Mini Starter Stays Engaged

[lonesouth]

I just installed a PMGR mini starter and cheated on the wiring. Instead of running the signal wire from the original relay, I just ran a jumper from main battery lug to start lug. Now when I crank it, the starter stays engaged for a few seconds after startup.

Will running the second independent wire solve this problem?

 

[Ourobos]

Of course it does. What the relay does is charge the signal wire only when the key is in the START position.. You have it wired continuously ON.

 

[Fairlane514]

Don't cheat on the wiring, the jumper wire is your problem.

 

[lonesouth]

Wiring was not changed at the original solenoid. So the starter loses battery power when the key is released from start. What I suspect is happening is that the starter is acting like a capacitor/generator after the engine is running, backfeeding the trigger circuit and allowing it to stay engaged for a few seconds after power is removed.

Anyway, I'll wire it up how DB Electrical suggests and see if it fixes it.

 

[Viperwolf1]

What I suspect is happening is that the starter is acting like a capacitor/generator after the engine is running, backfeeding the trigger circuit and allowing it to stay engaged for a few seconds after power is removed.

Sounds like a good theory. Once you separate them you should be fine.

 

[mattt]

Wiring was not changed at the original solenoid. So the starter loses battery power when the key is released from start. What I suspect is happening is that the starter is acting like a capacitor/generator after the engine is running, backfeeding the trigger circuit and allowing it to stay engaged for a few seconds after power is removed.

Anyway, I'll wire it up how DB Electrical suggests and see if it fixes it.

Your suspicion is correct. If you do a web search, you'll find many people(not just Broncos) that have thought about eliminating the fender mounted relay and just using the starter mounted relay...they all have starter "run on." I researched it when I went to this type of starter and kept both relays, and just follow the factory's lead.....fender mounted relay, and starter mounted relay. I used one of the newer, Mustang 5.0 fender mounted relays because there is also some suspicion that the older, stock Bronco fender mounted starter relay can wreak havoc on the EFI computer.

 

[DirtDonk]

This ain't your grandad's Chevy. ;D Even Ford kept the fender mounted relay on their applications at least for the first few years. Haven't looked at a brand new Ford lately though, so don't know if they still have that or not.
It might seem like just a convenient place to put some more wires, but it's in fact a nice "isolation relay" that keeps this from happening.

I will say that I think there are one or two here who've done it your way and not had any troubles lonesouth. Maybe they'll chime in and let us know if that's still the case and, if so, what else they might have done that helped to keep that from happening.

Paul

 

[76Broncofromhell]

It's a well known issue on permanent magnet starters. When spun this starter acts like a generator and that small amount of voltage from the still spinning starter is enough to keep the armature engaged.

Sorry for the long answer, but in short: run the second wire.