bronco wont start

[jkertker]

Bought a85 B2 that sat for 4 years. Got it runningand driving but now wont start. New starter and solenoid
And checked both pos and neg cables, bypassed both using jumper cables
And still nothing. I hear loud click from solenoid and buzzing/grinding sound but is
Faint. And is there only supposed to be one wire that goes to the starter?? Ive always seen 2
Please help as this is my only vehicle for my family right now!

[101btp]

Not to sound obvious but how's the condition of you're battery?

Are you're terminals clean and tight, will make a world of difference, along with is the wire on the starter it's self secured tight? ?

What is the brand of you're starter and brand of the starting solenoid?

Finally yes the starter should only have one wire going to it positive, and the engine should have a ground wire bolted to it to complete the circuit, I had some major grounding issues to one of my bronco II's 2.9 engines a couple of years back due to the build up that was on it and severely corroded wire.

[drofman]

When you jump it are you grounding the neg. jumper cable to the engine? That will tell you if the neg. cable is bad. But what 101 said "is the battery good". you could jump the mag switch also.

[Lost Bushman]

Manual or auto?

If manual, can you push start it?
If auto, there's a solenoid on the passenger side firewall in the engine bay, if it has failed, it will blow the small inline fuse, and prevent startup.

Mind you, this happened to my 89, I don't know if your gen1 has the same setup, but it's worth a shot

[Lost Bushman]

Be advised, the solenoid is also on a manual

[jkertker]

How do u replace the inline fuse? I saw it but didnt know how to replace the wires say fusible link??

[101btp]

ive never seen one with an inline fuse? im pretty sure the starting solenoid acts like a safety for the starter??? well they put an inline fuse did they even use the right gauge wire on it? can you un bolt the positive wire going from the starter it's self to the starting solenoid and post a picture of it???

[tekatlarge]

What you are describing is what is known to be a "Fusible Link". A fusible link is a wire with the center conductor designed to open when the current exceeds its rating. you can replace the section of wire that is the link If you choose and continue onward.

I have seen people cut the wire off and replace the section with a regular piece of wire, but I believe if there is a fuse rating there you need to either replace the fusible link with a new one or install a universal fuse holder and wire that up.

Fusible links will, most of the time have the amp rating on then on a little molded tab near the connector. They can also be identified by their color as to the rating. You can find the color rating online just search "Fusible Link" and it should be right there.

Some auto parts stores sell Fusible Links and some times the dealer is the only game and sometimes they tell you to replace the entire harness.

A Final note if you need to replace that link make real sure you put a link back or put a fuse inline. Failure to replace a fuse with another fuse could potentially Cause a fire in your vehicle. Once you have a short in your harness be ready to kiss that harness away. I speak from experience. I had a major short happen in a car I owned years ago. When the short occurred there was no way to disconnect the electrical in a hurry. The shorted wire melted inside the harness causing other circuits to short. The wire got hot enough to set itself on fire and I stood on the side of the road watching the fire department put out what was left of my car. It burned all the way to the floorboards.

Nuff Said...