My Haynes manual is no help figuring out where the starter relay is for a 1999 Ranger 2.5L 4cyl engine. Anyone know where it is? Built into the starter maybe? Any help appreciated. llffrq

 

Welcome to the forum


There are actually 2 on a 1999 2.5l, 3 if it was a V6

In the engine fuse box is a Starter Relay, just a regular 12volt car relay, it is activated by Key in START position but only if clutch pedal is in or if Automatic is in Park or Neutral, if column shifter is sloppy starter motor may not work, because Park/Neutral switch isn't passing voltage to relay

When that relay closes it sends 12volts on a Yellow/blue stripe wire, to the Starter relay on the starter motor.

Look on starter motor, large cable goes to battery, smaller wire is attached to starter relay, and then goes to other starter relay in engine fuse box.

There is also a 7.5amp fuse in cab fuse box that can blow and you won't get power at the relays, try fuse #28 thats for '98 though not '99

 

So the starter's throw gear acts as a relay too?

 

It is called a solenoid and yes, when the smaller wire has 12volts it energizes the electromagnet in the solenoid, which causes the metal rod inside to move, this does two things, it moves the starter motor gear out to engage ring gear, and it closes electrical contacts that sends the Battery power(larger cable) to the starter motor so it starts to spin.

A solenoid and relay operate the same way, a coil of wire around a metal core, when powered will become an electromagnet.
And the names are often mistakenly used as the same.

For many years Ford had a starter RELAY mounted on the inner fender, but pretty much every one called it the Starter Solenoid.
I got tied of correcting people about it so gave up, same as "Freeze Plugs", lol, they are Core Plugs or Casting Plugs, they plug up holes left in block or heads that were needed to drain the sand out after molten metal casting in a mold.

A RELAY controls power in an electrical circuit, like power window relay
A SOLENOID causes movement, like a power door lock solenoid

With the fender mounted RELAY the battery power was passed to the starter motor from there.
No smaller wire on the starter motor, it was on the fender mounted RELAY, when it got 12volts RELAY closed and starter got power