Been going though new solenoids lately, as some may recall. I bought another new one from O'Reilly's a few weeks ago, this one exibits a new problem: it doesn't kill the ignition when you turn the key off. Then again, I'm wondering if something else is amiss. Last week I started it up in the shop to move the car and when I turned the key off, the engine kept right on running as if nothing happened. This ain't the first time this happened either. So I popped the hood and pulled the "I" wire off the solenoid and killed the engine. Then a couple days ago I jumped in the car to run to town and everything was normal till I reached the highway a mile or so down the road. Then it started a "spittin and sputterin" WTF?? I popped the hood and discovered the wire I pulled off the solenoid was still off the terminal. (another WTF?) I managed to get it running a couple times to turn around and head it back to the house, but it died and I ran the battery down trying to start it. So, towed it back in, Next day I looked at it again after charging the battery when I discovered the coil was undoubtably cooked with oil all over it. Now I have gremlins in the wiring it seems. Now debating on rewiring a manual igniton switch to start and kill the car to bypass whatever problem is hidden in the wiring. But this will still not solve the sticking new starter solenoids..
Don't what to tell ya. Seems like everything new today is crap. I bought a new pair of shoes 5 months ago and they are taken in water walking across wet grass getting my socks wet...then the shoe string broke a couple weeks ago. I now gotta 12 gauge wire holding my shoe on my foot. Last pair of shoes lasted a good 6 years. Today I just snapped two new 3/8" lag bolts in two with a 1/4" drive ratchet when I was bolting the air compressor to the floor in my new shop and the bolts weren't run down all the way. I feel you pain...it makes you wanna go slap someone upside the head when brand new stuff breaks or is defected. Ever what your problem is I hope you find it. If it makes you feel better...I'm on my 4th solenoid. One just died, the 2nd kelp the engine running, 3rd kelp the started running. Maybe 4 times is the charm with todays quality.
And it's not that I'm buying the cheaper option O'reilly's offers. Or maybe I should ? I got a catalog in the mail the other day from some Ford Galaxie parts place. They list something like 6 different Ford starter solenoids in there. Maybe I'll look and see if they have an American made one there. I know I saw one that was supposed to be an exact copy of the older ones. Just got the new coil in and installed it, so far everything's workin now. Engine's runnin like it should. Might also try leaving the battery charger hooked up from now on to insure that the voltage stays up, possibly preventing solenoid issues. I know the old ones would stick when the voltage was too low. Seems the news ones stick no matter what.
Probably what damaged the coil was it running with with the solenoid 'I' contact shorted... In that condition the coil was getting full charge voltage instead of roughly 8v input, they'll heat quickly and overheat in just a few minutes... Check voltage into coil to verify, if it's something like 7-9v the solenoid was the problem... BTW, in summer (probably year round in your area)the jumper can be generally be left disconnected with no issues... BTW #2 you should also check current draw on that ''good old boy starter"(will need a induction meter that reads to 400 amps)... My bet is it has a little drag that that causing high current when cranking...
Thanks, but I'm pretty sure the starter draw isn't a problem, even when the engine's hot, the starter spins as fast as it does when cold. It has no problem cranking the 10.5 to 1 compression 331. The solenoids are another story. I'll check the coil voltage when I get time later this weekend.
is the solenoid mounted on the starter. or the old remote style? i had that same issue with a soleonid mounted on the starter. i ended up using a remote mount solenoid to activate the starter solenoid. sucks, but it worked. for what i gather its the old wiring not having enough voltage/current to the new solenoid style.
No, this is the old style that the car came with. The quality of the current production is clearly not up to par with the originals. Used to be if they stuck, you could tap on them with a big screw driver handle. Don't try that with the new ones, they'll crack and break in half.
