Fender mounted starter solenoid

Asked by Fendawg89 Jul 20, 2019 at 06:28 PM about the 1990 Ford F-150 STD Cab LB

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I have a 1990 ford f150 with a 5.0 liter v8 and the post on
my starter solenoid which I believe is fender mounted
glows red when you start it. For some reason my alternator
tested bad but my truck runs fine drove it all over town.
Jumped the battery and it ran fine. Turned it off and tried to
start it again and it was dead.

1 Answer

74,210

The solenoid mounted on your fender is nothing more than a low voltage switch from the ignition. Incorporating an small electro-magnet, it allows the full amperage from the battery to travel to the starter. You should see a large cable from the battery going to one side of the solenoid. Another large cable, on the other side, goes to the starter. The one or two smaller wires are the signal wire. If it is glowing red, suspect a short inside. Look for a video on the net to show how to check the solenoid with a meter.

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