Solenoid starter and alternator post location
- Thread starter Jbone36
- Start date
Here is what the starter relay my 85 E350 looks like, most likely never touched since it came from the factory.
And the 6.9 style glow plug relay:
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And the 6.9 style glow plug relay:
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Big Bart
Tow&Slow
What you got there is what we call a hot mess!
Just a reminder, (Don't ask how I know.) that is a one of two of your starter solenoids, it feeds power to your starter soleniod (2nd one.) that is on your starter. Yes you have two starter solenoids. Not sure if Ford was trying to keep the truck wiring and other things so they worked between a gasser or diesel, or if as others have suggested, the starter soleniod just takes serious power to energize it because its a diesel. But the one on the firewall is energized when you turn your key to start.
As Cubey shows you might have a older glow plug relay, which also looks like a starter relay.
Can you send a picture zoomed out, it is hard to figure out where this relay is and what it is based on your picture. But it appears to be the starter relay, but we don't want to guess.
So lets talk about the starter relay on the fender well. (Seems to be more common it fails.) You have two big posts and one or two little posts.
1) One little post energizes the solenoid and makes it click and pass power from one post to the other while you put the key in the start position. If you have a second post it gets 12v power when the soleniod is energized. (It gets 12v positive like the other terminal for as long as you keep the key in the start position.)
2) If that is your starter relay in the pic, your starter feed wire is not currently on the small post. So when you put the wires on the big posts it will not start.
3) One big post will have a positive battery cable hooked to it. Many other items will also hook that same post, its so they get 12v power to them. (Cleaner than hooking a bunch of wires to your battery.) But generally speaking they are only hooked to that side that the battery is hooked to.
4) The other big post is the one that will energize with 12v positive when you energize the small post, in this case when the key is in the start positon. It will basically connect the two posts together. Now in a gasser your starter motor will get that power but in these diesels it will only power your second starter soleniod that is on the starter. That solenoid will now connect the batter cable on the starter to power the starter motor. (Its redundant in a way and little odd, but it works.)
5) So the only thing that is usually on the second big post is the cable from the solenoid to the starter solenoid. Anything else you hook here will only get power when your key is in the start position. Now with that said, I have a 7.3, perhaps a 6.9 uses this for the glow plug relay or something else. I will let others chime in. But generally there is not a need for temp power, so likely all your wires except for the starter wire need to go on the one post with your battery connection. (So they all get power from the battery.) This would include the connection from the alternator, so it can charge the battery.
I hope that helps you out.
Just a reminder, (Don't ask how I know.) that is a one of two of your starter solenoids, it feeds power to your starter soleniod (2nd one.) that is on your starter. Yes you have two starter solenoids. Not sure if Ford was trying to keep the truck wiring and other things so they worked between a gasser or diesel, or if as others have suggested, the starter soleniod just takes serious power to energize it because its a diesel. But the one on the firewall is energized when you turn your key to start.
As Cubey shows you might have a older glow plug relay, which also looks like a starter relay.
Can you send a picture zoomed out, it is hard to figure out where this relay is and what it is based on your picture. But it appears to be the starter relay, but we don't want to guess.
So lets talk about the starter relay on the fender well. (Seems to be more common it fails.) You have two big posts and one or two little posts.
1) One little post energizes the solenoid and makes it click and pass power from one post to the other while you put the key in the start position. If you have a second post it gets 12v power when the soleniod is energized. (It gets 12v positive like the other terminal for as long as you keep the key in the start position.)
2) If that is your starter relay in the pic, your starter feed wire is not currently on the small post. So when you put the wires on the big posts it will not start.
3) One big post will have a positive battery cable hooked to it. Many other items will also hook that same post, its so they get 12v power to them. (Cleaner than hooking a bunch of wires to your battery.) But generally speaking they are only hooked to that side that the battery is hooked to.
4) The other big post is the one that will energize with 12v positive when you energize the small post, in this case when the key is in the start positon. It will basically connect the two posts together. Now in a gasser your starter motor will get that power but in these diesels it will only power your second starter soleniod that is on the starter. That solenoid will now connect the batter cable on the starter to power the starter motor. (Its redundant in a way and little odd, but it works.)
5) So the only thing that is usually on the second big post is the cable from the solenoid to the starter solenoid. Anything else you hook here will only get power when your key is in the start position. Now with that said, I have a 7.3, perhaps a 6.9 uses this for the glow plug relay or something else. I will let others chime in. But generally there is not a need for temp power, so likely all your wires except for the starter wire need to go on the one post with your battery connection. (So they all get power from the battery.) This would include the connection from the alternator, so it can charge the battery.
I hope that helps you out.
The starter relay has 3 connectors, while the glow plug relay has 4, so based on his pic, he did show a starter relay. Figured I'd show the 6.9 glow plug relay in case that's what his setup has, and in case the wires got mixed up from that to the starter relay.
I agree, he has a mess. Time to stop, trace the wires to see what goes where, and study a wiring schematic to fix this before even connecting a battery again.
Presumably all IDIs should have the same number of wires going to the starter relay as shown on my 85 E350, which is only 4 wires.
Oh I need to clarify what I just learned: the original starter relay/solenoid only has 3 connectors, but aftermarket ones may have 4, like the ones O'Reilly sells and mentions using it in place of a 3 connector relay in step 7. It also tells you what goes where. Although based on my 85 E350, IDIs have that extra yellow wire going to the "B" terminal. I'm sure someone more familiar will chime in to explain what's what. I just know it works so I haven't had to touch it.
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it
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The small wire from the starter goes on one big post.
EVERYTHING else goes on the other.
EVERYTHING else goes on the other.
Jbone36
Registered User
Thanks everyone for your input..got it running! .now to see why alternator not charging now . Ince the 90s ive heard 7.3 is super reliable. In wondering if its not just that the owners have to sacrifice blood to them weekly?
Jbone36
Registered User
So why is this here on the fender well?..it makes no sense unless its just a bridge or a fuse but the right side terminal has starter wires from solenoid when key start and the other wires go into harness and disappear in the loom..whats the point of this?..is it a fuse or what?
Attachments
These two go hand in hand. Someone made a mess of all your wiring in the past.
Positive cable should have a wire going between the batteries, then a large gauge wire going to the starter, and a smaller maybe 4ga wire going to the fender solenoid.
Yours is anything but stock, so we're just guessing without seeing everything.
Big Bart
Tow&Slow
Send more pics, hard to see what these wires do Or where they go.
Some guesses and thought.
1) Do you have a winch or a jump start wire connector on the truck? 2) Did someone put in amp meter, often there is a plate and small wires and big wires on each side of the plate.
3) Did some one put a big stereo in?
I am sure you know, but this is not factory wiring. Send more pics if you want better feedback.
Some guesses and thought.
1) Do you have a winch or a jump start wire connector on the truck? 2) Did someone put in amp meter, often there is a plate and small wires and big wires on each side of the plate.
3) Did some one put a big stereo in?
I am sure you know, but this is not factory wiring. Send more pics if you want better feedback.
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