Starter Solenoid Location

[dclarke618]

I have a 1998 Winnebago Adventurer 30Q. Can anyone tell me where the starter solenoid is located. I am having starter issues and want to try to jump the solenoid to see if that is the issue or if the starter is the problem.

Thanks,
Dave

[JerryBQ500]

An easy way to check for a bad starter is to have a helper hold the
ignition key in the crank position and then tap on the starter with a hammer, if the engine turns over, the starter is bad.

[dclarke618]

It's a GM chassis so I should be able to jump the small wire "S" to the power cable and get some sort of action, either crank or bendix, right?

[j-d]

OK, but how you're gonna do it will depend on if your chassis is GM or Ford.

GM - should be battery power on the heavy cable attached to top of solenoid. Jump it to that small stud on the engine side of the solenoid (as MEX explained) and it should crank.

FORD - that heavy cable is NOT powered till another solenoid that looks like this
On this solenoid, Battery Positive Cable goes to one of the large terminals and the cable down to the starter goes on the other. Jump the small terminal you can see in the pic, to the terminal with the cable from the Battery, and it should send power down to the Starter Motor.

If FORD has a solenoid ON the starter, it's connected in a way that it will engage as soon as it sees power on the big cable. No separate energizing down there. Only to the one I pictured.

[dclarke618]

All,
It looks like the solenoid is attached t the starter. I will be crawling under and testing this weekend. Not a lot of room under there!
Thanks for your input. I'll post the results of the tests when completed.

Thanks again!!!
Dave

[MEXICOWANDERER]

With GM Delco starter motor mounted solenoids in INBOARD #8 stud marked "S" is the one that activates the starter motor. OK what happens when the ignition switch is twisted to the start position?

Power is sent to the S terminal.

An electromagnet inside the solenoid pulls a piston which engages the starter gear to the engine flex plate teeth
At the same pull a copper disc is yanked forward until it smacks across two coller bolt heads inside the solenoid.

Is the solenoid magnetic coil grounded?

Of course.

But it is grounded by a circuitous path through the armature and field coil windings.

The solenoid demands 14 amps. This is an awful lot of power to force through an agnition switch. And power to the solenoid MUST pass through the NEUTRAL SAFETY SWITCH located on the steering column under the dash.

Parts Stores rebuilt 10MT starters are utter garbage. If a Delco try and get a genuine Delco remanufactured starter. Same with a Ford starter. The reclaimed garbage most mass rebuilders use would gag a maggot.

Finally if your rig has a metal case booster relay JUNK IT. Use a black plastic case genuine Ford style starter relay. You must add a ground wire from the cad plated steel mounting bracket to a good grounding point. Also I have seen pricey gear reduction 10MT replacements. They spin the engine faster using 1/3rd the amperage.

Hope this helps

[j-d]

Just guessing, but IF

IF it's on a GM/Workhorse Chassis, chances are good that the only solenoid is piggybacked onto the starter motor. You can jump it right there. If it only has one small wire, jump that to the cable from the battery. Solenoid should engage and starter should crank. Or, battery cable to big solenoid terminal entering starter. Should at least spin the starter. Winnie *Might* have added a light duty solenoid between the key and the starter. It's common on boats with GM engines, usually NOT OEM on their fully built cars and trucks. Don't know about P-Series Chassis.

IF it's on Ford, look at your Starter. If it's small diameter with a piggyback solenoid, there IS another heavy duty (handles starter load) solenoid somewhere. A recent repair on a 2000 Southwind found it in the passenger fender well area. More likely to be passenger side than driver, since that's where the starter is.

Older Fords had a large diameter (heavy!) starter without a solenoid, but one of the field windings was under a wedge-shaped sheet metal cover. It worked to engage the drive. Again, another heavy duty solenoid somewhere.

Either way, on Ford, there is NO POWER down to the Starter Motor until that other Solenoid (actually a heavy duty Relay) is pulled in.

[Chuck_thehammer]

follow the red power cable..

but most if not all starter and solenoid do not come apart anymore..

so find starter, you found the solenoid.

good luck to you.