hello I have a 1989 F250 with overhead lights and what appears to be a heavy duty suspension in the rear that I bought at an auction. Normally a F250 has only one starter relay near the battery. One small electrical line from the steering wheel ignition switch normally attaches to the top of the relay and one large ignition wire from the battery attaches to one side of the relay while one large ignition line from the starter attaches to the other side of the relay. However in addition to this I found that the previous owner had installed another starter relay too which was a relay meant for 2 batteries. This additional 2 battery relay had one small wire from the fuse box under the driver which went to the top of this 2 battery relay. It also had a undersized wire from the first relay (battery to relay terminal) to the second (2 battery relay) It also had an undersized wire from the 2 battery relay to the back of the starter. So the starter had 2 ignition wires attached to it. (one from the first normal starter relay and one from the 2 battery relay. Just recently I started the F250 and the 2 battery relays undersized wires (one from the first relay to the 2 battery relay) and (one from the 2 battery relay to the starter ) caught fire and now I cannot start the truck. only the wire casings caught on fire. Nothing else. I bought a new normal relay and now it is the only relay I have installed with one small wire from the ignition to the top of the relay. One ignition wire from the positive side of the battery to the relay and one ignition wire from the relay to the starter. Does anyone know if it is just the shorted out starter I need or what else normally would this type of electrial fire have fouled up? When I try to start the truck all I hear is the one click of the relay performing its duty I believe. mrstarmen

Just finished changing the starter with one that I got from a wrecking yard. The F250 starts great now. Does anyone know how auto parts stores and wrecking yards check starters? Is there a special machine that they use to check starters? Or do they just attach it to a battery and test it that way? sincerely, mrstarmens In FordSuperDuty@yahoogroups.com, "mrstarmen" <humblehumb@b...> wrote: > > hello I have a 1989 F250 with overhead lights and what appears to be > a heavy duty suspension in the rear that I bought at an auction. > > Normally a F250 has only one starter relay near the battery. One > small electrical line from the steering wheel ignition switch > normally attaches to the top of the relay and one large ignition > wire from the battery attaches to one side of the relay while one > large ignition line from the starter attaches to the other side of > the relay. > > However in addition to this I found that the previous owner had > installed another starter relay too which was a relay meant for 2 > batteries. This additional 2 battery relay had one small wire from > the fuse box under the driver which went to the top of this 2 > battery relay. It also had a undersized wire from the first relay > (battery to relay terminal) to the second (2 battery relay) It also > had an undersized wire from the 2 battery relay to the back of the > starter. So the starter had 2 ignition wires attached to it. (one > from the first normal starter relay and one from the 2 battery > relay. > > Just recently I started the F250 and the 2 battery relays undersized > wires (one from the first relay to the 2 battery relay) and (one > from the 2 battery relay to the starter ) caught fire and now I > cannot start the truck. only the wire casings caught on fire. > Nothing else. > > I bought a new normal relay and now it is the only relay I have > installed with one small wire from the ignition to the top of the > relay. One ignition wire from the positive side of the battery to > the relay and one ignition wire from the relay to the starter. > > Does anyone know if it is just the shorted out starter I need or > what else normally would this type of electrial fire have fouled > up? When I try to start the truck all I hear is the one click of > the relay performing its duty I believe. > > mrstarmen