**Need help ASAP- Starter Solenoid Wiring**

Alright guys, I need help ASAP. I was replacing my starter solenoid (on fender well) last night and before I could group the wires together the pole holding the majority of wires broke when loosening the nut. All the wires popped off and I already had the one side off.

After that I kind of lost concentration on what went where.

I have a 97 7.3 Turbo Automatic.

What I am seeing is a large black ground wire from the starter to the engine bay.

A large gauge red wire from starter to bay

A small red wire that runs along side the larger gauge wire from starter

I have 2 sets of white wires

1 set of Green Wires

and a plug that goes on the small pole

I think that is all.

Can someone explain how to wire this up? I thought I had it right, tried it a couple different ways. I can get power up, power to dash, but when I turn to start I get NO noise.

It sounds like the starter gets power when turning the key on.

I need to use my truck tomorrow so its kind of an emergency situation.

Thanks everyone!

Here is a picture of mine

Mine looks a little different. But basically the small red wire from the starter on one pole, the rest of the connections on the other?

I have a large ground wire coming from the starter up to the engine bay. is this supposed to be grounded to the engine?

The solenoid has the one heavy gauge wire to the starter on one side. The other side will have the main power on it and a couple of others(with fusible links) connected. This terminal is a power distribution point. The "exciter wire" connects to the single push-on pole.
When the key is put in the start position it sends 12v to the starter all the other wires are always "hot".

Are you working on a van or a truck? I looked at 3 different OBS trucks this morning and none of them have a heavy guage wire coming up from the starter. The starter only has a control wire from this solenoid, the main power comes directly off of the battery.

WhiteStroke13 said:

Mine looks a little different. But basically the small red wire from the starter on one pole, the rest of the connections on the other?

I have a large ground wire coming from the starter up to the engine bay. is this supposed to be grounded to the engine?

Click to expand...

:nopics: Photos would help us help you sir!

Bugman said:

Are you working on a van or a truck? I looked at 3 different OBS trucks this morning and none of them have a heavy guage wire coming up from the starter. The starter only has a control wire from this solenoid, the main power comes directly off of the battery.

Click to expand...

"ground wire" not power haha

Ther MUST be a "power" wire otherwise it won't work. The fender relay is a simple switch that handles the 100's of amps the starter draws when engaged.
One side of the relay has several wires with fusible links and is always "hot". The other side is the "switching side", meaning it is only hot when the "excitor wire" activates the solenoid. The power is sent through the solenoid and to the starter.
As was said by Redman920-06, need pictures to go any further.

Lethalthreat7.3 said:

Ther MUST be a "power" wire otherwise it won't work. The fender relay is a simple switch that handles the 100's of amps the starter draws when engaged.
One side of the relay has several wires with fusible links and is always "hot". The other side is the "switching side", meaning it is only hot when the "excitor wire" activates the solenoid. The power is sent through the solenoid and to the starter.
As was said by Redman920-06, need pictures to go any further.

Click to expand...

If is like mine there is no heavy gauge wire that connects from the switched side of the fender mounted relay to the starter just a small one that connects to the relay on the starter. Sort of a double relay setup.

Lethalthreat7.3 said:

Ther MUST be a "power" wire otherwise it won't work. The fender relay is a simple switch that handles the 100's of amps the starter draws when engaged.
One side of the relay has several wires with fusible links and is always "hot". The other side is the "switching side", meaning it is only hot when the "excitor wire" activates the solenoid. The power is sent through the solenoid and to the starter.
As was said by Redman920-06, need pictures to go any further.

Click to expand...

On mine the starter has a solenoid on it that is wired directly to the battery, this is the cable that handles all the amps for the starter. The one on the fender is just a control solenoid that sends the control power to the solenoid that is on the starter.

Tom S said:

If is like mine there is no heavy gauge wire that connects from the switched side of the fender mounted relay to the starter just a small one that connects to the relay on the starter. Sort of a double relay setup.

Click to expand...

I believe that is how mine is set-up also. A cable that is always hot comes off of the battery or hot side of the fender solenoid and is connected to the solenoid on the starter. Then a switching wire is all that comes off of the fender solenoid to the starter solenoid.

Correct. On the gear reduction type starter the solenoid is mounted on the starter itself with a small wire to excite it. There is a heavy main wire that carries the amperage load.
The older type starters on have the heavy gauge wire going to them directly off of the fender mounted relay/solenoid.

Ill get some pics up tonight guys.

When I get under the truck there is a large red wire on the starter, there is a small red wire on the starter, there is a large black wire also.

All three of these wires were somehow hooked to the solenoid...maybe someone had it rigged up, I dont know?

So would my best bet be to run the large red wire to + and the large black wire to - then hook the other small red wire to the one side of solenoid and all other wires to the right?

and I have one "plug" that fits the smaller pole....thats the exciter right? but it doesnt seem to come from the starter

The one that just plugs on comes from the key switch. The other smaller red one goes to the starter solenoid on the starter. Just where is that large black wire connected to the starter at?

theres my setup..at the top is the large black wire from starter.
to the left a larger red wire with a small red wire running with it
1 set of green wires
2 sets of white wires
the plug
and a random very small red wire that runs into the cab

please help!

Someone has change the wiring on it for you. They are using the large black wire to run the starter, perhaps they lost the eye or there is a bad cable from the battery to the starter (large red wire at the starter). Is the large wire that comes directly off of the battery still connected? It is hard to tell in the pictures

To me it looks like you connect all the large wires together. The large black one, two green and the two sets of white wires on one large lug. The small red from the starter to the other large lug on the solenoid, then the other small that runs into the cab to the other small lug.

alright got it hooked up like you said. i have power to everything but when i turn key i just hear a thunk...i have all dash lights interior lights etc

gonna try and charge batteries, just bought a new one but maybe they ran out when i had the neg terminal off???