Wolf_n_Kat wrote:
Hey guys, haven't had a chance to check in, been a little 'busy', if you know what I mean. A couple of years ago Kat had an episode with Valley Fever that left a quarter-sized hole in the upper lobe of her left lung. The Dr's said it would be nothing to worry about, would probably collapse in on itself.
Well, Tuesday it did, in a big way. When I woke up, she said to call 911, she thought she was having a heart attack.
Long story short (I know, too late, right??), that quarter-sized hole ended up being the size of a small grapefruit. This morning the Dr's did a lobotomy... No, lobectomy! Geez, I hope they didn't get it confused too! Anyway, they did a lobectomy and a thora-somethingorother. She pulled through okay, but I've been chalking up lots of miles on the Explorer (and my butt!) running between Doyle and Reno.
Thanks for the advice, guys. I'll trace the other side of the relay when I get a chance but right now, the Dodge is a low-priority item.
My wife and I are praying for successful, speedy recovery for Kat. We also can empathize with what you're going through and how much this probably worries you.
Thoracic refers to the upper abdomen and chest so your "thora-somethingorother" probably is a specific type of thoracic surgery or treatment.
The fact you're using your Explorer to commute indicate it doesn't have any (or too serious) issues. In view of your situation, it's good to think "As long as it keeps working, I'm not going to worry about it."
When things calm down and get reasonably close to normal, check to see if that wire is hot, both when the ignition switch is off and when the engine is running. It'll be a bit more difficult but also check when the switch is in the START position.
Easiest and least expensive is to use an incandescent (ordinary) lightbulb and socket. Connect one socket wire to the questionable wire and the other to a known-good ground or the battery's negative post. (Battery's negative post is best because it represents a known-good ground.)
If you position the lightbulb so you can see it from the driver's seat, you can test the START position by yourself. (Otherwise, you'll need one person to watch the bulb while someone else cranks the engine.)
Let us know if the bulb lights up during any of these tests. Also, let us know if anything happens that's different from normal, including when you initially connect the lightbulb.
(No need to check the ACC position as anything receiving power at that setting also gets power when the switch is in the RUN position.)
Do not try applying power to that wire. (i.e., connect it to the battery's positive terminal or any other positive power sources.) Without knowing a lot more about that particular solenoid and how it works, we cannot predict what might happen, including the possibility of an unpleasant or damaging event.
