Starting Issue

[RANOVRU]

Just clicks nothing else. Checked a cleaned all connections and still nothing but clicking.

Starter looks like it could be replaced. Do our trucks have seperate solenoids or are they on the starter?? I asked because my old foxbody mustang had a seperate solenoid just like the one in this pic, which I took today from my truck...

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Could this be bad instead of the starter?? Need to get fixed ASAP as this truck is my bread & butter....


Thx, Jon

 

[anthonyj]

there are two solenoids, one on the passenger fender near the battery and one on the starter.

 

[SparkandFire]

there are two solenoids, one on the passenger fender near the battery and one on the starter.

This is true. The solenoid on the fender switches the voltage to the main engagement solenoid on the starter.

How are the batteries? Voltage OK? Do the cab lights dim or go off when you try and crank it over? Check all the cables for tightness and the ground points on the block too. Tap on the starter with a hammer then try to start it again. Sometimes the armature develops a burnt spot, so if the rotor of the starter lands with that burnt spot against the brush, current can not flow into the windings.

If you've got a multimeter, try placing one lead on the battery side of the fender solenoid, and the other lead on the cable that goes to the starter, then use a jumper of some sort to manually apply voltage to that top pin of the solenoid. A good relay will have very minimal voltage drop across the contact points (less than .1 volts) if there is more than that, the relay could be bad, although that fender relay really doesn't have much current going through it (as it is a pilot relay for the main starter relay)

 

[Agnem]

Correct. The fender solenoid you can test easily by jumping across the big terminals with a screw driver. The only current that flows through that one is to fire off the solenoid on the starter. Starting current DOES NOT go through this solenoid. If you can get it to crank with a screw driver, then yeah the fender solenoid is probably bad.

 

[icanfixall]

Your pictured solenoid is what you need to check. Remove the wire thats got the push on terminal between the large terminals. Now toush across the small terminal to the rear terminal. The engine will crank. If the key is on the engine will start. You may have an ignition switch thats failing to make connections when you push it to the start position too.

 

[RANOVRU]

Ok just tried jumping the fender solenoid with the screwdriver...nothing except a click. Sounds like time to replace starter. Going to get one now.

So how many bolts are there for the starter? I see the two at the bottom, Im assuming theres another PITA one up top somewhere???

 

[Ididriver]

There's a 3rd one up top.
It's easier to get to then most mKe it out to seem.
1/2 socket 6in extension will get it.
Just put it behind the solenoid poke till you find the bolt.
No fancy tools required u less your hands to big to fit in-between the solenoid.

 

[Hyde]

Must have been a weird day for IDI's, mine did just this last night, got pull started, in the shop now waiting for a new starter.