best way to track down wiring bug

[tording]

Hey guys. I have decided I have a wiring bug somewhere in my car. I have been having problems with the starter solenoid staying engaged. Today I was driving my car and the check oil light came on so I pulled over and checked my oil. The oil lvl was fine and I know that this light is for the lvl sensor in the pan. I went back to the car and started it and the light was out. What is the best way to troubleshoot and wiring issue or has anyone heard of something like this and maybe know where to start.

On a side note the guy that owned the car before me installed a huge tachometer and wired it up inside the dash it looks like so I am wondering if he did something stupid in there. I will check that first but if you guys have any ideas shoot em out there please. thanks in advance.

 

[Raginstang]

if your starter is staying engaged or the solenoid stayes on, you need to replace the solenoid on the left fenderwell, they fail from the heat inside the engine compartment and its a very common on the foxbody. as far as your wiring, you need more info, as for now if it only happend once, id just run with it, maybe you were on a hill or something.

 

[HISSIN50]

This diagram might be helpful.

Good luck.

 

[tording]

if your starter is staying engaged or the solenoid stayes on, you need to replace the solenoid on the left fenderwell, they fail from the heat inside the engine compartment and its a very common on the foxbody. as far as your wiring, you need more info, as for now if it only happend once, id just run with it, maybe you were on a hill or something.

I have already replaced all that man. I have had 2 starters on it, and 3 different relays on the fender and it keeps doing it. One of the relays was a good ford one too. I just put a starter on today and it is fine so far but I bet it starts doing it again in a day or two. I was not on a hill when the light came on but I will just keep an eye on it and maybe it was just a fluke.

If it is an wiring issue though and I use that diagram that hissin posted how do I know what voltages should be on those pins and wires in the diagram. it shows the connections but not what should be on them or not be on them.

 

[Raginstang]

well, ideally, you would want to use a digital volt ohm meter or DVOM, to check the resistance or continuity, beween one end of a circuit or another. typically you can assume that you should see battery voltage just before the load in a circuit. so if your looking at a certain wire, make sure all the switches are in the right spot and check for battery voltage in certain spots, a drop could show your a high resistance spot, but I don't think that is what is going on. I think you are still having bad solenoids, or maybe your ignition switch is bad and stayin in the crank position?