finding starter relay 98 ranger?

[Thundarfoot]

I am trying to repair some front end damage, and am having trouble starting the truck.

With a good battery, all I get are clicking sounds. Hanyes says check starter relay. But it is not located where they say it is. or it looks diffrent than I am expecting and I am not seeing it.

So can anyone tell me where to find the starter relay on a 1998 ranger?
And could anyone provide pics of a starter relay so I know what I am looking for, the pic in hanyes is to small for me to make out anything.

Thanks in advance.
TF

 

[Doom's Day Custom]

heres what it should look like and i believe its on the starter it self ,its the gold color thing in the pic i think but please correct me if i am wrong

here what the starter relay looks like on the starter or off

 

[Thundarfoot]

Thank you very much.

 

[Thundarfoot]

I appreciate your answer but I am about to go buy a new starter and just want to double check before I do.

-I am reading a lot about troubleshooting a starter and am seeing a fender mounted relay mentioned a lot. and since I have no fenders anymore I am afraid that it might be missing thus causing my problems..

So just to verify there is not a fender mounted relay on a 1998 ranger?

 

[Doom's Day Custom]

oh okay no problem but just make sure you have good contact with the battery cause that will cause that too

 

[Thundarfoot]

My wire harnes is pretty wrapped up so its hard to tell for sure but I assume so.
Had no problem with starter before wreck so either I lost something from the fender area or the impact was enough to screw something up inside the starter...guess I find out tommorow going to go to autozone or something to get the starter checked.

 

[Doom's Day Custom]

well here is a easy way to find out if you have a starter relay that is not connected and that is to follow the positive wire to the starter and if there is some that looks like a relay before the starter than it probable is it

 

[Thundarfoot]

Took the starter to the parts store and had it cheked...starter is good.

So I guess there had to have been a secondary relay somewhere, must have been torn off in the wreck.

Now I have to try to figure out how to wire one up from scratch, cant just replace it because its not there anymore...and I am not sure what wire(s) where to hook to either.

I hope I am able to get a relay (like pictured) and attach it under the hood somewhere and wire it up correctly..

 

[Doom's Day Custom]

well check out advance auto parts and check near the brake cylinder on the driver side wire or what ever side the battery is on!!!!! I am sorry too because my 96 ranger has the relay on the driver side fender well!!!!!

 

[Thundarfoot]

its ok, thanks for double checking for me.

Might tear open the wire harness to trace the wires, but I really hate to it is wrapped up so nice and snakes around the engine compartment so well. I hate to mess it all up.

I have looked all over and I just dont see the relay...

 

[88_Eddie]

heres what it should look like and i believe its on the starter it self ,its the gold color thing in the pic i think but please correct me if i am wrong

here what the starter relay looks like on the starter or off

the bottom pic in the 2 pics that dooms day put up is a solenoid that is not mounted. it is located on the fender and the red wire from your battery will be going to it and then there will be another wire that goes to the starter. they each connect to one of the copper screws sticking up on the solenoid. there are a few other wires that connect to it also.

solenoids are around $10-$15. i have had a bad solenoid keep my BII from starting before so it wouldnt suprise me if that was it, esp. if the starter is good.

 

[Thundarfoot]

solenoids are around $10-$15. i have had a bad solenoid keep my BII from starting before so it wouldnt suprise me if that was it, esp. if the starter is good.

yeah especially since I think the relay was torn from the truck in the wreck.

-edit...but if the starter is getting juice (which it is)..is it even possible for the relay to be missing?

 

[88_Eddie]

i doubt that it is missing.


anyways, didnt you say that you took out the starter and took it to autozone or someplace like that? you would've had to disconnect a 3 bolts. 2 that bolt the starter to the engine block and 1 that connects the starter cable to the starter.

so my advice now would be to take the wire that goes from the starter and follow it directly to your solenoid. that should take you right to it.

 

[Thundarfoot]

yeah guess I will do that next, its just such a nice harness I hate to cut into it...but will have to, to trace it I guess.

I'll just have to electric tape it back up when done.

 

[88_Eddie]

it doesnt unbolt from the starter?