[DASBRONCO]

HELP! I GOT A 79 BRONCO AND A FEW DAYS LATER I DECIDED TO START HER AND I ACTUALLY MELTED THE BATTERY RELATED WIRES IN THE SOLENOID. I BOUGHT A NEW SOLENOID AND GOT WIRE TERMINALS (FUSIBLE LINKS) BECAUSE THE SMALLER WIRES THAT ACTIVATE THE SOLENOID SINCE THESE WERE SIMPLY CRIMPED BY THE BATTERY CABLE. ANYWAY THE THING IS AFTER SWAPPING THE SOLENOID AND MAKING THE WIRES HAVE TERMINALS THE TRUCK HAD AN AWFULL PROBLEM. THE TRUCK NOW STARTS AT NAY TIME. LET ME EXPLAIN- WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH IS IN OFF AND THE KEY REMOVED, THE TRUCK CRANKS BUT DOESNT START IF I CONNECT THE BATTERY CABLE. I TRIED TO CHANGE THE ORDER OF THE WIRES BACK AND FORTH AND EVEN TRIED TO LEAVE WIRES DISCONNECTED FROM THE SOLENOID. STILL IT REPEATED THE SAME behavior. THE ONLY MOMENT THE TRUCK DIDNT ACT WASWHEN I REMOVED THE TWO WIRES THAT SHARE A TERMINAL BUT HAVE A FUSIBLE LINK EACH. IN OTHER WORDS THE ONES THAT GIVE POWER TO THE REST OF THE TRUCK. I DONT KNOW WHAT ESLE TO DO HELP ME PLEASE I NEED THIS TRUCK FOR COLLEGE AND I CANT KEEP MISING CLASS DUE TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.

[Seabronc]

DASBRONCO, on Feb 26 2009, 07:53 AM, said:

HELP! I GOT A 79 BRONCO AND A FEW DAYS LATER I DECIDED TO START HER AND I ACTUALLY MELTED THE BATTERY RELATED WIRES IN THE SOLENOID. I BOUGHT A NEW SOLENOID AND GOT WIRE TERMINALS (FUSIBLE LINKS) BECAUSE THE SMALLER WIRES THAT ACTIVATE THE SOLENOID SINCE THESE WERE SIMPLY CRIMPED BY THE BATTERY CABLE. ANYWAY THE THING IS AFTER SWAPPING THE SOLENOID AND MAKING THE WIRES HAVE TERMINALS THE TRUCK HAD AN AWFULL PROBLEM. THE TRUCK NOW STARTS AT NAY TIME. LET ME EXPLAIN- WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH IS IN OFF AND THE KEY REMOVED, THE TRUCK CRANKS BUT DOESNT START IF I CONNECT THE BATTERY CABLE. I TRIED TO CHANGE THE ORDER OF THE WIRES BACK AND FORTH AND EVEN TRIED TO LEAVE WIRES DISCONNECTED FROM THE SOLENOID. STILL IT REPEATED THE SAME behavior. THE ONLY MOMENT THE TRUCK DIDNT ACT WASWHEN I REMOVED THE TWO WIRES THAT SHARE A TERMINAL BUT HAVE A FUSIBLE LINK EACH. IN OTHER WORDS THE ONES THAT GIVE POWER TO THE REST OF THE TRUCK. I DONT KNOW WHAT ESLE TO DO HELP ME PLEASE I NEED THIS TRUCK FOR COLLEGE AND I CANT KEEP MISING CLASS DUE TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.

Please don't use all caps, it is considered yelling. It sounds like you have the wires for the starter and the one from the battery to the solenoid on the same terminal or the solenoid is bad and has welded contacts. Can't see your truck so it is hard to say, only a guess. Post a picture of the solenoid.

Another possibility is that you got a start relay rather than a solenoid. They look the same but the contacts of a start relay are not large enough and will weld together the first time you use it.

[Broncobill78]

For the cost of a bus trip across town you can score a new solenoid. I'd try that first.

I had a 78' that failed in pretty much the same way. The ignition cut in & out for a couple minutes then died altogether and a moment later it started cranking all by itself. It kept cranking with the key in the off position & even with the key completely out of the ignition. I had to pop the battery cable to stop it. Every time I reconnected the battery it would start cranking on it's own without the key in it but it never fired. turned out to be the ignition module. One of those might cost you something like TWO trips across town on the bus.

Change the solenoid and let us know what it does, plenty of guys here willing to walk you thru it.

This post has been edited by Broncobill78: 28 February 2009 - 10:54 PM

[muddrivermike]

AAHHH I remember when my cables melted.My starter went bad and smoked the solenoid,so the cable from the solenoid to the starter started to melt,due to the solenoid sticking,,Had to yank the cable off the battery before it caught on fire..

[Johnny Reb]

muddrivermike, on Nov 19 2009, 05:46 PM, said:

AAHHH I remember when my cables melted.My starter went bad and smoked the solenoid,so the cable from the solenoid to the starter started to melt,due to the solenoid sticking,,Had to yank the cable off the battery before it caught on fire..

Well I had the same problem. After I got the wires on the solenoid corrected. It started up several times and the NEW NAPA STARTER went out. The starter had only started the bronco about 50 times. The starter did hang up for about 1 minute. Even though I bought the starter aboput 5 years ago----I wonder if the warranty is still good.? Since the store I got it at is closed- ,but their is anopther NAPA close buy-but my luck--mine is not in their computer--so much for LIFETIME WARRANTY-----HAHA------

[wes393]

Only things i can think of is the solenoid itself or your igniton switch in the cab. With so much electricity running through all those little metal parts, things tend to get welded and fused. Change the solenoid, and if you dont mind spending the time and cash replace all the cables as well.
As for the ignition switch in the cab, it could be stuck "ON" without the key even moving. I have a '91 and the ignition is a little rough. I am by no means an expert this is just a speculation. good luck.

[Red Green Jr]

i had the same problem of the continuous cranking even with the key off. i had just put in a new solenoid from jbg, turns out it was a chinese piece of crap, i put the old one back in and problem solved