Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Confirmation Question

[nopowerforme]

Okay guys... I have exhausted my capabilities to try and fix my no start problem



My fuels solenoid will not pull in on it's own.



I am about to take it to a Cummins shop and what I want you all to confirm is WHEN I GROUND THE BLACK WIRE AT THE THREE PRONG CONNECTOR TO THE RELAY AND PUT POWER TO THE WHITE WIRE THE SOLENOID PULLS IN >>>> THIS I HAVE READ MEANS THAT THE SOLENOID IS GOOD IS THIS CORRECT?????



I don't want to have the shop replace something I know to be good. So I want to be sure before I tell them I know it is working.



Thanks guys for your help but the problem escapes my meager abilities to find the trouble. I have replaced the relay and cleaned and ect. A small shop that does electical work here has no experience working on diesels so I hesitate to let him have at it to spend a lot of time and my $$$ trying to find the problem

 

[bighammer]

I guess if it were me, I would ditch the solenoid and install a cable.



Sorry, I don't know about the wiring or testing of them.

 

[JohnE]

That verifies the pull-in coil in the solenoid is good. Does the holding coil keep it pulled in?



This is the pigtail leading to the solenoid.



Ground the C terminal or black wire.

Apply power to the A terminal or the red wire and THEN apply power to the B terminal or white wire and verify the solenoid pulled up?

Hold power on the A terminal or the red wire and remove power to the B terminal or white wire and the solenoid held pulled up?



That's how the Dodge harness applies power to the solenoid.

Ignition "RUN" applies power to the red wire first.

Ignition "START" applies power to the white wire.



When you describe "no start" is that crank crank crank with no fire or crank crank fire doesn't stay lit after key goes back to RUN?



Intermittent are the hardest faults to find. I've got a couple in the mommie van and they all point to the PCM

 

[kaffine krazed]

If you turn the ignition to the on position an pull the solenoid up. Does it stay up? If the solenoid pulls up and stays up then it is most likely working since it pulls up when you supply power to it.



Do you have B+ power at the relay for the load side of the relay? If you jump the relay doese it pull in?



If you don't have voltage for the load side of the relay then check battery voltage at both batteries touch the test leads directly to the battery post the the cable connectors. If the voltage between the batteries varries by much clean the connectors throughly and remove the bolts from the connectors and clean them. There is a fusible link at the drivers side battery that supplies power to the solenoid for the pull-in coil. Check for B+ at both sides of the fusible link.



If it doesn't pull in check the voltage drop with the relay jumped between the relay connector and the positive battery post. Put the positive lead directly on the battery post don't put it on the battery cable and the negative lead one of the pins you are jumping on the relay connector. If you have more than 0. 5volts there is exsecsive resistance between the battery and the relay connector. Next try from the positve battery post to the wire for the solenoid coming off the drivers side postive battery terminal by moving the negative test lead to the wire. If you still have excessive voltage drop clean the battery connections and take the drivers postive battery cable bolt out and clean it and all the connectors that bolt to it.



If you have less than 0. 5 volt drop at the relay connector move the negative test lead to the solenoid connector with the solenoid connector still hooked up jump the relay again. If the voltage drop is more than 0. 5 volts then the problem is between the relay connector and the solenoid connector.



If it is less then 0. 5V do a voltage drop test on the ground side place the negative test lead on the negative battery post and the positive test lead on the ground wire for the solenoid and jump the relay if the voltage drop is more than 0. 5 volts then there is high resistance on the ground side.



If it does pull-in when the relay connector is jumped then the problem is likely in what controls the relay since you already tried a new relay. I don't have a schematic of the circuit so I can't provide detail test procedures. Check and make sure you have either ground of B+ at the relay control side I'm not sure which then have someone else turn the key to start you should get which ever one you didn't get with the key off and you should now have both the B+ and negative on the control side of the relay.



Hope this helps.