Dead short on wire to starter solenoid.

[AstroSean]

I have a dead short on the small wire that energizes the starter solenoid. It blows the 50a fuse in the engine compartment. I can jump the solenoid with the key on and the van will start but there are significant sparks so I feel the solenoid feed wire may be shorted. Any common areas to look?? Is this a common problem??

Thanks in advance for any help!

Sean.

[RECox286]

This is a machine you are talking about. What isn't common ? Ha.


Try to determine if you have a short between the connector at the starter and start switch. You should be able to do this with a VOM on

Ohms. Remove the connector from the start swith, and put one test lead to the wire that goes to the starter, then, put the other to ground.

If you get continuity, then you can either track down the short and repair it, or run a new wire. If you don't get continuity right away, try

shaking the wire harness.

Good hunting

Uncle Bob

[AstroSean]

Just an update for anyone else that may have a similar problem.

The van does have a short (to ground) somewhere in the purple solenoid wore that goes from the outside fuse box down to the starter solenoid itself.

I was never able to located the exact location of the short but instead I cut the purple wire right after it came out of the fuse box and ran a new wire down to the starter. I used the existing plastic protector and harness clamps as much as possible.

Problem solved. What's next?? LoL

[Lumpy]

...I was never able to located the exact location of the short but instead I cut the purple wire right after it came out of the fuse box and ran a new wire down to the starter...

I have always found that approach to be a much faster, simpler, less frustrating resolution to mystery electrical problems. Instead of digging a wire out of several looms, grommets, taped up bundles etc, just run a new wire in one tenth the time. Then you KNOW the wire is good between here and there. To use an existing wire, even if you found one fault, it's likely there's other faults somewhere else along the wire.


Wire Replacer Lump