85 Dodge D100, Manual transmission

I think I have a bad starter relay but need some help. I am "slow" electrically!

Truck has a bad ignition switch and it has a push button to start for the time being. Relay has red, power from battery- check. It has the brown from the relay to the starter- Check. It has a green wire that goes to a good ground- check. The original orange wire from the ignition switch has been replaced with the new wire from the push button. With ignition switch turned on, and pushing the button I have power to the relay but the starter does not turn. So is my relay bad? It looks pretty simple, but I just wanted to make sure I am not doing something stupid!

I can jump across the starter wires and it engages, so it is ok.

Thanks!

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2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6

I am not sure what the orange wire is from the ign switch. Try running a wire directly from the batt to the pushbutton and see if it cranks. Then, you should be able to use any known good wire/source that has 12V with ign switch in "run" position.

I don't understand if you are getting power to the starter relay but the starter does not turn. If that wire is hot, then it should turn, as you said that you can jump from main starter terminal to relay terminal and it turns. Is that what you mean?

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Make sure the truck's in Neutral. Use a screwdriver or similar to connect the two large terminals on the starter relay. If the starter activates, replace your starter relay.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Orange wire is the 12V from the switch to activate the relay. Green is the ground.

I found the issue after I posted. I took the known good relay off my truck and it still would not work. So I figured since the 12V is coming from the switch to trigger the relay (orange) it must be in the ground (green wire), and it was.

But here is what is a little funny(not really). I had replaced the end of the green wire since it was messed up with a new piece about 4 inches long. When I stripped the new wire I did not notice that it had an almost clear inner sheath for lack of a better word. So I stripped the outer coating of the wire but when I crimped it on I had no contact with the actual wire, just that inner sheath. This could have been avoided with better eye sight and by soldering the wires together!!

Don't ask me where the wire came from or what it is for. It came out of a bucket of loose wire ends I had laying around.

Thanks for your help, guys.

_________________
2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6

I'd have to question the wire color from the relay to the starter.....brown? Heavier cable, right?
You sure it isn't a heat-altered red?

Roger

Double check to make sure that the 'ground', is not a finicky clutch safety switch or neutral safety switch or connection either... unless you modified that prong to be like the early-mid-60's cars and wired the prong to the relay mounting screw (direct to ground)... eliminating it (and hope you don't forget when starting the vehicle... LOL)

Brown is what all 3 of our trucks have and what the FSM calls out. About a #12 wire.

_________________
2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6

OK, Rick. I thought you might have been talking about the primary power cable for the direct starter power.

Roger

Oooh. No that one is hooked up too.

_________________
2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6

Relay may be ok. Check the earth to the body.

Funny, I was sure I posted what I found!

It was a ground issue with the green wire. All fixed!

_________________
2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6