02 7.3l new starter but cranks when batteries are hooked up????????????

[fordiesel1]

I just replaced my old starter with a life time warranty one from Napa (that has been bench tested) after my truck wouldn't start (would only click when turning the key). After installing it i went to hook my batteries up but as soon as i touched the cable to the battery the truck just starts cranking. I do not have a starter relay on my fender and was told i have something to do with california emissions because of the year. Napa is convinced the starter is NOT the problem!

Is there any ideas where i can go from here!?

Thanks in advance!

[NoRalPh]

You actually Do have a relay, it's just not the big kind you're looking for on the pass inner fender. Look at your Owners Manual, I believe it's in the fusebox.

But, that being said, it doesn't sound like the relay would be the most likely culprit if it didn't do it with the old starter. First I'd eliminate the possibility it actually was the new starter by taking it back out, and connecting it with some jumper cables to the Batt (+) terminal and ground one of the ears.

If it doesn't spin, dbl ck the wires you connected to the small terminal.

I guess it could be the Key sw or the relay, but again, what's changed? Not either of those....

[Highwaywrench]

It sounds like you have the S terminal wire touching the battery wire where it connects to the starter.

Check that area, as well as a short distance up the S terminal wire, to look for bare spots.

[fordiesel1]

Personally i'm still leading towards a bad starter... i pulled the relay out of the fuse box in the cab under the steering wheel and it did the same thing...i also disconnected the small wire on the starter bc i am assuming its the jumper wire for the selenoid like most anything i've ever worked on and i am still getting power to the starter when i hook the batteries up...i would assume that eliminates the chance of it being a relay and that it is just a bad selenoid on the starter i bought. unless the big positive wire on the starter isn't supposed to be hot all the time??? i've never heard of that being the case but Napa seems extremely confident that the starter isn't the issue...

thanks for any more thoughts..

[NoRalPh]

What part of "First I'd eliminate the possibility it actually was the new starter by taking it back out, and connecting it with some jumper cables to the Batt (+) terminal and ground one of the ears." - Was unclear?

If it spins, take it back to NAPA with a Jumper-Pak and Show Them

[fordiesel1]

I'll try that and i know what i'll find...its just that they are saying not to assume that the big cable on the starter isn't supposed to to hot all the time...which doesn't make sense to me...everything i ever worked on, one side of the selenoid is hot and the little wire is the jumper....what i was looking to hear was if thats the case......? or if through the california emissons thing they say i have on my 02' that somehow its electronically hot through relays and the ignition then its asked to....could anybody confirm how it works?

Napa is telling me this because i already had them bench test it and they said there is no way its the starter and that my problem is else where

thanks for any help