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85 E350 460 meltdown


iamslotman
11-19-2008, 03:07 PM
I was replacing the starter solenoid when I noticed a wire disconnected from the prior owner. I knew he had trouble with the electric fuel pump and had wired in an inline electric pump which worked fine. Foolishly I connected the missing wire to the battery side. It is a black wire with a yellow tracer that came from the fuel pump inertia switch. Soon to my horror I saw the entire harness behind the aux battery go up in smoke. I seperated each wire and all were intact but needed retaping except one which was now dust. The truck started and ran fine until I reconnected the aux battery and moved the wires back into place. Now it almost starts but only chugs as if the timing was off 180*. I still have some wires disconnected but after spending 2 days at libraries looking up old wiring diagrams and visiting many junk yards hoping to find a similiar truck I am desperate. The two relays involved are identical and mounted behind the drivers headlight. The green one I assume is the fuel pump relay and may no longer be serving any purpose. The Beige relay is the one I think is my problem. No schematic lists it nor names it. It has a red wire that becomes red/yellow and travels thru the firewall to the dash, a black wire to ground, a light brown or orange wire that goes to a disconnected double plug that I assume was once a pollution device like an EGR solenoid, a dark brown wire that goes to a round plug that I may have unplugged while moving everything because it looks clean, and a black with white wire that cooked and I think is also another ground. The green relay has a black with yellow wire coming from the fuel pump cutoff switch, a black wire to ground, a red with black wire coming from the I port on the started solenoid, and another black wire I assume goes to ground. The wiring diagrams show a ground wire going to the distributor and I am wondering if one of these goes there? I hope someone has a similiar vehicle (van or RV) and can take the time to follow the wires for me. Its freezing here in NY and I may be as dead as this truck if it takes many more days outside. Thanks

rhandwor
11-20-2008, 06:43 PM
I would make a trip to a scrap yard and try to find a decent used harness. And replace the bad wiring. Otherwise go to http://www.alldata.com/ buy a years subscription They have good wiring diagrams. You will need this to do proper repairs.

iamslotman
11-21-2008, 01:35 PM
thanks but I visited 6 salvage yards and called a dozen more with no luck. They don't hold onto anything that old here it seems. Plus I visited the library 3x and they have alldata and mitchell on demand there. Neither one shows a E350 with these 2 relays. Maybe because they don't list it as a motorhome is the difference. I wish I could just find someone with a similiar RV just to peek under the hood.

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