Wher dowires go on 1992 Ford areostar 3.0 voltage regulator

TIMETRAVELER1

MEMBER
1992 FORD WINDSTAR

I replaced my starter with a new one and took the voltage regulator off to check it at a o'riilys store (which they said they couldn't check it) after I put on the new starter and put the voltage regulator back on now when I try to put the battery cables back on it sparks and the starter tries to start up (even if the key isn't in the vehicle )their are only two wires on the starter a large one and push plug in one so I know thats right. I have the two red wires on the large thredded bolt on the side faceing the driver ( voltage regulator is on the drivers fender firewall side ) and I have the small black push on wire on the (s) terminal of the voltage regulator and the other 3 wires ( one black, one yellow and one black and orange ) all together on the left large threaded bolt terminal on the left side of the voltage regulator (facing the front wheels) I just need to know which wires I may have wrong ( I have a book on it but still cant figure it out from the diagrams ) I really need help on getting this fixed as my boy and grandkids will be here from colorado for a once a year visit and I want to be able to take everyone somewhere in one vehicle, plus it our transportation for me and my wife to get around. Any help would be appreciated as soon as possible, thanks !

8 Replies

RUDPRO

MECHANIC
224 POSTS

You have the two red wires together and that's the problem. The large red wire from the battery + terminal should go to the forward facing terminal and the red wire going to the starter should be on the rear terminal. Also, that's a starter relay, not a voltage regulator. I'm not sure about the other wires. Maybe someone else could help with that. One comes from the ignition, red/light blue, the black wire is ground and should not be hooked up on the same terminal as the red/light blue. They should go on the seperate smaller terminals. There is also a neutral safety switch wire. I'm not sure what terminal that goes on.

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Thursday, May 24th, 2007 AT 1:20 PM

TIMETRAVELER1

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On the wire colors i described i was looking below on the wires on the top part of the wires the colors are : a black wire with a wide yellow stripe , another black wire with a a thin yellow stripe and another black wire with a orange and yellow strip (these are the ones i have hooked up to the relay threads toward the front of the vehicle then i have the two red wires (one thick battery cable wire and the other is a thin red wire that also runs from the positive battery connection ) hooked up to the threads on the oposite side on the terminal facing the rear of the van direction . then their is a small red wire that pushes on the threads in the front of this relay switch on the place marked "s" . i am going to try to upload a picture of it this is the one i had on the van before i put the new starter on and was working fine starting the van , now the van tries to start up when ever i just touch the cables on it .

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Thursday, May 24th, 2007 AT 4:08 PM

RUDPRO

MECHANIC
224 POSTS

You have to identify which wire is the larger one on the starter. Trace it back to the relay, mark it. That wire should be on one sie of the relay, all the other wires, except the one with the push on connector (leave it where it is) should be together on the other side of the relay. That should make it work, post if it does or if you need more help.

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Thursday, May 24th, 2007 AT 7:06 PM

TIMETRAVELER1

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O.K. Heres whats going on now. A mechanic friend came by to help me he swithed the yellow wire and put it on the drivers side terminal and left the larger red battery wire their to. He placed the other smaller red wire on the oposite side terminal with the other two wires, the van started up when I tried it ( and also stopped trying to start when just putting battery cables on ) so he told me to shut it off. As he was in a hurry and on his way to work, later after I started it I noticed its making a loud whirring type noise (i don't think its the belt the van before ran quiet ) and it looks like the voltage meter on the dash doesn't show its charging. Would the alternator make all that noise if it wasn't working? And why did it do it now all of a sudden, it also sounds like the sound is from that new starter, I took one brand new starter back to o'rylies thought it was shorted out they checked it on a machine and gave me a new one anyway ( it almost sounds like the cylinoid is stuck and making noise constantly ) the one I took to them did the same and this new one (if thats where the loud noise is from ). To bad I can't upload the sound. Any idea's on this.?

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Friday, May 25th, 2007 AT 1:42 PM

RUDPRO

MECHANIC
224 POSTS

You have to look at my previous post. It says, identify which cable goes to the starter. The large cable on the starter. Trace it back to the starter relay. That cable goes on one side of the relay, by itself, on the large terminal. All other cables go together on the other large terminal, on the ther side of the relay. Leave the small wire, red with a light blue stripe and covered with a boot on the middle terminal. This should be correct wiring of the relay. Let me know.

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Friday, May 25th, 2007 AT 2:53 PM

TIMETRAVELER1

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I just did what you said the large red wire is what I have on the right side (facing toward the rear of van ) already and is the one to the starter main bolt. Theyellow wire I had on that sid ewith it I switched to the other side as you said, when I did this the dome light, etc. Doesn't work and theirs no power at all. The van and dome lights will only work (with the yellow wire with the red wire on this right side. ) But I have a loud noise like the starter motor is running all the time after the van starts. I even completly switched sides with all the wires but still heard the same loud noise. So I put it back the way it was
.

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Friday, May 25th, 2007 AT 4:19 PM

TIMETRAVELER1

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Hi, wanted you to know that i got the problem solved , i went in town and found a van like ours and asked if i could see the wiring on their starter relay and wrote down what went where , her starter relay was different but was like the new one i had bought so i put on the new relay and wires like hers was and it works just fine , the van is running quiet again (before the starter motor i think kept running ) and is charging just fine too. so i am enlosing a picture of the right starter relay to have and the wiring . by the way on this relay type you were right one wire large red on the drivers side and all others on the left side facing the front of the van (on that other relay i had they wouldn't work that way though ) i want to thank you so much for trying to help us and actually telling me right on the wiring before . this is a great site and i am going to recomend it to others i am going to try to send you a small donation is their an address we can send it to and how should a money order or check be made out ?? thanks again for everything guys !!