My Electrical Gremlin

[Thewespaul]

Just because a solenoid makes noise doesn’t mean it is functioning. I chased this with an old f100 I had, I took the solenoid apart and the coil had burnt up, it would make a click like sound that was the electricity arcing, it would output some current but not near enough to engage the starter.

 

[BrianX128]

I hear ya. Its just weird because the original solenoid and the supposed new one both have the same symptoms. Usually when I've had one go they either stick or totally fail but I've never had one work 98% of the time lol.. who knows..

Ill try adding another ground to the fender, replacing the fender solenoid again with a known good one from a different old ford of mine and replacing the wires to it as well tomorrow.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I have a new powermaster for my 7.3 that has an old tired parts store starter, I dont wanna waste it on my 6.9 until I know for sure the other electrical components are good but I'm running out of possibilities if it still does it after replacing battery to fender and fender to starter trigger wires..

I don't think you'd be wasting the Powermaster at all. If you use it to test with, it will come right back off the same way the other one did. Why not give it a try?

 

[BrianX128]

3 wire or 4 wire solenoid? Is your fender grounded?

Turns out this was the winner. Added a ground wire directly from the battery to the fender right behind where I drilled the solenoid in and today it started 12 times normally first push. I also added a nice new power wire to the positive side of the fender solenoid so that might have been it also, but I think I was the ground. The fenders are new and painted on the inside and I think the solenoids weren't grounding properly depending on the most recent bump I'd hit shifting the fender.

Then of course as seen in my other thread my vacuum pump **** itself.

I've replaced so many things on this truck since I've bought it two months ago it's unbelievable I was able to drive it home the day I bought it. Running out of stuff to replace at this point but at least I'm defeating the issues thus far..

 

[Thewespaul]

Don’t they always seem to do that? Run perfect on the drive bringing it home then it proceeds to be broken for a year

 

[BrianX128]

It's just infuriating because the truck itself is fine but it's all the random accessories that keep imploding.

Engine ran great but then filled oil with fuel and randomly ran away up hills(new ip / inj)
Engine ran great but then no power (timing way off after new stuff)
Engine ran great but then sucked air (water sep)
Engine ran great but then still sucked air (fuel lines)
Engine ran great but then shut off entirely (weird wire left by po shorting out fss)
Engine ran great but then injector leaked (new inj)
Engine ran great but then headlights quit working (switch)
Engine ran great but then no radio (awful wiring)
Engine ran great but then loud as hell (entire exhaust junk)
Engine ran great but then shut off again (tank vent clogged / wrong fuel tank cap lid whatever)
Engine ran great but then starter clicking (replace starter)
Engine ran great but then still clicking (bad wiring)
Engine ran great but then no brakes (whatever is happening there, prob my vac pump)

Like it is different if this was all stuff that happened over 2 years or more but my other IDI of things that happened like this was:

Wouldn't start (0 glow plugs worked)
Hard starting (return lines / olives / facet pump)

And that's going to be going on 3 years with it. I haven't even had the 6.9 for two months lol.

At least it's toughed out basically all of this crap going on with it with no ill effects but it's been immensely more frustrating than old Ernest who is now gonna have to come out of his garage while Lenny has no brakes. Vacuum pump and pulley won't be at my place until Monday.