E40D One wire to starter relay/solonoid fixed shifting issue but now is hard starting

Bigbirdtrucker

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So my 1994 e 350 7.3 NA wasn't shifting on its own after having the solenoid replaced. After switching a single small wire to the other post it's shifting through all gears fine. When I unhook the wire it goes back into dreaded limp mode but my glow plugs then cycle properly. When it's unhooked it won't shift but fires right up. When it's hooked up it shifts as normal but it briefly shows the Wts light and has to crank at least ten seconds to fire.

Any suggestions?

Thanks
 

Bigbirdtrucker

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There was a small red wire running to the opposite fat post on the starter solenoid under the hood. Now I moved it so that it's on the other fat post where the majority of the wires go to... it fixed my shifting issue (truck would only start in 2ND and have to be manually shifted to drive. Moving this wire to the opposite fat post fixed the tranny issue entirely. However since I did this, I still get a wait to start light and hear the glow plug controller click upon ignition but it has to crank a good while when engine is not at operating temperature when the truck before the repair used to fire up immediately.
 

madpogue

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Are you sure you reconnected all the other terminals onto that large terminal on the starter relay, when you moved that one?

Check for voltage at the large terminals on the GPR. One terminal should always be hot, and the other should be hot when the controller/relay are energized.
 

Bigbirdtrucker

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All but one thick black wire are hooked up to that one. Is one fat terminal to remain empty?
 

madpogue

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So you didn't leave any large wire disconnected?

The one wire on the big terminal on the relay goes to the starter solenoid. All the others (except the little trigger wire, which is a much smaller terminal) should be ganged together on the other big terminal. That terminal acts as a junction point for all the power to the truck.
 

Bigbirdtrucker

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I have all the large wires connected is the little wire that you're speaking of the one that has the L shaped rubber connection? Would you also please chime in about the e40d transmission shifting wire connecting to the starter solenoid? I didn't know there was any relation there but it did fix the problem very weird
 

madpogue

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Correct, the little wire with the L-shaped push-on terminal goes by itself on the small terminal of the relay. It's not relevant to your issue, however.

The wire you moved is probably a fusible link that ultimately powers the TCM, which is what shifts the transmission. The way it was, it would only have powered the TCM while cranking. So moving it was the right thing to do for the tranny. Why it had the effect of de-energizing your glow plug relay is another question, and a bit of a mystery.

Look again at that big gang of wires ganged together on the big terminal of the starter relay. One of them should lead to the glow plug relay. Follow that and look for damage. That's also a fusible link, so it may be burned internally but look normal on the outside. That's why the suggestion to check for power at the large terminals on the GP relay.
 

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