Starter Solenoid Test (grounded?)

bjde0b · Post by **bjde0b** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 7:22 pm

iI am trying to start my truck after it has sat for a couple years and I cannot get the starter solinoid to crank. When I bypass the solinoid and touch the jumper cable to the other side the engine will crank. At first the solinoid was just hanging because I have the front clip apart. It didn't work so I bought a new one today, but it didn't work either. (FYI I am trying to crank it by shorting out the two small studs) I then put back on the old one and tried bolting it to the fire wall to ground it, but still nothing. Any ideas?

oddball · Post by **oddball** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 7:54 pm

Well if you put a new solenoid and no dice, than make sure that the connections are clean and tight and the wires are in good condition. Also does the solenoid make any noise when you turn the ignition?

bjde0b · Post by **bjde0b** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 8:05 pm

Update:

I put the ignition plugs back on the starter solenoid and the solinoid rattles but no starter cranky. When I bypass the solenoid it cranks. Oh, one other detail, my starter jumper switch that I hook on the poles wont make the solinoid make noise, only when I turn the key.

fordman · Post by **fordman** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 8:17 pm

you have to ground the solinoid/relay to ground. before it will work. when starting the engine with the key on and using a screw driver you short between the front large and the front small studs. all connections must be clean and the battery must be charged. if the old relay is stuck tap on top of it to unstick it.

bjde0b · Post by **bjde0b** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 9:07 pm

The solinoid (I realized I was spelling this wrong, good thing I am an engineer and not a writer) is grounded to the firewall. The engine ground is grounded to the firewall. The negative jumper cable is attached to the ground on the firewall. The positive jumper cable is ran to the battery side of solinoid. It will still only click when I turn the key.

You mentioned to short the between the front large and front small studs. Do you mean all three? I have two large studs on oposite sides of the solinoid. These are running to the starter and the battery. Then there are two small studs in between, these are the two that I try shorting. Are you saying to short three together?

I did another test. I hooked up the starter and the other hot wires together and put the jumper cable positive to my mess. The engine cranked because I was bypassing the solinoid. While it was cranking I put a test light to the (+) of the ignition coil and it pulsed, but there was not any spark at the plug wire. The rotor in the distributor has been cleaned even though it looked good before I started. Any other ideas to get spark.

Also one more note. I am trying to start this off my battery in my tundra. There is enough juice because the motor cranks when I bypass the solinoid.

Ask any questions you need, I would really like to get spark to the plugs and get the engine to crank without bypassing the solinoid.

bjde0b · Post by **bjde0b** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 9:48 pm

What is the item in the second picture in the original post and why would it get warm?

oddball · Post by **oddball** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 10:10 pm

Thats the voltage regulator, it shouldnt get warm. It gets warm when your cranking?

bjde0b · Post by **bjde0b** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 10:26 pm

just a little warm. It isn't grounded, could that be the cause. I think I will pull the battery out of the tundra tomorrow and skip the jumper cables and connect the battery cables directly to the battery. I am guessing this will not change anything.

Second thing. Should I place the jumper on the (s) small stud and the battery large stud on the solinoid?

bjde0b · Post by **bjde0b** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 10:27 pm

I also just pulled a webster and it is solenoid not solinoid.

oddball · Post by **oddball** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 10:44 pm

The voltage regulator shouldnt get warm for any reason it just tells the alternator when to start charging the battery. Try putting a fresher battery like you said earlier. Electrical can be a bitch to figure out even on simple old trucks like ours. Somebody might chime in later with a better suggestion but I would start by checking connections and grounds at the solenoid. Did you reconnect everything the same way when you swapped the solenoid? Look at a wiring diagram for your year truck and make absolutely sure everything is hooked up properly.

oddball · Post by **oddball** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 10:48 pm

Uh this might sound stupid but did you have the key in the on position when jumping the solenoid?

bjde0b · Post by **bjde0b** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 10:56 pm

Yeah, but I was trying to jump the two small studs and my research found that I should jump the (s) and battery side of the solenoid. Is that correct?

I also remember on my old motorcycle I cooked the rectifier a couple times, but I can't remember what caused it.

oddball · Post by **oddball** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 11:14 pm

Yeah the battery and starter is the ones you jump

oddball · Post by **oddball** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 11:16 pm

Does the solenoid click and or turn the engine slowly?

fordman · Post by **fordman** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 11:24 pm

i'm sorry i put a plurle wher ei meant one singluar. the front large stud and the front small stud. just those two. the red iwre goes on the front small stud and the brown goes to the back small stud. both wires should be connectted when using the screwdriver to jump the relay. the no sparl condition is probably a bad connection to ground with the condensor. thats what it was with mine after sitting so long.

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