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  • May 11, 2024, 02:18:36 PM

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Author Topic: Starter solenoid wiring-84 Eagle 258  (Read 9335 times)

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Offline Zoro

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Starter solenoid wiring-84 Eagle 258
« on: November 26, 2012, 11:54:29 AM »
Finally figured out what has been giving me grief with my starter solenoid, the "mechanic" I took my Eagle to awhile back installed a USED solenoid from a Ford!

Anyways got the correct, and new, solenoid installed but I'm unsure if I got it hooked up right.

Here is the new one and the old incorrect one is also visible in this shot:


Power from battery comes in on the right, starter power goes out to the left. The spade on the right has a green wire and the spade on the left has a red and yellow wire running to it. Is this correct or do I have the two spaded connections flip flopped?

There is a green wire with a 90* fitting coming out of the loom with the rest of the solenoid wires. I can remember it not being hooked up on the original solenoid as well as the wrong solenoid that was installed but the car always started.

However there is a vertical bullet type fitting on the bottom of the solenoid, does the mystery green wire go here?
84 Eagle Wagon aka 'Zoro II'
263,000 miles and counting!

Offline mudkicker715

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Re: Starter solenoid wiring-84 Eagle 258
« Reply #1 on: November 26, 2012, 12:24:14 PM »
Your mystery wire goes there. its the nss. it gives a ground to the solenoid.



Manitowoc WI

Offline Zoro

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Re: Starter solenoid wiring-84 Eagle 258
« Reply #2 on: November 26, 2012, 12:35:37 PM »
Your mystery wire goes there. its the nss. it gives a ground to the solenoid.

Without that wire it cranked just fine then after hooking that wire up I tried to start the Eagle and it just sat there and cranked and cranked and cranked even with the key in the off position. Unplugged that wire as it was cranking but it wouldn't stop it, finally got it to stop by disconnecting the battery. Looks like I fried the new solenoid. I turn the key and now nothing happens, not even a click.
84 Eagle Wagon aka 'Zoro II'
263,000 miles and counting!

Offline BenM

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Re: Starter solenoid wiring-84 Eagle 258
« Reply #3 on: November 26, 2012, 05:31:27 PM »
It definitely should not be starting without that ground wire hooked up. I don't know what would happen with the two small terminals backward.
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1987 AMC Eagle Sedan -- 1976 Pacer Coupe -- 1968 Pontiac Tempest Custom S -- 1940 Mercury (& a 2002 Jetta Turbodiesel, 5 spd., the Wife's Daily Driver)

Offline Zoro

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Re: Starter solenoid wiring-84 Eagle 258
« Reply #4 on: November 26, 2012, 05:40:51 PM »
It definitely should not be starting without that ground wire hooked up. I don't know what would happen with the two small terminals backward.

For whatever reason it runs just fine without that wire hooked up and when it is it blows out the solenoid...Go figure ???
84 Eagle Wagon aka 'Zoro II'
263,000 miles and counting!

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Re: Starter solenoid wiring-84 Eagle 258
« Reply #5 on: November 26, 2012, 09:28:43 PM »
Finally figured out what has been giving me grief with my starter solenoid, the "mechanic" I took my Eagle to awhile back installed a USED solenoid from a Ford!

Anyways got the correct, and new, solenoid installed but I'm unsure if I got it hooked up right.

Here is the new one and the old incorrect one is also visible in this shot:


Power from battery comes in on the right, starter power goes out to the left. The spade on the right has a green wire and the spade on the left has a red and yellow wire running to it. Is this correct or do I have the two spaded connections flip flopped?

There is a green wire with a 90* fitting coming out of the loom with the rest of the solenoid wires. I can remember it not being hooked up on the original solenoid as well as the wrong solenoid that was installed but the car always started.

However there is a vertical bullet type fitting on the bottom of the solenoid, does the mystery green wire go here?


I believe that AMC DID use a solenoid that would work on a Ford. Just don't remember the years they used it.

Offline Zoro

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Re: Starter solenoid wiring-84 Eagle 258
« Reply #6 on: November 27, 2012, 02:25:21 PM »
Ended up ordering another identical solenoid from Autozone and it was dead straight out of the box no matter how I hooked it up. Ended up installing a solenoid for an '85 F150 w/carb'd 302, pretty much the same thing as the AMC solenoid but without the center bullet.

Car starts and runs just fine now and the green wire with the bullet connector is not hooked up. The car will only crank in neutral or park.

I'm guessing that at some point over the last 28 years somebody got into the wiring and wired up something differently...Thanks for the help!
84 Eagle Wagon aka 'Zoro II'
263,000 miles and counting!

Offline eaglefreek

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Re: Starter solenoid wiring-84 Eagle 258
« Reply #7 on: November 27, 2012, 02:33:07 PM »

Car starts and runs just fine now and the green wire with the bullet connector is not hooked up. The car will only crank in neutral or park.

I'm guessing that at some point over the last 28 years somebody got into the wiring and wired up something differently...Thanks for the help!
Hmm. That's interesting. Glad you got it figured out.
1986 AMC Eagle Wagon 4.2L/4.0L head, AW4,NP242, Chrysler 8.25" rear.
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Offline Zoro

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Re: Starter solenoid wiring-84 Eagle 258
« Reply #8 on: November 27, 2012, 02:38:42 PM »

Car starts and runs just fine now and the green wire with the bullet connector is not hooked up. The car will only crank in neutral or park.

I'm guessing that at some point over the last 28 years somebody got into the wiring and wired up something differently...Thanks for the help!
Hmm. That's interesting. Glad you got it figured out.

Thanks, it had me stumped. Going to hook a test light up to that connector and see if I get + or - voltage from it and if so how much and when.
84 Eagle Wagon aka 'Zoro II'
263,000 miles and counting!

Offline carnuck

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Re: Starter solenoid wiring-84 Eagle 258
« Reply #9 on: November 27, 2012, 03:08:24 PM »
Also, power comes from the left to the right. It will work the other way around, but may cause problems. The green wire may not be hooked up right or both solenoids are hooked to the starter?
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Offline Zoro

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Re: Starter solenoid wiring-84 Eagle 258
« Reply #10 on: November 27, 2012, 06:29:42 PM »
Also, power comes from the left to the right. It will work the other way around, but may cause problems. The green wire may not be hooked up right or both solenoids are hooked to the starter?

I just had the other incorrect solenoid in the photos for a reference, it's disconnected, inoperable and just sitting there.
84 Eagle Wagon aka 'Zoro II'
263,000 miles and counting!

 

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