Hi all,
I'm new to the forum and Ford Rangers. I have just become the proud owner of a beautiful and smooth running 1994 4x4 Splash 4.0 ohv with 184,000 miles on the clock and an electrical issue. I appreciate any and all suggestions, recommendations, or cautions. Here's the story.

I bought the truck for barely over scrap price as a non-starter that "ran strong last week and will climb a tree in low when it runs". The truck had sat for a while and the owner replaced several components (battery cables, starter, battery, and ignition switch) when he had trouble starting it this season. After a quick trouble shoot I found the starter to be unresponsive. On opening, the starter motor coils were bird-nested and the brushes and magnets at the rear of the motor were ground to dust. The starter mounted solenoid (for simplicity I am referring to the solenoid that engages the drive gear with the flywheel as the starter solenoid, and the starter motor circuit relay as a relay) smelled like a melted plastic fork(or spoon for that matter). I replaced the starter unit with a new starter and the truck fired up and ran perfectly. I started it twice to make sure the starter worked and then parked it with the negative battery cable disconnected for safety. The next day I went to start it and the starter spun but the solenoid did not engage it with the flywheel. I removed the starter and the solenoid was melted inside same as the previous unit. NO fuses are blown or missing and no cables are hot or melted.

What would the cause be and what can I inspect for/ verify before installing another starter? I'm glad to hear any tips before I start ripping into this thing:) I have a basic understanding of wiring and electronics and am totally comfortable working on anything mechanical. Thanks in advance for any and all responses!

Toby

 

Check the inner fender mounted starter relay, someone may have missed wired it

One larger post should have several wires including battery positive, thats the 12v power distribution for the whole vehicle
Other larger post, just ONE wire, usually to starter solenoid/relay on the starter motor

Only other thing I can think of is there is an exhaust leak blowing out right on the starter motors solenoid/relay

 

Thanks for the input RonD. I'll check the relay wiring.

 

Update: The melting starter problem has been resolved as far as I can tell. The relay was incorrectly wired exactly as was suggested, thank you!
P.S. If your Solenoid is wired like the following picture, everything will act a little funny

 

Good work

Yes that wiring would be wrong, that white/grey color fusible link is on the wrong post, should be on the battery post side
It's probably from the alternators B+ post

 

Should I be concerned that no fuses or fusible links blew and nothing was tripped or alarmed out? I've only worked with and can read OBDII and am not familiar with the OBDI system.

 

Its not a computer issues so OBD I or II wouldn't matter

There was no short to ground, so that wire had resistance thru start solenoid, so no fuse would blow or fusible link separate

Fuses or fusible links blow when there is no resistance between + and -, 12volt and Ground

I.e. you hook up a 550cold cranking amp battery to a 12volt light bulb and light bulb just comes on, uses maybe 1/2 an amp of that 550amps, because it has "resistance", it only allows electricity to flow thru it at a specific rate

Now if you were to just hook up a wire between battery posts it would get VERY HOT, smoking HOT, and melt, because there is no resistance, so ALL 550 amps are free to flow thru that wire
A fuse or a fusible link acts like that wire except is made to "blow/melt"............IF there is no resistance, or very low resistance, on the circuit its protecting

All electrical devices are grounded so they can work, and all get 12volts for the same reason, the resistance thru their circuits limits amp flow so even though its grounded is not a short to ground