WHY does every starter solenoid KEEP STICKING?!?!?

I have an 88' Mark vii that was doing the same thing. 3 solenoids and a dented fender (Got tired of poping the hood LOL!!!) to finally get a good one.

Third time was a charm for me, but looks like you are just having a baaaad run of luck.

Sorry I couldnt help.

There's two possible solutions:

1) you are just getting bad solenoids... hard to believe three in a row, but hey, parts stores ain't what they used to be.

2) A solenoid is a very large relay. This means when the two "smaller" wires are ground and 12V each, it connects the two "big" wires, in other words, turns the starter. Since it's working at all, I wouldn't suspect the ground side of the solenoid. I would suspect the pin that is the 12V input. Something (ignition cylinder) could be giving you too voltage when you don't want it.

However, the fact that if you hit it, it disengages, makes the second option rather difficult to believe, because beating the crap out of a relay doesn't stop voltage from flowing...unless you hit it very very hard...

A very far fetched answer could also be the solenoid mounting is too overtorqued, distorting the solenoid a small amount. When the 12V/Grnd is connected, there is a mechanical connection inside to connect the two "big" wires. This component is what's failing you, just couldn't tell you for sure why...

Kyle

Probably a defect in the parts... mabey a whole batch of them came out bad and you keep getting them. Did they come from the same parts store? Same problem /w me... 2 bad solenoids, went to a different store and bought the "premium" $15 one from an oreillies 15 mi north of me.

did you ever figure out what the problem was?

did you take apart the old ones to find they didnt work smooth and "stuck" somewhere? this was the case one time, there is a shaft in there if i remember right, which was dry and the copper washer stuck on it

~Mark~

jaymac said:

not necessarily. We installed a new Heavy Duty HUGE solenoid from Stinger (they make car audio products), and installed the lowest gauge wire we could fit, nice new terminals, cleaned up new grounds, and haven't had a single probem since

Click to expand...

I have been having the same problem. I just replaced 4 starter solenoids in the last 10 months. It seems like even the Ford Starter Relays/Solenoids have been defective lately as that is what I have been buying. Before that, I never had any problems. I might have to do the same thing as you with a new Heavy Duty solenoid from a car audio.

maybe i missed it, but did anyone look at the starter as having a bad winding or two, causing excessive amperage draw and spot welding the contacotrs inside of the selinoid, yes a larger super duty seliniod will cure the problem temporarly until those contactors start to spot weld themselves also, is the starter a stock style?? if so its probly shot and causing you frustration and costing money

bad ignition switch?

I had the same problem. Apparently whoever had the car b4 me wired it backwards. The solenoid is like a switch, or in electrical terms, a contactor. When you hit the keyswitch, it sends voltage through that little red wire to pull the contacts in to connect the battery to the starter. After you release the key, the contacts release. If you still have voltage running through the solenoid, they wont release. In my case, all the accessory stuff was wired to the "starter" side of the solenoid and not the "battery" side. everytime I hit the key, bam it stuck. I swapped everything over to the battery side and havent had a problem since. Good luck.

I had the same thing happen to my 89 5.0. I went through 4 soleniods and 2 starters in about 6 months. It seemed like it was fixed for a while, but after a couple of months it started sticking again. Finally I tried bypassing the ignition switch and using a momentary switch inside the cabin. Now it starts every time without any problems.

jlsearcy said:

I had the same thing happen to my 89 5.0. I went through 4 soleniods and 2 starters in about 6 months. It seemed like it was fixed for a while, but after a couple of months it started sticking again. Finally I tried bypassing the ignition switch and using a momentary switch inside the cabin. Now it starts every time without any problems.

Click to expand...

This crap is so frustrating! I too replaced my stock starter, ignition switch and alot of solenoids. Can you tell me how you bypassed the ignition switch with a monetary switch. I was also thinking this way last night and I might have no choice.

Thanks,
Ron

I had the same problem about a year ago.After buying a new battery and several new solenoids i ended up trying another Ford solenoid from a 1981 Ford Econoline150 Van (302 motor). The part # is 84017.Heres a pic of the solenoid i used.

http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/5513/pict0016gs8.jpg

Its been on there for over a year now and no problems what so ever.

I found a white paper on relay designdesign, here's the most interesting part:

Basically to protect the computers in fuel injected cars, a suppression diode was added across the relay coil. This is effective, but has the side effect of keeping the coil energized longer after the starter switch (key) is released, and making the starter relays switch contacts more slowly. This in turn allows them to arc more as they open, and intermittently spot weld together.

The solution is to get an old style relay that isn't suppressed, and risk inductive spikes from the coil messing with, or maybe (unlikely) killing your computer. Or you can add your own suppression zener+diode combo "transient suppressor" across the coil for the most skookum solution.

Cheers!

Another post just asked this. Unless you just replaced the cables, they are getting old and are prone to voltage drops, poor connections and poor grounds. For some reason I do not understand, low voltage causes the points to stick, not just high current.

Scroll down in the thread linked below to get to @jrichker s test list. It helped my problem, (but I still keep something handy to tap on the solenoid just in case!)

88 Gt Eating Starter Solenids | Mustang Forums at StangNet

Just to save you the rabbit chase...

No Crank checklist for 5.0 Mustangs

Revised 24-Oct-2013 to update voltage drop figures.

No crank, slow crank and stuck starter solenoid problems have the same root causes – low battery voltage and poor connections. For that reason, they are grouped together.
Use the same initial group of tests to find the root cause of slow crank, no crank and stuck solenoid problems.

Since some of the tests will bypass the safety interlocks, make sure that the car is in neutral and the parking brake is set. Becoming a pancake isn’t part of the repair process…

1.) Will the car start if it is jumped? Then clean battery terminals and check battery for low charge and dead cells. A good battery will measure 12-13 volts at full charge with the ignition switch in the Run position but without the engine running.
A voltmeter placed across the battery terminals should show a minimum of 9.5-10 volts when the ignition switch is turned to the Start position and the starter engages or tries to engage. Less than this will result in a clicking solenoid, or slow cranking (if it cranks at all) or a starter solenoid that sticks and welds the contacts together.

Most auto parts stores will check your battery for free. It does not have to be installed in the car to have it checked; you can carry it with you to the auto parts store.

The battery posts and inside of the battery post terminals should be scraped clean with a knife or battery post cleaner tool. This little trick will fix a surprising number of no start problems.

The clamp on with 2 bolts battery terminal ends are a known problem causer. Any place you see green on a copper wire is corrosion. Corrosion gets in the clamped joint and works its way up the wire under the insulation. Corroded connections do not conduct electricity well. Avoid them like the plague...

If the starter solenoid welds the contacts, then the starter will attempt to run anytime there is power in the battery. The cables and solenoid will get very hot, and may even start smoking. The temporary fix for a welded starter solenoid is to disconnect the battery and smack the back of the solenoid housing a sharp blow with a hammer. This may cause the contacts to unstick and work normally for a while.


A voltmeter is handy if you are familiar with how to use it to find bad connections. Measure the voltage drop across a connection while trying to start the car: more than .25 volts across a connection indicates a problem. The voltage drop tests need to be done while cranking the engine. It's the current flowing through a connection or wire that causes the voltage drop.

See http://assets.fluke.com/appnotes/automotive/beatbook.pdf for help for help troubleshooting voltage drops across connections and components. .



Voltage drops should not exceed the following:
200 mV Wire or cable
300 mV Switch or solenoid
100 mV Ground
0.0V Connections
A voltage drop lower that spec is always acceptable.

2.) Check the battery to engine block ground down near the oil filter, and the ground behind the engine to the firewall. All grounds should be clean and shiny. Use some sandpaper to clean them up.

3.) Jump the big terminals on the starter solenoid next to the battery with a screwdriver - watch out for the sparks! If the engine cranks, the starter and power wiring is good. The starter relay is also known as a starter solenoid.

The rest of the tech note only concerns no crank problems. If your problem was a stuck solenoid, go back to step 1.

4.) Then pull the small push on connector (small red/blue wire) off the starter solenoid (Looks like it is stuck on a screw). Then jump between the screw and the terminal that is connected to the battery. If it cranks, the relay is good and your problem is in the rest of the circuit.

5.) Remember to check the ignition switch, neutral safety switch on auto trans and the clutch safety switch on manual trans cars. If they are good, then you have wiring problems.

Typical start circuit...
Diagram courtesy of Tmoss & Stang&2birds



6.) Pull the starter and take it to AutoZone or Pep Boys and have them test it. Starter fails test, then replace it. If you got this far, the starter is probably bad.


Starter solenoid wiring for 86-91 Mustang



Starter solenoid wiring 92-93 Mustang or earlier Mustang with upgraded high torque mini starter.


Electrical checks for the switches and starter solenoid

Remove the small red/blue wire from the starter solenoid. Use a screwdriver to bridge the connection from the battery positive connection on the starter solenoid to the small screw where the red/blue wire was connected. The starter should crank the engine. If it does not, the starter solenoid is defective or the battery lacks sufficient charge to crank the engine.

If the starter does crank the engine, the problem is in the clutch safety circuit (5 speed) or Neutral Sense Switch (auto trans) or ignition switch.


See the Typical start circuit diagram above for wiring information for troubleshooting.

You will need a voltmeter or test lamp for the rest of the checks. Connect one lead of the voltmeter or test lamp to ground. The other lead will connect to the item under test.
Look for 12 volts on the white/pink wire when the ignition switch is turned to the Start position. Check the ignition switch first.
No 12 volts, replace the ignition switch.

The next step will require you to push the clutch pedal to the floor (5 speed) or put the transmission in neutral (auto trans) while the ignition switch is turned to the Start position.
Good 12 volts, check the clutch safety switch (5 speed) or Neutral Sense Switch (auto trans) for good 12 volts on both sides of the switches. No 12 volts on both sides of the switch and the switches are defective or out of adjustment. Check the wiring for bad connections while you are at it.