It started on my home from the airport. Halfway home, the engine powered down and just died. I was able to get it push started once, then it died again and was completely dead.

My first thought was the alternator. I charged the battery and replaced the alternator and drove it home, 40 miles.

The next day, I tried to start it, dead battery.

I replaced the ground strap to the starter. Next I replaced the key switch and the ignition switch on the column. Then the solenoid and starter.

Still will not engage the starter. I can hot wire the solenoid, and it runs fine.

Right now, I am thinking that I screwed up the solenoid wires.

I have one side to the battery with all the other wires and one side to the starter.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks.....

 

I have 89' truck factory wiring dia and my 89' Bronco will be here sat or sun. You need a meter or a test light to see if the wire to solinoid is hot when key is turned to start.

 

Howdy and welcome. What did ya do wrong? Blindly throwing parts can make new problems and hide the origional root cause.

Specifically how are you hotwiring the solenoid.

Adrianspeeder

 

I'll put a meter on it this Saturday.

I wasn't realy blindly doing it. Someone who said they knew what they were doing was coaching me through it. (To be fair, in the name of brevity, I ommitted many of the symptoms, etc. The reason for the key and starter switch was the starter stayed engaged.)

I hit the starter cable lug with one end of the wire and the battery cable lug with the other end of the wire (jumper cable). Fires right up.

Does anyone have this setup and can send me an email picture?

 

If everything was normal (right it's not) you could pull off the small solenoid wire that comes from key circuit (other push-on wire goes to ground) and jump that stud to hot terminal of battery and starter would turn.

I use 3' of lamp cord, 2 alligator clips, and a pushbutton switch to make a bump start cord. Then pull off the correct push-on wire, connect 1 clip to the batt terminal and other to exposed terminal on solenoid.

Just make sure other push-on (to ground) is clean and tight.

 

On my 89 F150 with tilt steering the rod that runs down from the key to the bottom of the colum to the main start/run /acc switch broke so when you turn the key it wounldn't start but everything else work. Dealer wanted 120 bucks for that rod so I went to the junkyard and got one for 5 bucks. Man what a PITA to replace it and it only lasted 6 months so the next time I just installed a push button switch on the dash and wired it to the soleniod. Been like that for 6 years. I remember they had a recall on that switch years ago too??

If it's a speed density engine and it just dies for no reason and the module on the distributor is new or good then just drill a small hole in one of the 50mm throttle plate's once it off the engine, helps take care of that surging/dieing problem.

 

I was just at a junk yard. The solenoid had 1 wire ring on the left (front) side to the starter.

It had 4 wire rings on the right (back) side with one going to the battery.

It was a 91'. If your solenoid has 3 terminals total, 2 nuts and 1 pushon stud than it is grounded thru the case. Make sure the sheet metal screws and fender well area will pass electricity.

If you still haven't found problem, you need to divide possibles by jumping a hot wire to solenoid pick terminal to see if solenoid picks..

 

My 89' Bronco just got back. It has 3 yellow-1 green and 1 big red wire on rear terminal (total 5)

It has 1 big black wire (total 1) on front terminal.

It has one push on terminal.

 

It seems as though it was the starter switch on the column, when I replaced it, I didn't get it quite right. I reinstalled it this am and Bingo, back to normal.

Judging by the failure mode, I am thinking this was the culprit. Caused the starter to fry. I probably didn't need an new alternator or key switch, but on a nearly twenty year old truck, probably will not hurt. Replacing the battery cables will prove to be not a bad thing either.

Thanks to all for the help.

UP

 

check for power at the push on terminal at the fender solenoid. if there is check the solenoid mount hanger for a good ground, just use your jumper cables. if the push on does not have power in crank check your clutch/neutral safety switch for power in and out. you need at least 9.5 and preferably 10 volts to the push on at the solenoid to make it reliably work