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1987 Ford E-350 Motor Home wont crank
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teisenhood
New User
Oct 5, 2016, 9:09 AM
Post #1 of 7
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1987 Ford E-350 Motor Home wont crank
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Allow me to set the scene: about 3 months ago the vehicle was working just fine then wouldnt start up again, no cranking, but lights and other accesories worked with the key turned ON. Mind you there is another battery since its a motor home, but when the key turns lights get brighter which makes me think the ignition switch is in tact. now, we took it to a shop and bench tested the starter motor which did nothing, 2 replacements from autozone also did nothing, so we got the original one rebuilt instead. they also replaced the neutral safety switch. everything worked fine the rest of the summer.
ok fastforward to about two weeks ago, i was driving all day with no issues, stop to get gas and the engine wont crank back up again! we were able to short circuit the solenoid and crank it up though. now we got it home and didnt use it for about a week, went to go replace the solenoid and before i did anything it cranked up just fine with the key, replaced it anyway for posterity and checked it, started up great. went to ise it a few days later and nothing again, but i can still short circuit the solenoid with no issues.
now mind you its a carbourated engine so cranking can take some time, not sure if thats an issue, but this certainly seems to be a wiring issue, im thinkin the solenoid ground wire isnt making a great connection which would explain intermitent success and being able to bypass the solenoid without issues.
any help is greatly appreciated, im gonna go out and buy a voltmeter today so i can officially check all of this and will update when i can.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 5, 2016, 9:28 AM
Post #2 of 7
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Re: 1987 Ford E-350 Motor Home wont crank
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! You are all over this for something probably as silly as a bad trigger wire at the solenoid as jumping that worked - right or did I misread you?
The OE common one was just a push on connector that goes loose or totally bad at the end?
So far you don't really need more than a test light - see it that wire lights or not to solenoid post then again inside the connector. Wiggle it, see if that changes the show. If so put a new wire end on, solenoid should be threaded and a eyelet could be used with a nut - brass best and corrosion proof all things electrical - batteries cleaned at all connections and engine ground as well.
WHEN this plain does NOTHING at all to try to start or noise at all at starter find out where the power or the ground is dropping out on you.
IDK why this was such trouble to decide if starter was doing anything wrong or not. Had to be totally faulty testing. You can make one work with jumper cables on the floor to watch one work so why all that fuss? It happens. Leave periodic use, battery start things on a battery maintainer ALL the time when not in use when at all possible. If not and know it's going to be months bring batteries home if need be. 3 months is enough - there's some trickle drain just thru dirt and moisture on batteries to take some juice out of them which isn't good for them at all,
T
(edit in) You can if just the push on type squeeze those with pliers AYOR for a better grip but be ready to replace the end.......
(This post was edited by Tom Greenleaf on Oct 5, 2016, 9:35 AM)
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teisenhood
New User
Oct 5, 2016, 10:12 AM
Post #3 of 7
(1441 views)
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Re: 1987 Ford E-350 Motor Home wont crank
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well thats the thing, the starter really was bad along with the neutral safety switch. but this seems to be another issue entirely.
now that you mention it, when i replaced the solenoid one of the I/S terminals wasnt easily sliding over the threads, dont remember which one. maybe just rewiring that would be enough and actually using a nut instead of the little slide on cap.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
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Oct 5, 2016, 11:35 AM
Post #4 of 7
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Re: 1987 Ford E-350 Motor Home wont crank
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You could see that it's electrically just lighting or not when it should with a simple test light.
Been a while but this solenoid should have or may have two threaded small posts, one marked for starter usually just an "S" - the other might say "R" for resistor? It doesn't use a resistor so it's something custom for the application. Posts should be threaded and new may have an extra nut. I wouldn't take the lower/only one off.
Just looked at a very old NOS one. Not marked with the "S" or "R" so would match that up.
Again you should see it not light a test light WHEN it doesn't work not WHEN it is working - makes sense - right?
If in doubt over the one you notice I'd fix that one or maybe just see if you can buy a new pigtail end. Only good reason for push on is no tools needed you can about disable the thing purposely doing that - free anti-theft :-)
What I'd really like is to see if you can wiggle what's there and cause it to happen then really know you have the problem fixed if this is the area at all. This was just a good first guess based on how many starters didn't do a thing! That was some mistake that shouldn't have happened,
T
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teisenhood
New User
Oct 5, 2016, 1:11 PM
Post #5 of 7
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Re: 1987 Ford E-350 Motor Home wont crank
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so i just went to take a look at the solenoid, jiggled around the little capped wire on the R terminal which wasnt fitting well, the key still just gave me one click and no crank. when i bridged the solenoid it cranked but never actually started up. then i decided to unplug that wire to see if it would still crank from bridging the solenoid and it started up immediately. shut it off and tried it with the key, started right up. i followed the wire and it was a ground but theres also a ground coming off the big post that receives the 12v from the battery, not sure if that was the problem, but it seems like with that wire out of the equation everything is fine. thanks!
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
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Oct 5, 2016, 1:18 PM
Post #6 of 7
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Re: 1987 Ford E-350 Motor Home wont crank
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If that wire is red with blue, it belongs on the "S" terminal.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
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Oct 5, 2016, 1:40 PM
Post #7 of 7
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Re: 1987 Ford E-350 Motor Home wont crank
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OE was blue/red - checked one. No resistor terminal as it is OE and a plain car. Aftermarket could have the other smaller "R" originally intended to put full voltage to coil for just the time it's cranking then quit and run thru a resistor for VEHICLES WITH POINTS!
I can't know why it's useful for something else but it is a camper/motor home and might be some reason? Check - for a zillion years that "R" only had battery power just during time while cranking nothing else would work off of that any longer than that. A warning light perhaps now as a bulb check it wasn't made with OE as a van.
So - if any way such as a jumper wire with alligator clips you just put battery power to the "S" terminal it would crank the engine or better said the starter would get full cable power thru the solenoid from the battery(s) in this case.
Sorry you went thru so many non tests for power to a starter, swapping them out and rebuilding the original which (if handy) you can do yourself in no time on these.
Said earlier that if this does this again a simple test light to starter's own battery cable if empowered at the starter would be very telling that it's another connection and not this area at all for right now,
T
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