Bad Doghead (Not the Moderator but the relay) ???

[ReubenJames]

I have 1985 M1009 with 71K on it and did the Doghead relay conversion last year. Recently I had to replace the the starter due someone who previously owned it who had put on a 12 volt starter and it still is a 24 volt system. Well today I was off work for my Birthday and my wife also took off and we figured we would go mushroom hunting and she said that we could even take the MV since it was my birthday weekend (She really hates to ride in it). Went out to start it and just got a solid "clunk" from the doghead relay but no starter activation. Well I was pretty dejected but figure I would work on it later and went ahead with the mushroom hunting but didn't find any (Disappointment #2 for the day). Came back did a little searching and found that maybe the starter solenoid could be the culprit. Did some testing and had 12.3 volts on the front battery and 12.5 on the rear. Purple wire had 13.6 at the solenoid but now there is no "clunk" from the doghead relay. More testing found that I had 24 volts on the red wire for the relay but no volts from either the purple wire or the purple wire with the white tracer. Only thing I can figure is a bad relay or bad ground. Had to mow the yard before it rains, so no more work on it before it got dark. Happy Birthday To Me...

 

[SouthernSteel]

Well i personally say that i got a bad lawnmower relay.It is foreign made hahah try another one first.Good luck even new stuff can be bad out of the box.:]

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

Purple wire had 13.6 at the solenoid but now there is no "clunk" from the doghead relay. More testing found that I had 24 volts on the red wire for the relay but no volts from either the purple wire or the purple wire with the white tracer. Only thing I can figure is a bad relay or bad ground.

Okay, let's first make sure I've understood you correctly:

• Big Red One, er Wire: 24v
• Purple Wire 0v
• Purple/White 0v

If I've got that correctly, you have some problem OTHER than the relay. Yes, it's possible the relay is also bad, but for the relay to work, you need to supply 12v to the Purple/White dude. That's what switches on the relay.

So, a question: When you tested the Purple/White wire, did you have the key in the start position? (You may need a helper to do this test.)


If you did NOT, you need to go back and do that. There should be 12v on the Purple/White only when the key is in the START position.

If you DID test with it in the START position, then you need to do one more test: Get a jumper wire and supply 12v to that Purple/White terminal. The relay should clunk, and the starter should engage. If it DOES, then you have a good relay, and you need to start looking for the reason you are not getting 12v to the Purple/White when you turn the key. If it does NOT, replace the relay.

Of course, as always with electrical issues, when you are testing for voltage, make very sure you are using a known good ground for the black lead of your meter or test light. You can really confuse yourself if you are not grounding that tester properly.

Also be aware that in some cases, you can see voltage on a meter that disappears when you use a test light or put some other decent load on it. If there is corrosion at a connection or in a wire upstream from your test point, you can be fooled by a test meter because they put almost zero load on a circuit. When there is load on the circuit, the upstream corrosion provides a high resistance that drops the voltage, sometimes to almost nothing. Since the meter doesn't load the circuit, it will read what looks like the correct voltage.

 

[M1008driver]

Only thing I can figure is a bad relay or bad ground.

When that happened to me I thought starter, but it turned out to be the ground.

 

[ReubenJames]

Thanks for all the input...Still dead in the water. Relay is now activating and I get proper voltages from it. The reason it was not activating was a short in the ignition switch and it wasn't getting the 12 volt to activate it. Didn't get a chance to get under it so see what solenoid wire is reading. Will keep you posted.

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

The reason it was not activating was a short in the ignition switch and it wasn't getting the 12 volt to activate it.

That'll do it.

One down, no telling how many to go!


Sometimes it's like peeling an onion. One layer at a time. Find one problem, fix it, on to the next.

 

[ReubenJames]

OK...Getting 18 volts from the solenoid wire at the starter. Main starter wire is 24 volts. I'm thinking a bad solenoid. Starter is a brand new gear reduction drive but has not markings..probably a junk chineese one. I am taking bank to the starter shop and have them check it and see it we can come to some type of resolution.

 

[ReubenJames]

Starter and solenoid checked out fine. Put it back on and did some general cleaning of terminals and grounds and it fired right up. Gonna spend the weekend cleaning more terminals to try to eliminate as many gremlins as I can..Thanks for all the help.

 

[ReubenJames]

Well it worked fine for few trips then left me stranded and had to be towed home for the same problem. Ran a new direct ground but that did not fix it. Did a retest and have 24 volts on main started wire both at the starter and from the buss bar. Solenoid 18 volts at engagement and I get solid click on the solenoid and the started relay. Took a another test at engagement and what I guess it the main power wire that is actually on the starter (Factory Harness covered with some braided fabric on the wirining that goes into the the starter itself) and get 1.3 volts there. Meter was grounded properly all test. Could this be the sign of a defective starter that is just acting up occaisionally. It seem like every time I take the starter completely off then put it back on it will work a for couple of time then stop again when it takes notion to.

 

[ReubenJames]

Additionally getting 12.7 volts on both batteries and both batteries load tested and check out.