desperate is my truck is sold but now have an easy problem I thought.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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Okay from start to finish problem.<o></o>
1. CAME TO TRUCK TO CRANK IT UP AND NOTHING, NO LIGHTS, NO TURN OVER, NO CHARGE ANYWHERE.
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2. OKAY EASY ENOUGH, NEW BATTERY, WENT TO CRANK, IT NEVER TURNED OVER NOR ANY LIGHTS, ETC, ETC. WENT TO CHECK CABLES AND THE WIRE TO THE NEG. SAID OF SOLENOID STARTED SMOKING AND THEN IT MELTED.
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3. WELL TRIED TO CUT AND REPLACE THAT SPOT, HOOKED IT BACK UP, BURNT OUT AGAIN. I AM STUCK GUYS!! I HAVE REPLACED SOLENOID SWITCH, AND THE STARTER WORKS FINE.
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4. SO GUYS IS IT A SHORT SOMEWHERE OR WHAT PLEASE??<o></o>
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I HAVE TILL TOMORROW TO GET FIXED GUY IS PICKING IT UP. IT IS A 1970 FORD TRUCK, 302 AUTOMATIC.<o></o>
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PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME WILL YOU??<o></o>
ROB<o></o>

 

My guess would be the wire from the solenoid to the starter is bare and grounding out somewhere. This is just a guess though. The solenoid shouldn't go to ground any where. You should have the battery cable to it and then the other cable from it to the starter. There should be one or two small wires to trigger the solenoid.

 

thats exactly how it is wired but i think wire too and i am trying to get someone to let me use a meter to see. Hey answer me this since the switch is located right beside the NEG. side of the battery doesnt the neg cable hook to the switch??

i have the starter hooked to other side, 2 little ones to the 2 in front, and there are to other wires (the one that melted) goes with battery (neg) cable side? thanks for any advice

 

The negative side of the battery should go to the engine block or a bracket that is mounted directly to the engine block. The positive battery cable should run to one side of the solenoid and the cable on the other side of the solenoid should go to the starter. You wired it backwards it sounds like.

 

okay now that sounds right but i am looking at it right now and there are no extra wires near by to hook from + to the solenoid, any suggestions sir? thanks a lot

 

The large cable attached to the battery positive terminal goes to the one side of the solenoid. The large cable attached to the negative side of the battery goes to the engine block to ground it. Do you have any mechanic friends who can take a look at it? if afraid this might be getting a bit complex for your level of experience. Good luck.

 

The starter itself could be shorting out, and running straight to ground. That would take out the solenoid pretty easily. Barring the off chance that it's wired incorrectly.

 

haha no you misunderstood me!! haha! I am a body man. What i asked you was this. now the neg. battery cable has an end you can hook right to the the post on the soleniod. The Positive cable has no other wires you can hook it to solenoid post. Does this make sense now? the positive cable is all wired to other places as it should but i have no way of putting it to the solenoid post without cutting into it and making a connecting to solenoid. any suggestions now?? thanks a lot

 

You should have a cable from the positive battery terminal to the solenoid, then possible one off that same terminal to the alternator but I'm not too certain. The negative battery terminal should have a cable going to the engine block, none attaching to the solenoid unless you are running it to a solenoid mounting bolt. You're creating the short circuit every time you energize the solenoid.

 

If the solenoid melted, it's got battery power running to it from somewhere.

 

I think you are hooking your battery cables up to the wrong posts, The positive cable is the one that has the end that goes to the solenoid. The negative will go down to ground on frame or engine block. Follow the cables, see where they go.

 

The negative cable goes to the engine block for ground, the positive cable goes to the starter solenoid.
There is another cable that goes from the other big terminal down to the starter.
The solenoid also has two small wires at the front, one goes to the ignition switch, the other goes to the ignition wiring to shoot 12 volts to the coil while cranking.
On the terminal of the starter solenoid that the positive battery cable hooks to there are also several small wires, these come from the alternator and are part of the charging system. One of these wires is a fusible link. If the link burns out you won't have any power to anything. If the link blows there is a dead short somewhere.

 

Here is the solenoid and wiring

 

Hey that is exactly mine except i see your big cable goes up to the battery. tell me is that your posititve side of your battery. look at and see. the reason i ask is i hear everyone not to hook neg to soleniod and so on. So i must have took it apart wrong i guess. But thats not my concern. I have all the wires you have but that BIG cord going up to battery hooked to your solenoid is my neg. cable side you see what i mean? they way my posotive battery cable is at is right there in place for my posiitve side towards the fron of truck. So there is no way the + cable can hook all the way around battery to posts. Thats where i am lost at. I hope this makes sense. thanks.

problem number 2 And guys i tried something also last night i am a little confused on. I took the advice of everyone here i hooked my neg cable to - side of battery of course then to frame, and guess what it started smoking too and sparking? what the hell is my problem guys????? thanks!!

 

Did you unhook wherever the positive terminal cable from the battery is hooked to? I seriously think you need to consider having a mechanic look at it. if you're a bodyman, you should be able to work out some sort of trade with a mechanic. I fear you're going to burn your truck to the ground.