89 E-250

[MANTUS]

It won't start. It makes a click when i turn the key but that's it. The Battery,Alt are good. It happened to me the other day when i tried to start it,it just made that click,so i left it to go to work,i took a few tools out of it and desided to try it again 10min later and it started right up but today it won't start at all. I didn't look under the hood to listen for the sound but the click sounds like its coming from under there. Any suggestions? I am not an auto mechanic and i don't know the names of all parts but im fully capable of fixin stuff. It's too cold for me to look for the problem myself,so i'll leave this one to the pros. thanks

[ModMech]

Sounds like it might be the starter relay. The starter realy is a roundish black switch with two large (5/16") studs, and one smaller stud with a push-on wire. It should be on the RH inner fender, or just infront of the battery above the headlamp.

[MANTUS]

I looked under the hood for some loose wires and there is this one that seemed to have rusted and broke off. It is a pushon and has some kind of metal connector inside it. It looks like it just broke off because all the metal inside it is very clean and everything around it is greasy and black. maybe i can take a pic of it and show you what it looks like,then maybe you can tell me if that's it? hey,thanks alot for replying,because i was about to light the van on fire :-) let me see if i can get a closeup pic..This piece is round black plastic outside with the metal connectors inside and is on the opposite side of the battery. Now that i think about it,it did sound like the clicking noise,when i try to start it,is coming from the battery side. I'm gonna go look. thanks again

[MANTUS]

OK i think your right. Right behind or rather in front of the battery above the headlight,i found a metal box with a few wired(3 flat plugins)in it,but 1 wire has rotted and detached. I touched the wire to where it was attached to and there was a very little spark. I'm guessing that's it. I want to post the pick just to make sure,so i know what part to ask for.I put the pics in my gallery

[MANTUS]

I'll have to take off the ignition relay tomorrow. The thing i replaced was the accessory relay,so i guess the high speed on the wipers should work now because that was the only thing that didn't work :-) the started relay is where you said,above the right headlight in front of the battery. That's where the click is coming from and i'm almost possitive that's it,so i'm gonna fix it tomorrow. thanks again I'll post whatever it was in case someone else has this problem....Can i work on the starter relay without disconnecting the battery,or is it not a good idea?

[ModMech]

I would pull the Neg cable, as one of the heavy wires on that relay is NOT fuse protected, it's direct to the postive battery post. If you touch it to anything.. POOF!

[MANTUS]

Negative? I always thought the possitive would shut everything off. Anyway,i took out the battery and installed the starter relay,and it still doing the same thing(clicking but not starting). I asked the mechanic and he won't be able to look at it until middle of next week. He said it may be the starter. He thought it was the relay too but i told him i already changed it. I remember when i installed the new battery,i hooked the wires up wrong(not paying attention)and it gave out some nice size sparks.Well,after the sparks i saw some smoke coming from the starter relay. Maybe a serge went through the relay down to the starter and fried it? I'm selling my mustang and getting a new van. I really need it for work. If you think of anything else,let me know,because i would like to get it fixed before Mon. I need to work. thanks

[ModMech]

To determine if it's the starter, you'll need to check to see if the new solenoid is working correctly. Take either a volt meter, test light, or light bulb with wires and place one end on the starter side of the relay, and the other on the NEG battery post. Attempt to start it, if you get good voltage (light) then it's probabally the starter. It can also be a bad ground on the engine, or a loos/bad connection on the starter itself.

This could have either of two different starters, the "good old" Ford starter without a solenoid, or the "new style" smaller perminant magnet with a soleniod. If there is only ONE wire to the starter, then it's an old style, and you can safely remove it without disconnecting the battery. They are about $50. If it has two wires, it's the new style, and they are much more expensive, and you MUST disconnect the battery before starting to remove this one.

The ground wire should be on the pass. side near the front of the engine.

[MANTUS]

Well, i'm going to have to try that now,because i have work tomorrow. I hope it works. I have 3hrs before i have to be somewhere. Thanks

[tsunami451]

I run a fleet of 10 vans. More than likely its the starter. Thats what it is for me 9 out of 10 times. When they get hot they just click and then after 15 mins. or so they work. We replace the starter problem solved. Also that connection by the batt. sounds like a voltage regulator. It sits right infront of the battery on the inside wall. It is cased in metal, square shaped, has a flat connector with 3 wires. The wires usually point to the starter relay which is just left of the regulator. I hope this helps.

[MANTUS]

Yes,that was it. It was also a short,but the main problem was the starter. What type of vans do you have? I need to get a newer one for work,and i was going to go with an F-150 or 250 from Ebay. I am looking in the area of 15,000