Weird Starter relay noises.

While I was mooching around the engine bay I could hear an intermittent noise coming from the area around the starter relay. Couldn't quite track it down, but I assume it's the relay, which is new, luckily I have the old one to swap back to check. Just wondering if any of you guys know what might be going on? Ta......

 

Update..... After disconnecting battery, and returning 1/2 hour later, on reconnection things have quietened down. Will keep an eye on.......

 

It seems to be getting worse to be able to purchase "good" and "reliable" parts, especially electrical parts, for our rides. IMO, If you have any reservations about the relay, swap it out. May be just a ground issue, or rather a ground contact issue between relay's mounting flange and inner fender causing the odd noises. Hope you get it figured out so it doesn't become a bigger issue.

 

I've had good luck with the brown Echlin relay from NAPA.

 

Went thru the bad starter relay shuck and jive recently on a cousin's 88 Ranger. Even NAPA's black color relays are junk, China junk reboxed. Six new ones in a row from different stores would crank the starter but not release when you took the power off the trigger wire. Finally took a hammer to the last one and discovered they had no return spring inside them. Observed that when you shook them in your hand you could hear and feel the contact ring flopping around inside them. We retrieved an older brown Echlin relay from a parted out Ranger and it is still functioning like new. Not only do we suffer when we get stuck with inferior parts, imagine what the various store managers feel when they discover that their inventory is nothing but trouble and returns. Some bean counter thought he was hot S#%# when he jumped on those junk parts, probably got them at a steep discount and hoped for a promotion by saving the company money. All he did was cost the company money in the long run and sully his company's reputation. I am to the point of refusing anything made in China, even if it takes a long time to find real parts that work correctly.

 

Yeah, when I bought my car, it had a brand new blue relay. One day not long after, it stuck, so the starter was running along with the engine; had to jump out and pull the coil wire, then knock on the relay with a vice grip before it would work again. I replaced it with the brown Echlin one, and it's been working fine for 5 years.

 

I think I'll definitely put the old one back. Only removed it due to a wrongly diagnosed bad engine ground causing starting problems....

 

Since the mounting bracket is the relay's ground, make sure it, the bolts and the fender liner are all clean and free of rust and paint.

 

Will do....... Thanks

 

It cannot hurt to run a secondary ground to one of the starter relay bolts from the battery or from engine block to relay

 

Ford starter solenoids. In the 40+ yrs working in Ford dealers it was the most replaced part on a Ford that didnt need it. By all means reinstall your old one. I bet you could get a Ford solenoid off car that's been sitting in a junk yard for 30 years and it would work.

 

I have, and with one exception (I broke the input stud accidentally), all actually worked for at least a while.

 

Plot update........ Went to start up the other day, dead battery and burnt plasticky smell in cab.......disconnected and charged battery over Christmas. Anyway hadn't got round to changing back relay, as noises had stopped. Reconnected battery noises back.. So thought perhaps noise and flat battery are connected. Changed solenoid out, still faint jingling noises. On closer inspection, really hard to track down noise, so I'm now not so sure it's 'actually' the solenoid???

 

Suggest you leave battery disconnected until you track it down. Don't want a fire. You should have multiple leads off the terminal of the solenoid connected to the battery. Disconnect them one at a time to see if you can eliminate the noise.

 

Yes.... Already doing that..
Interestingly I just jacked it up to have a check underneath, and the noise stopped..... Dropped it down, started again, suggesting a wire shorting, then it started raining..... Good Ol'Blighty.
Thanks for the advice.
l will get back on it soon.

 

so, as near as I can figure you are more than 700 miles farther north than I am, yet you have rain whilst I get snow. Count the Gulf stream among your blessings as well as the occasional soggy curse.

 

When you put it like that...........

 

Hey GBH Jon, do you have a 12 volt test light ? If so with the battery connected, check to see if there is any voltage on the solenoid trigger wire with the key in the off position. Should be none except when cranking. Instinct leads me to believe you may have a failing ignition switch on the steering column. Not the lock cylinder at the key, the actual switch operated by a long rod. You can see the switch and wiring with the guage cluster removed. Any time you can smell plastic melting you need to find why before more damage is done. Thoroughly inspect every wiring connection to locate what was melting. Then track the wire color to whatever the melted connector controlled. No fun but it needs done before your Ranchero becomes a crispy hulk.

 

I agree. Both the smell and noise suggest eitherr a failing ignition electrical switch, or a powered wire shorting to the trigger wire.

 

Guys... You appear to be on the right track. Bad noises are coming from the column behind the ignition switch.
Wish me luck..... I'm going in.......