Search function really works. On the road in Canada, I had stopped to take a quick nap. After the nap the engine will not start (not turn over). Dug out the manuals and traced the circuit to no avail. Ah heck, get my trusty screw driver and jump the stater solinoid and headed to our destination. Got there and got all parked and tried to start the engine and it worked. Tried a couple more time over the next day and all was good until we needed to move and go dump. Dead!! Finally jumped the starter again and went and dumped, came back got parked and started tracking the circuit. Simple circuit, turn key to start position to provide 12vdc to the starter. Goes thru the neutral switch to the start relay. Picking the start relay provides 12vdc to the starter solinoid. Then I blow a gasket as I can not find the start relay.

Call Spartan and the say it is mounted on the frame rail close to the starter. Wrong. Close to the engine but on the curb side. Starter is street side.

Search results. Back in 1211 Eric Herrle posted a picture of a relay he found. Ah the reclusive start relay, so this morning I crawl under the coach and found it on the curb side frame rail. I had a relay with me so I changed it and life is not good.

Just want to say SEARCH THE ARCHIVES if you have a problem.

We have a similar problem with our 1992 Breakaway except it is what I call the "Master Control Relay" which is located in the DC control compartment to the left of the driver and ahead of the LF wheel. This compartment is accessed from the outside and includes all of the thermal breakers, etc.

There is a high current relay there that provides "switched" DC power to a couple of the fuse & breaker terminal strips. If the ignition key is turned to "on" the relay picks up and the dash indicators come on and all is good. Intermittently, the relay will not pick up even though full battery voltage is evident at the "IGN" terminal of the relay. The body of the relay has 0 ohms to chassis ground also.

I jump this relay and the engine starts/runs until I remove the jumper no matter what position the ignition switch is in. Then the engine may start without the jumper in place.

I can tell that this heavy duty relay has been replaced before and wonder if the installation of a interposing or booster relay might be required to supply sufficient current to pull in the device. I have seen this before on cars with very long runs between the starter relays and the batteries and ignition switch. I have repaired a few Porsche 914s that would not start when hot by simply installing a low current pilot relay that served to supply high current to the starter while drawing low current through the ignition switch.

I have a couple of these relays left over from when I added one to the low beam headlight circuit and I may install it to as an experiment.

Again, this is not the same starter relay you have been jumping. It does look like a Ford starter solenoid relay though.

Had the same issue - replaced the ignition switch and all is fixed.

Tom,

I certainly thought about the ignition switch being the problem. However, when I found the correct voltage at the terminal of the relay and that the thing was properly grounded I discounted that possibility.

I may be wrong--it's happened before!!