Re: When It Rains, It's Dead!

["Ryan Moore" <baradium@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Binder@domain.elided" <binder@domain.elided>
To: "IHC Digest" <ihc-digest@domain.elided>
Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2003 08:49
Subject: When It Rains, It's Dead!


> Greetings,
>
> This morning, the Scout actually stranded me (the very nerve!).
Fortunately
> it was in my own driveway.  Here's what ya need to know (I hope!):
>
> 1) It rained for hours last night. Good storm!  I swear the cell stalled
> right over my house for an hour or two - loaded with thunder & lightening.
> And did I say RAIN? ;-)
>
> 2) When I attempt to start the truck ALL I hear is a 'click'/'tick' that
> sounds as if it's down in the steering column or something. None of the
> usual s-l-o-w churning as if battery is dead, etc. No chattering solenoids
> to be heard. Battery is less than a couple months old. I jumped it from
the
> van, 'just in case'.  No change. No start.
>
> 3) This has happened before when wet outside, but usually after TRYING to
> start it a couple times the problem magically disappeared so I didn't
sweat
> it.  But now I'm sweating! Could be coincidence.  Could be significant...
> you decide! %^}
>
> My new & improved manager says I can:
> 1) Work from home today! (Yipppeeee!)
> 2) Get the truck fixed TODAY!
>
> Any ideas?!  ALL hints, suggestions, etc. If it suddenly starts as the day
> wears on (and things dry out - it quit raining), I'll attribute "it" to
> water for sure. I'm thinking maybe a starter relay took on water or
> something. Dunno.  Open for suggestions!
>
> Cheers & Thanks,
>
> --Pete
<snip>

try jumping the starter directly.   Get a screwdriver or something and lay
it right above where the main power wire comes in, move around enough and
you should be able to find the S terminal.

I recommend the starter relay elimination.   All you need is a piece of 10
guage wire.  I also used a toggle switch as a simple anti theft device.
The only problem with doing this is that you lose your nuetral safety
switch.

Mine used to do that sometimes, usually jumping the starter will also cause
it to start again from the key (don't ask why, don't know).  It's good to
know how to jump the starter, helps with other problems too.

http://atlas.binderbulletin.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5389

That thread explains how to bypass the nuetral safety switch.  If you want
you could just bypass it for a test and hook it back up later.  All you do
is unplug the relay (on the passenger side of the steering collumn) and put
a jumper between the #17 and #17A wires (through the plug, the wires are
also numbered as they come into the plug).  I stuck a heavy duty toggle
switch into one hole and ran a jumper from the other end of that to the
other.  This gave me a little form of an anti-theft switch.   Getting rid of
that relay completely solved my start problems, haven't had any issues with
starting since then.

-Ryan