Starter Solenoid

[JLAWSON435]

Where is the Starter Solenoid located on a 88 TC

[87 town]

Where is the Starter Solenoid located on a 88 TC


Starter is right up under the car, just about to the rear of the engine. I don't think we have the selonoid connected to the starter but is seperate (someone can correct me if I am wrong about starter and selonoid attached). You do have a selonoid on the pass side firewall near the battery. Just follow the pos battery cable to it. Cant miss it.

[MASSR68]

Where is the Starter Solenoid located on a 88 TC
The solenoid in on the starter rear of engine, on the pass side is The starter relay, the relay sends power to the solenoid to ingage the starter.

[Elemino]

A solenoid is a type of relay... it is the relay. The solenoid is that thing mounted to the inside of the passenger fender. One post has a battery cable connected to it with several small wires. The other post connects to the cable that runs to the starter.

[MASSR68]

The solenoid in on the starter rear of engine, on the pass side is The starter relay, the relay sends power to the solenoid to ingage the starter.
hear is a pic

[Elemino]

Wow.. what year TC is that? My car didn't have all that on the stock starter. There was just a bolt that attatched the wire to a copper plate sticking out of the starter of mine. Matter of fact, my dad's '87 Vic has the same starter my TC had.

BTW.. just curious, what runs to the second bolt on that on-starter solenoid? When I installed my new high torque starter it had that, but I never knew what connected there. I ended up just putting a jumper on it from the power wire running from the "relay" (as your book calls it).

Edit: Just so I don't confuse anyone... a relay can be a solenoid, but a solenoid does not necessarily have to be a relay. It's simply one type of relay.

[87 town]

A solenoid is a type of relay... it is the relay. The solenoid is that thing mounted to the inside of the passenger fender. One post has a battery cable connected to it with several small wires. The other post connects to the cable that runs to the starter.

Whenever I have had any starting or cut off problems the "very" first place I go to is the relay/selonoid on the pass firewall and check those connections. I try to keep all those connections absolutey clean and tight, especially that rubber end that just slips onto the small threaded bolt. This connect tends to shake loose.

[Elemino]

Whenever I have had any starting or cut off problems the "very" first place I go to is the relay/selonoid on the pass firewall and check those connections. I try to keep all those connections absolutey clean and tight, especially that rubber end that just slips onto the small threaded bolt. This connect tends to shake loose.Yea, that could cause problems. It's the wire that runs from the ignition to turn on the starter. :D To be honest with you there is a better way to do it. You can get a crimp on ring terminal and a nut and bolt it onto that bolt. If you reeeeaaaly want a good connection solder it to the ring terminal. Just make sure you cover the bolt with something that insulates it. Whenever 12volts is applied there the car will attempt to start.

[87 town]

Yea, that could cause problems. It's the wire that runs from the ignition to turn on the starter. :D To be honest with you there is a better way to do it. You can get a crimp on ring terminal and a nut and bolt it onto that bolt. If you reeeeaaaly want a good connection solder it to the ring terminal. Just make sure you cover the bolt with something that insulates it. Whenever 12volts is applied there the car will attempt to start.

crimp ring and nut sound like an excellent idea. That would hold it in place. Didnt know the rubber insulator was that important. good info. dont want the car trying to start on its own....
i guess if you use the nut and bolt idea you would then need a rubber end to cover it up. Probably would have to make one on your own.

[Elemino]

i guess if you use the nut and bolt idea you would then need a rubber end to cover it up. Probably would have to make one on your own.Electrical tape, or liquid electrical tape will work just as well. You really don't want the engine trying to turn over while you're under the hood trying to work on something.

[joedogg]

Liquid electrical tape???? DO TELL! That sounds wonderful, if it is what I think it is.

[MASSR68]

what makes the gear ingauge with the flywheel?

[gadget73]

Wow.. what year TC is that? My car didn't have all that on the stock starter. There was just a bolt that attatched the wire to a copper plate sticking out of the starter of mine. Matter of fact, my dad's '87 Vic has the same starter my TC had.

BTW.. just curious, what runs to the second bolt on that on-starter solenoid? When I installed my new high torque starter it had that, but I never knew what connected there. I ended up just putting a jumper on it from the power wire running from the "relay" (as your book calls it).

Edit: Just so I don't confuse anyone... a relay can be a solenoid, but a solenoid does not necessarily have to be a relay. It's simply one type of relay.

I think thats a 1990+ starter, probably not a TC pic though. Mark VII and others had that starter. The small terminal serves the same function as the small terminal on the stock relay. How those type starters are supposed to work, they recieve constant battery +12v to the heavy terminal, and the small terminal is a switched connection to the ignition switch. Its just like a Chevy starter.


MASSR68: On a stock Ford starter its just centrifugal force. The output shaft on the starter motor is cut into a very coarse screw, and when the motor spins up, the gear on the end flies out and engages the flywheel. When the starter motor cuts power, the engine actually gets the starter drive spinning faster than the starter motor, and it threads itself back in. Keep in mind the "screw" is so coarse that about 1/2 turn moves the starter drive close to an inch.

Chevy starters and the later style "high torque" Ford ones don't have this, they actually have a proper solenoid, so the relay / solenoid on top actually sucks inward, which pulls on a fork and throws the starter drive out to catch the flywheel.

[MASSR68]

"high torque" Ford is what I work on the most of the time. stell learning! thanks gadget73

[ekooke]

Nothing wrong with the Packard connector on the fenderwell starter relay; if it gets loose, a little crimp with pliers will fix it for years. The same design is also on sending unit connectors and even sparkplug wire ends, which was the Packard connector's original purpose, improving on the threaded post & nut design of how sparkplugs were once attached to the wires. BTW, sparkplugs are still made to accommodate eyelet terminals to this very day, in that the end cap of the plug is threaded and can be unscrewed.

[Elemino]

I think thats a 1990+ starter, probably not a TC pic though. Mark VII and others had that starter. The small terminal serves the same function as the small terminal on the stock relay. How those type starters are supposed to work, they recieve constant battery +12v to the heavy terminal, and the small terminal is a switched connection to the ignition switch. Its just like a Chevy starter.Thanks, I never knew that. I never receieved any instructions on how to connect that thing. That could explain why my starter keeps turning once I'm not trying to start the car anymore. Theres probably something that makes it stop turning with that constant source of 12V. I'll have to try to find a wire set somewhere and try to hook it up the proper way... Now where can I find a starter cable :confused: