Headlight problem again...

[IH POWER]

My problem came back that I thought I solved. When I pull my headlight switch out and have the headlights and the dash lights on, the starter turns over. So does this mean I have a short to ground in my headlight wire? I replaced my headlight switch and I see on the plug there is a little "H" on one of the prongs. I'm guessing it means headlight. So in all, does anyone have any soultions to this? This is a nightmare for me!

 

[79f250guy]

If you pull the small wire trigger wire off of your starter solenoid does it still do it?. It sounds like your headlight wire and and the wire that activates the solenoid have shorted together and when your headlights are on it supplies power to the starter solenoid?

 

[franklin2]

The starter wiring usually runs into trouble down beside the tranny, where it can get damaged by road debris and the hot exhaust. This is where the starter wire goes down to the neutral safety switch if you have a automatic. But there are no wires down there for the headlights, they are usually wrapped together with the reverse light circuit, so turning the headlights on to cause the trouble doesn't make sense for the common problem with this circuit. But there is the running light circuit running down the driver's side frame in the same area.

 

[IH POWER]

Where is the starter solenoid and what is a"wire trigger wire"?

 

[erikbala]

starter solenoid is on the passenger fender near the battery

 

[IH POWER]

That;s what I thought. But I heard thats the glow plug relay?

 

[erikbala]

they are both right there the gp controller looks like this
http://www.dcpcart.com/OScart/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=15&products_id=160

and should be mounted lower than the starter relay

 

[IH POWER]

Okay and what is the "wire trigger wire"?

 

[erikbala]

alright so i confused my self the starter solenoid is on the starter itself the starter solenoid relay is on the fender looks like this http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?R=MPEST404SB_0362808132

from the starter you will have a black and red wire running to the relay on the fender. hopefully somebody else chimes in here to help the the real issue you have. sorry for the confusion

 

[IH POWER]

Its okay thanks for the info. I didnt know where the starter solenoid or starter relay was. Now I do.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

My two-cents worth.


I see you have a manual transmission, meaning there are some clutch-switch wires in the vicinity of the floor-mounted fuse-block.

Between the head-light switch and fuse-block, there is a TAN wire that is much too skinny for the load it carries.

This TAN wire is notorious for melting itself out of it's insulation and then burning it's way into other wires that it touches, causing all manner of weird occurences.

My guess is this TAN wire has fused itself into the COLD side of the clutch-switch wiring and therefore is energizing the starter relay-solenoid on the right fender, thus cranking the starter.

Let us know what you find.

 

[IH POWER]

Is the wire tan and white and does it run into the headlight switch plug that plugs into the switch itself?

 

[IH POWER]

I'll pull the trigger wire off tomorrow. (Which is on the solenoid which is mounted on the starter correct?) and I'll try and turn the headlights on. Now if it still does it then what's that tell me? And if it doesn't do it what's it tell me?

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

I'll pull the trigger wire off tomorrow. (Which is on the solenoid which is mounted on the starter correct?) and I'll try and turn the headlights on. Now if it still does it then what's that tell me? And if it doesn't do it what's it tell me?

BEFORE you mess with the starter-mounted solenoid, do the easy thing first, which also would be prior in the chain of events to the starter.

On the RIGHT fender-mounted solenoid/relay should be a skinny wire that ?should? have a 90* elbow-shaped friction-fit connector; that is the starter-relay "trigger" wire that energizes the relay.

Un-plug that connector; then, try the headlights and see if the problem is still there.

If so, then your trouble is between the starter-relay and starter itself, which I highly doubt will be the case.

After the above test, leave the wire un-plugged and poke a GROUNDed test-light into the plug, turn ON the head-lights and see if the test-light lights; it most likely will, given your description of the problem.

NOW, crawl under the dash and follow that TAN wire from the head-light switch and I almost bet you will find what I already suggested in my previous posting.

I am not knowledgable as to when Ford changed the floor-mounted fuse-block such as is in my 1985.

If your truck still has the floor-mounted fuse-block, sort of beside/under the park-brake pedal, remove the two big screws that hold it to the floor so that you can better access the big *** of wires and see what is going on.

 

[IH POWER]

Okay. Here's the results. I took the connecter off and tryed the headlights and the problem didnt occur. I used my test light with the headlights on and the test light lit up. So then I follewed my tan wire from the headlight switch to the fuse block and it's completely fine. No burn marks, frays or anything on it. So what gives now?????? Getting very pissed off at this point