New dilemma!

[Cbarnes]

Ok guys,

Got my new PMGR starter put on. While I was at it I decided to put all new battery cables on also. I wired the new starter as y’all described. When I connected the negative battery cable, I heard a pump start running???? Key was off, fuel tank selector was on the front tank, everything just as it was prior to installing the new starter. I need to know where to start looking. I have never heard either of the intank pumps run before today.

[Gary Lewis]

Two thoughts. First, any chance the key was left on?

Second, there should be a blue fuse link (T) on the I terminal of your starter relay. It feeds the fuel pump circuit. Pull it off and see if that makes the pump quit.

If so, and it should, that means your I terminal is hot at all times, and it is only supposed to be hot when cranking.

Two thoughts there. First, some starters have a jumper on them from the large terminal to the small terminal. If yours had that it needs to be removed. (But if it was there the starter should have spun when the power hit it.)

Second, is there a chance your starter relay is mounted upside down, with the small terminals up? That would mean the terminal nearest the battery is probably wired hot at all times, which also lights up the I terminal.

[Cbarnes]

Two thoughts. First, any chance the key was left on?

Second, there should be a blue fuse link (T) on the I terminal of your starter relay. It feeds the fuel pump circuit. Pull it off and see if that makes the pump quit.

If so, and it should, that means your I terminal is hot at all times, and it is only supposed to be hot when cranking.

Two thoughts there. First, some starters have a jumper on them from the large terminal to the small terminal. If yours had that it needs to be removed. (But if it was there the starter should have spun when the power hit it.)

Second, is there a chance your starter relay is mounted upside down, with the small terminals up? That would mean the terminal nearest the battery is probably wired hot at all times, which also lights up the I terminal.

Thanks Gary,

Pulled the fusible link off of I terminal, pump shut down. There isn’t a jumper on the starter, it came from D & B. I wired it up exactly as shown in the diagram you showed, and it didn’t spin when the ground was hooked up.

Does that mean that my solenoid is bad?

Thanks,

Carl

[Gary Lewis]

Thanks Gary,

Pulled the fusible link off of I terminal, pump shut down. There isn’t a jumper on the starter, it came from D & B. I wired it up exactly as shown in the diagram you showed, and it didn’t spin when the ground was hooked up.

Does that mean that my solenoid is bad?

Thanks,

Carl

You didn't answer the question about the relay being mounted the wrong way 'round. I'm asking because the I terminal is electrically connected to the terminal that is typically connected to the starter. So if you have the relay oriented differently then you might have connected to the starter's terminal instead of the battery's terminal.

Does that make sense?

And if it is oriented normally then I think there is another problem besides the relay being bad. It was working correctly before you re-wired - right?

[Cbarnes]

You didn't answer the question about the relay being mounted the wrong way 'round. I'm asking because the I terminal is electrically connected to the terminal that is typically connected to the starter. So if you have the relay oriented differently then you might have connected to the starter's terminal instead of the battery's terminal.

Does that make sense?

And if it is oriented normally then I think there is another problem besides the relay being bad. It was working correctly before you re-wired - right?

Sorry about that, I don’t think it is mounted wrong, but, I guess it could be. Here is a pic of it.

And yes, I say it was working before the rewire, but, I never heard either fuel pump run prior to today.

 

[Gary Lewis]

Sorry about that, I don’t think it is mounted wrong, but, I guess it could be. Here is a pic of it.

And yes, I say it was working before the rewire, but, I never heard either fuel pump run prior to today.

Here's your picture rotated. And from what I can tell the relay is oriented normally. But do you have the battery cable, and the one to the starter, on the front terminal? And the smaller wire to the starter on the rear terminal?

[Cbarnes]

Here's your picture rotated. And from what I can tell the relay is oriented normally. But do you have the battery cable, and the one to the starter, on the front terminal? And the smaller wire to the starter on the rear terminal?

Yes sir, as the picture sits the battery cable, and the cable to the starter are on the large post on the left. The new signal wire (10 gauge) is mounted on the large post on the right.

[Gary Lewis]

Yes sir, as the picture sits the battery cable, and the cable to the starter are on the large post on the left. The new signal wire (10 gauge) is mounted on the large post on the right.

That's really strange. Somehow your I terminal is getting power from the main battery terminal w/o the relay being pulled in.

Let's try something. Move the big wire to the starter onto the big output terminal along with the signal wire to the starter. Basically you are going back to the original wiring but adding the signal wire. It should work just fine, and if there is any feedback from the starter on the signal wire it'll prevent that from pulling in the pump. And, speaking of the pump, put the blue wire back on the I terminal for the test.

In this configuration you are still getting the extra power of the PMGR starter, but you will still be using the heavy duty starter relay.

[Cbarnes]

That's really strange. Somehow your I terminal is getting power from the main battery terminal w/o the relay being pulled in.

Let's try something. Move the big wire to the starter onto the big output terminal along with the signal wire to the starter. Basically you are going back to the original wiring but adding the signal wire. It should work just fine, and if there is any feedback from the starter on the signal wire it'll prevent that from pulling in the pump. And, speaking of the pump, put the blue wire back on the I terminal for the test.

In this configuration you are still getting the extra power of the PMGR starter, but you will still be using the heavy duty starter relay.

Will do tomorrow. I checked it with the key on/off, even taken out. Pump still runs. Weirder yet is tank selector switch is on front tank, but nothing changes when you switch it to the rear. And it is just the rear tank pump that is running as best I can tell.

Pulled the fusible link off of the I terminal and checked the starter, works great.

[Cbarnes]

Will do tomorrow. I checked it with the key on/off, even taken out. Pump still runs. Weirder yet is tank selector switch is on front tank, but nothing changes when you switch it to the rear. And it is just the rear tank pump that is running as best I can tell.

Pulled the fusible link off of the I terminal and checked the starter, works great.

Okay Gary,

I don’t understand, but I did as you suggested and put the big starter wire back to the post it was originally on. The fuel pump did not come on and run. The truck started and ran just fine.

Carl