So I've practically finished the wiring - or so I thought and when I go to connect the battery for the first time the starter motor roars into life.

I've tried swapping the cables round but still no difference!


I'm using a Sierra column which has the following wires connected;

50 (Black blue)
30 (Red)
Accessory (Yellow)
15 (Yellow black)

The Velocity loom has the following wires (exact text from my wiring instructions);
Supply terminal - HD Brown, 2 x brown (perm live)
Ignition live terminal - white's (switched live)
Starter terminal - white grey (momentarily live)

I connected the perm live to the 30 (red) on the ford ign switch. Ignition live to 50 (black blue) and starter terminal to 15 black yellow.

What have I done wrong? I've tried swapping 50 and 15 round with no difference (starter still starts without turning the key). I've tried figuring out what's wrong with my multimetre but no joy and I wanted to start it up for the first time this weekend too!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!!!!
Rich

http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=39828

So, it should be...

30 (red) - Perm live
50 (Black blue) - Start
15 (Yellow black) - Ignition

This is probably too basic but have you checked that the ign. terminal is actually energising when you connect the battery and it's not just a stuck starter solenoid. If it's awkward to check just remove the small tail from the starter and see what happens. Best of luck.

Just been beavering away trying to find out what's going on.

When I disconnected the feed to the ignition switch and connected the battery - same problem - starter motor fires into life. I then disconnected the small starter solenoid wire and when I try to connect the battery there is just a BIG spark - so what's wrong as I know it shouldn't be like that!

Rich

sounds like your solenoid is perminantly closed. Do you have a multi meter, to measure the resistance between the two big wires?

Sounds like the solenoid is stuck on. Can you get hold of a different starter to try.??

Disconnect the starter and use a multimeter or light bulb to see whats happening down there. If the solenoid feed is only live when they key is turned to starter is deffo at fault.

Two big wires? All I've got is a small wire and a large wire terminal which is connected to the battery and the alternator.

So what should I be looking for in terms of values (resistance??) and would it potentially require a new starter motor?

Rich

Try hitting the solenoid with the hammer, not too violent though. It may just be stuck but they usually stick off not on.

On the solenoid there are 3 terminals, 2 large and 1 small. The small terminal is connected to the ign. switch, 1 large terminal is connected to battery +ve and the alternator while the other terminal has a short cable which is connected to the starter (internally). If the solenoid was jammed in the energised position you will get continuity between the 2 LARGE terminals. Should this be the case it is easy to strip the solenoid and give it a clean up. The solenoid performs 2 functions 1: moves pinion in to mesh with ring gear. 2: acts as a large relay switching full battery current to the starter when the pinion is meshed.
Sorry if I'm teaching granny to suck eggs.

[Edited on 6/5/06 by daviep]