Driving around all day, came out of one stop and BOOM no start! Had a buddy come jump me, still wouldn't start just a single click so I tried one more time and it was like my battery had just died. Push started it and it drove fine. Got it home, turned it off, and then again no crank. Tried a different battery, put a new starter, and a new starter solenoid in. Still nothing. If I try jumping the solenoid on the firewall with a screwdriver to both post it just clicks and my positive battery wire starts to get hot and smoke. Please any help would be appreciated!

 

Reads like bad battery cable if starter and solenoid are new.

Check ground cable as well, it has to carry the same current as the positive cable.

Battery cables can corrode under the insulation

 

Oh and one more thing, after putting new starter in, I push started it again and the starter kept spinning after it was push started.. Any input there?

 

Yeah that's my next step, bought new cables today.

 

??

If you push start(roll vehicle and pop the clutch) then how would the starter motor get activated?

to "keep spinning"

Confused

I don't think your year had different starter motors for manual trans and automatic, some years did and starter can fail to engage or disengage.


I think 1994 would have large positive battery cable running directly to the starter, no fender relay.
And then a smaller wire on the starter(solenoid) to activate it with key

So not sure what you were "jumping" with a screwdriver

 

The screwdriver I just jumped the fender well solenoid just touching the two contracts together. But it didn't do anything except pop and bake the positive wire smoke.

 

On a '94 4.0l you should have 2 wires coming off the positive battery post(if only 1 then it will be connected to same size wire on Relay post and that wire will go to starter motor)
Larger wire goes directly to the starter motor(in the older models there was a fender mounted solenoid, solenoid is now on the starter motor, relay is on the fender now)
Smaller wire goes to starter relay(on fender)

Starter relay is just used as power distribution point, not to power the starter motor.
Where the smaller battery wire connects to starter relay there should be several other wires also.
On the opposite post of relay there should be only 1 wire, a small black wire running down to starter solenoid on top of the starter motor, this activates solenoid on the starter motor but doesn't power the starter motor itself, that is done by the larger battery cable from positive terminal.

reads like your wiring got crossed up on the relay.

One post on the relay should have many wires connected, including smaller battery cable
other post on relay should just have 1 wire connected, the one going to starter solenoid on top of starter motor.

"S" post on relay(small post) should have small red/light blue stripe wire connected, that comes from key switch, via clutch pedal or Neutral switch.


This webpage has picture of the starter motor and the terminals: http://troubleshootmyvehicle.com/for...tarter-motor-1

Larger battery cable goes to Bat (+)
Smaller black wire from starter relay goes to S

On my 1994 the Red/blue stripe wire that was on the relays "S" post goes directly to S shown in picture

 

I have a 97 that did the same thing. Even had the starter replaced. 2 weeks later, same problem. Starter wouldn't do anything.

We finally traced it to the small wire on the starter motor had a bad connection between the wire and spade lug. A new lug and a good soldering job fixed it.

A couple months later it happened again. Turned out to be the spade lug came off the starter lug. I'm really considering soldering the wire lug to the starter lug.

 

Ford dealer said I was gonna have to tow it to them. Black Smith said I probably needed a new immobilizer antenna ring transponder unit. So I disconnected the negative on the battery took off the two panels under steering column then removed housing around steering column took out ignition unbolted transponder unit and unplugged it. It is a ring that goes around ignition attached to a little black box that has a little thicker wire with a plug at the end. I didn't want to leave battery negative disconnected over night so I decided to put everything back together till I got the new part, but low and behold it started, I guess that reset it. Good luck.

 

I also cleaned my key, in the lettering , I'd try that first🤔