rideordie66

89 F 250 351 5 speed
replaced the starter, solenoid, and battery
turn the key and "click,click,click,click"
I think it may be a wiring problem

jnicewan

Wont start or wont turn over? I am guessing the starter is not turning over?
I have seen those relay/solenoids be junk right out of the box. Is the clicking you hear coming from that relay? Do you have a test light?

With a test light you should see power on that little "push-on" wire connection, when that little wire has power that connects the 2 bigger posts ( right side is battery power, left side is starter cable). You can even use a small screw driver to jump between the little post and RH/Batt side bigger post for testing. Anyway you should have power on the left side post of that solenoid when the key is in start or when having the relay jumped with a screw driver. (do not jump the 2 bigger posts, you can but it will spark and maybe try to melt your screw driver, as it will be carrying all the power through it then to the starter)

If the starter does not spin from doing the above, the relay is either bad, cables bad or starter. You really need to make sure you are sending power to the starter (from the battery, to the relay, through the relay and through the starter cable)

rideordie66

I do not have a test light.
I plan to get one tomorow morning but first I want to try to move all the yellow and the green wire to directly on the battery instead of on the solenoid. I have a feeling that the starter is just not getting enough amps to turn the motor over. the clicking is from the starter and I have tryed to jump the starter and it does the same clicking. My other idea was to put jumper cables on from my jeep and see if maybe the battery just lost too much power trying to start a bunch of times with a bad starter and solenoid. If some one can give me a link for a tutorial on test lights and volt meters then I would appriciate that.

rideordie66

Moved the wires to the batery, same clicking.
checked the cable to the starter and its fine.
put the old solenoid on and it did the same as the new one.
Put jumper cables from battery to jeep battery and still no change.
Need help

Caish

Without a test light, just jump across the solenoid with a screw driver, from the main post thats connected to the battery and the little post.
Its should engage the stater if the solenoid is good.
If not, use a pair of pliers and jump across the two large poles, but be warned the pliers will get VERY hot quickly, so don't try to start it that way just check the stater is working.
That doesn't work, you got a bad connection or bad starter, or just a bad wire.



I just looked at the picture again, you might have the solenoid wired backwards, not that it might matter, but move the stater wire to the other post and battery wire to the front post. That just looks backwards from anything and everything I've ever seen.

rideordie66

I jumped the solenoid like said and it sounded like when you hit the sides on the game operation.

rideordie66

swapped the wires and no differnt

Caish

Yep solenoid can make a loud click when it activates.
Its just an electromagnet spring, and copper plate, and steel post inside there.
So the solenoid is good.

did you try jumping across the two large posts?
Did the starter try to engage?
If not, I would think its a bad starter.....
If you replaced it already make sure its mounted flush into the bell housing and not at a angle binding up.

I've seen a few bad cables that was just corroded up so bad inside the coating that they was faulty and couldn't carry the amperage.... Rare though.

rideordie66

I put a small wire to the large posts and it just tried to melt it on. it did not make the starter do anything.

this was the second starter I got from the parts store. the first looked like it was tampered with and did the same thing. I really dont want to take this back without knowing for sure if its bad. can I test it some how to know for sure that its what the problem is?

Caish

Remove the starter.
Use jumper cables and hook the ground to an ear on the starter.
Touch the hot cable to the post where the cable attaches.
It should spin up.
If not, its bad, if so you really need a multi-testor and check resistance
through the cables.
I would also clean the ground to the block also.

as to a wire, I said to use a pair of pliers to jump across the two large posts on the solenoid, its to much amperage for just a wire. Thats why the get HOT too.

If you have the OEM cable on the thing, it should have a bracket made onto the cable and its bolted to the frame by the engine stand, unbolt it and make sure its not worn through the cable and grounding out there.

Jmb94

For what it's worth, my ranger (see sig) did the same thing and it was the solenoid, when we replaced it the starter worked fine despite the original solenoid not engaging it.

rideordie66

I had used the wire earlyer today before you told me to use plyers. I have a multi meter now so I plan to try it out tomorow. Thanks for all the help. I will bench test the starter tomorow and trace the negative cable. Hope this is just a bad ground and I can get to fixing my jeep tomorow.

rideordie66

so I tried to bench test the starter and I could not get it to spin for me, I took the starter to the parts store and they hooked it up and it ran fine. I asked how they were doing the test and it was the same process that I did. I guess the battery is bad? Or maybe my jumper cables. this is really starting to get me confused because everything I do dosent work but when I take it to someone else it works just fine. Kinda makes me want to sell off all my tools and just never work on stuff ever again.

I jumped the solenoid with plyers and nothing happend but a burning sound somewhere from the starter. I scrapped the paint off of the starter and the crud from the tranny so I know its not a bad ground for the starter.

Caish

Use your multi-tester and measure the battery voltage when the key is turned to start.
If it drops alot, like below 11v charge the battery and try again and if it still drops replace the battery.

Another item that isn't to expensive but handy is a Conductive Ammeter.
You lay it on the wire and crank or try to and it measures the amperage being pulled through the cable.

Pull the battery from your Jeep and try it in the F250, if its a diesel, I've had issues with the crossover cable connection that comes from the left battery.

rideordie66

its got the 351 windsor in it. Im gona try to change the negative cable and the cable goin from the solenoid to the starter. the parts store wanted 50 bucks for just the neg cable though. Dont seem right, can I make one or do I need the one being overnighted from 400 miles away?