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  1. #1
    FEP Power Member fgross2006's Avatar
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    Default Starter solenoid issues

    For the past few months I have had an intermittent no start issue. Sometimes it cranks right up, sometimes I get one click then dead, no lights, no buzzer, nothing. My first thing was to swap the battery. Mine was old, past warranty and was an Advance Auto crap battery. So I got a Motorcraft. I immediately noticed no change. Still intermittent no crank issues. I called the Ford dealer and inquired about swapping the battery. they blew me off saying it must be a ground issue, cant be our battery.

    So i purchased a repro negative battery cable specific for an 84 5.0. I took my time setting it up. Made sure all contacts were clean. Set up the ECM ground with the correct connector I got from out to pasture pony parts. Car was fine yesterday. today no start again. it finally started so i was able to get to my mechanic for my AC and when i was there it failed to start when he told me to bring it in. He put a battery pack on it that was fully charged and still no click, no start. He says he thinks the solenoid is going bad. I had a brand new Motorcraft solenoid in my garage so when I got home I swapped out the Bluestreak I had in there.

    First;
    I found this small burn mark on the Bluestareak. An indication it was failing?

    Name:  Bluestreak.jpg
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    Second;
    I am usually careful when it comes to putting things back where they belong. When my motor was swapped 2 summers back I had my mechanic drop the engine and bolt it up, and I reassembled the components and put all the wiring back in place. but today I was caught snoozing. I put all the wiring back onto the new Motorcraft solenoid and immediately saw and smelled smoke. I pulled the negative cable quick. I sorted through the wiring and it turns out one fused link burned out. I had it on the positive terminal. Must have supposed to be on the negative side? You can see the broken link in one pic and the rubber block it lead to in the other.

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    Name:  fused link leads to.jpg
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    Can someone tell me what that fused link is for and how to repair it? And which side of the solenoid does it go to? Right now the car starts and runs, so I'm lucky I didn't kill the solenoid or the ECM. But that fused link is dead and not connected to anything so I'd like to get it corrected.

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  3. #3
    FEP Senior Member Sask84gt's Avatar
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    Default

    Cant really help ya cause I'm not that knowledgeable with this stuff but I am interested in the model number of the mastercraft solenoid you bought. I'm in the process of replacing mine in my 84.
    Mustangs
    84.5 Gt T-top
    85 Gt

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sask84gt View Post
    Cant really help ya cause I'm not that knowledgeable with this stuff but I am interested in the model number of the mastercraft solenoid you bought. I'm in the process of replacing mine in my 84.
    Do you have three terminals, or four?
    Iirc, an '86 came with only 3 terminals (at least on my auto).


    Also, for fgross206: From the picture, that looks like rust, not a burn mark, on the top of the solenoid.
    Rust/corrosion/electro-migration happens when two dissimilar metals come in contact with each other. The amount may not be visible, or important.
    The solenoid body was painted. However, the hole for the rivet for the bracket provides a starting point for the "badness". And, paint can deteriorate over time.
    Last edited by stangPlus2Birds; 06-24-2019 at 10:37 PM.

  5. #5
    FEP Senior Member Sask84gt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by stangPlus2Birds View Post
    Do you have three terminals, or four?
    Iirc, an '86 came with only 3 terminals (at least on my auto).


    Also, for fgross206: From the picture, that looks like rust, not a burn mark, on the top of the solenoid.
    Rust/corrosion/electro-migration happens when two dissimilar metals come in contact with each other. The amount may not be visible, or important.
    The solenoid body was painted. However, the hole for the rivet for the bracket provides a starting point for the "badness". And, paint can deteriorate over time.
    Mine has 4. 1 on each side and 2 smaller ones on the front kind of angled out.
    Mustangs
    84.5 Gt T-top
    85 Gt

  6. #6
    FEP Power Member fgross2006's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sask84gt View Post
    Cant really help ya cause I'm not that knowledgeable with this stuff but I am interested in the model number of the mastercraft solenoid you bought. I'm in the process of replacing mine in my 84.
    Heres what I put in.

    Name:  Motorcraft solenoid.jpg
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  7. #7
    FEP Power Member fgross2006's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by stangPlus2Birds View Post
    After looking this over I determined it is the dark green 14 Ga that according to this diagram runs to the alternator and the voltage regulator.

    I upgraded to 3G setup 4 years ago. So my new alternator is wired in with the wiring they gave with the kit. Likewise i dont have an external regulator anymore. Also, as per this diagram I had it in the correct side of the solenoid so I'm confused as to why it shorted out. Not only because it was correctly placed but also because as far as I know the stock wiring for the original alternator shouldn't be doing anything anymore. This will take some more research and troubleshooting. Right now the car starts, runs and there's power to everything in the dash and the outside lights. May not make sense to repair the link if its gonna light up again once it touches the solenoid.

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