Ok lets see if yall can help me... Ive got a 85 Bronco w/ 351 and c6. Now when i connect the battery up the starter turns on and wont turn off. ive replaced the starter, starter relay, starter switch, battery cables, and lock cylinder. Could the voltage regulator in the alternator cause the starter relay to short out? Because when i put a new relay on it the first time i put the key in and turn the car on it works normally. But if i try again the relay shorts and the starter will not stop. Any Ideas!?? :(

Sounds like you have the starter relay wired wrong. Check and make sure the wire from the batt to relay isn't connected at the same point on the relay as the relay to starter wire. They should be connected on the opposites of the 2 larger posts on the relay.

yes the top post is the one with the battery, and the bottom post is the one with the starter cable, the little post has the ignition wire on it and i have one open post.

I don't know which is supposed to be on top. Pull the little wire and see if it still does it. That is what tells the relay to open. Make sure you have the little one on the correct post. Also I had a brand new one get stuck open on the 3rd crank just last month.

If it it quits your getting power when you shouldn't. Maybe its in the ignition then? Use a test light and check the little wire for power.

I know i have the relay wired correctly, And yes the ing wire is getting power even when the key isnt in. Something keeps shorting out the relay as soon as i try and start the car.

i just installed a toggle to the ign post thinking that a wire somewhere in the ignition was the problem. Well it didnt work, as soon as the car actually started the relay blew. Ive eliminated the key, so that its just the battery relay starter and two other wires on the top post. One of those wires goes to the alternator, the other i cant trace back. Im running out of ideas... well wheres the best place to order a complete wiring harness, as idiot proof as posible.

maybe try getting a different brand of solenoid?? some companies just plain put out JUNK.

well ive killed 4 of them so 2 from advance auto 2 from napa i think, so its not the relay. Im ready to put down some money and just correct everything electrical... wheres the best place to get a painless wiring harness? I know they dont make one specifically for us big broncos, is there any one who does?

This is a long shot, but when my relay went out it was because I had a power wire grounding out. The ground I bolted my relay to had 12v. 3 clicks on the relay and it stuck open. Fixed the short to my ground and the next one worked fine. Its a long shot but easy to check.

This is a long shot, but when my relay went out it was because I had a power wire grounding out. The ground I bolted my relay to had 12v. 3 clicks on the relay and it stuck open. Fixed the short to my ground and the next one worked fine. Its a long shot but easy to check.
The relay itself is just grounded to the fender right? Ive got one mesed up ground that i think is going to the alt, so ill try that thanks. HOw was the ground shorted?

Yeah, it is just grounded to its mount. I have my relay mounted to the firewall. A hot wire under the dash got cut and grounded out.

hmm dash wire ill loook there, what about full wiring harnesses... still gunna need one? Thanks

I'd pull the little wire and see if you have power. if you do, something is shorted out or your ignition switch (not the lock cylinder) could be bad.

I had a similar problem a while back. Ended up going through 2 starters in as many months. Replaced the ignition switch, soloniod, starter, and wires and haven't had any problems since. But since you've already done all that, I'm not much help....

Its nothing in the ignition since i put in a toggle and key has nothing to do with starting the car anymore. THe toggle powers the little ign post but still when the truck actually starts up it blows the relay, im pulling the alternator soon and ill have it tested.