starter problems...relay issue? | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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starter problems...relay issue?

Joined
May 12, 2007
Messages
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City, State
Georgia
Year, Model & Trim Level
'92 Explorer XLT
I replaced my badly corroded battery cables today with new OEM ones, and in the process I broke my starter relay. I installed the new one, and when I hook up my battery cables, my engine starts to crank. This is my daily driver, ad I need it for work tomorrow. Any thoughts?
 



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I replaced my badly corroded battery cables today with new OEM ones, and in the process I broke my starter relay. I installed the new one, and when I hook up my battery cables, my engine starts to crank. This is my daily driver, ad I need it for work tomorrow. Any thoughts?

Did you take note of how the cables were attached to the fender relay?
Remember the relay is a switch. You are probably sending power directly to the starter solenoid by accident.

http://autorepair.about.com/library/illustrations/bl484a-lib.htm
http://autorepair.about.com/library/illustrations/bl485a-lib.htm
 












Thanks guys

I think I am confused as to what the starter relay does, and for that reason I may have gotten the wrong part. I purchased a fender mounted solenoid, a Sorenson part number SS94Z from Advance, assuming it was what I needed. The Haynes manual calls it a starter relay, and I didn't know if the two were interchangeable and/or the same. I hooked up everything as it was before, of this much I am certain, so this is why I am stumped. So are the two the same thing, or am I looking for a different part?

Add this to the fact that it started raining in the middle of all of this, and this has been one hell of a day.

I appreciate your input thus far.
 












I think I am confused as to what the starter relay does, and for that reason I may have gotten the wrong part. I purchased a fender mounted solenoid, a Sorenson part number SS94Z from Advance, assuming it was what I needed. The Haynes manual calls it a starter relay, and I didn't know if the two were interchangeable and/or the same. I hooked up everything as it was before, of this much I am certain, so this is why I am stumped. So are the two the same thing, or am I looking for a different part?

Add this to the fact that it started raining in the middle of all of this, and this has been one hell of a day.

I appreciate your input thus far.

Advance definitely mixes up terminology. You bought this:
http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDetail.aspx?MfrCode=GPS&MfrPartNumber=SS94&PartType=575&PTSet=A
Sometimes they call it a "relay solenoid." This is really a starter relay. THat is what you need.

Like Brooklyn said, the starter solenoid is on the starter body: http://www.partsamerica.com/Product...IE&MfrPartNumber=SD29051&PartType=575&PTSet=A
Just for future reference. They call it a switch.

Question is now - if you hooked everything up right, is the GP part defective? (not impossible- it is a cheap overseas brand, and you should get a Ford one). Take off all the wires from the unit and see if electricity flows across the two big posts. If so, it is bad, because it needs voltage on the little I terminal from your ignition switch to connect those two big terminals.

Once that relay failed on me and I started the car by shorting those two big terminals with a large craftsman screwdriver. If those terminals are internally shorted due to defect that is your problem.
 






Thanks

Outsourcing ftl.

Turns out the part I got was defective, so I had to wait for a ride to the dealership to get an OEM relay.

I appreciate your help, you guys are great.
 












Outsourcing ftl.

Turns out the part I got was defective, so I had to wait for a ride to the dealership to get an OEM relay.

I appreciate your help, you guys are great.

I'm sure you will be fine now. You made the right choice.

Also, even though the device is simple, a ford mechanic once told me the OEM relay has built in special protection for the computer circuits when you start. Who knows what the cheap knockoff has, and what issues you will find later.

Good Luck!
 












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