ordered a new starter from ebay put it on the trucker started once and I smelled smoke, truck would not start. took starter off and had it checked was no good folks where I bought starter sent me a new one and same thing happened. Now I am thinging I must have hooked up wires wrong. Anywhere on line I can get a diagram showing how the wires should hook up

 

Would help if you provided the year , model and engine in the truck.

 

1999 f 150 v6 4.2

 

Let's start from the beginning.
What was the reason/symptoms that led you to replace the starter?

 

got stranded out of town truck would not start (no clicking or anything from starter) I jumped across the solenoid on the starter. Thinking the starter and solenoid was the problem got a new starter. It worked good for a little bit then same deal. Jumped across the solenoid and got home. Looked and found that there was a solenoid on the firewall as well. I replaced it and must have got some wires crossed because the starter started once then smelled something burning. Thought then the starter was bad and sent it back to supplier (I need to give them a good review as they sent me a new starter no questions asked) put the new starter on yesterday and it started once but smelled something burning. starter was warm when I got the battery cable disconnected. now I am thinking it was installer error that messed up the starter. I am getting more forgettful than I used to be an self repairs are getting more complicated. I have found a lot of information on this forum and decided to make a post. Hoping someone could steer me in the right direction before going to the bank and getting a loan and going to the dealer. I thought about finding a 99 like mine and looking under the hood and looking to see how the wiring was hooked up Thanks

 

This is the way I believe it is supposed to work.
Lets call the solenoid on the firewall the primary and the relay on the starter the starter relay.
There should be a heavy cable from the battery positive terminal going directly to one large post on the starter relay. the other terminal on the relay goes to the inside of the starter. There is a third wire on the relay not as heavy as the other two , and that should come from one of the terminals on the primary solenoid. There is a second similar size wire that comes from the battery also and connects to the other heavy terminal on the primary solenoid. Now there is a third wire that comes from the ignition switch start position and connects to either the only small terminal on the primary solenoid or---one of the two small terminals if the primary has two small terminals, the other small terminal if there are two is connected to ground.
When you turn the key to the start position you activate the primary solenoid which completes the path to the starter relay to energize it and cause the starter to operate.
If you take your time and have a test lite available it may save you some time and effort , but isn't necessary. The primary solenoid is only active when the key is turned to the start position. It makes no difference which way you connect the larger wires on the primary solenoid since all it does is connect the battery wire to the wire going down to the starter relay when you turn the key to start.
If there is anything that I have stated here that you need explained further please don't hesitate to ask. Let us know how you make out , OK.

 

I bought this truck used I hope I did not inherit somebody elses problem. It has a fusible link on the battery cable and just checking with an electric meter current will go through. On the firewall primary switch there is a large red wire and a smaller red wire that has a yoke end (one side on the top pole and the other on the bottom pole.) Also on the top there is a black wire with a orange stripe that comes from the back of the alternator. On the bottom pole there is a larger red wire. There is a small brown wire with a red stripe on the smallest terminal. Now down below on the starter there is a larger red wire that I put on the top terminal and there was a smaller wire that I put on the small terminal. Now there were 2 wires that were hooked together (1 was larger the other smaller) that was grounded to the lower starter bolt.

 

To the best of my recollection there should be no wires at the starter area connected to ground. The battery ground cable is usually connected to the front of the engine.
See if you can trace just where those 2 wires go or are connected to. They may be add on's, but still need to know where they go.

 

I hate to jack this thread, but could someone please tell me hoq to post a new thread. This quest is driving me crazy

 

thanks for the help hanky, traced all the wires from battery to starter and they were connected right. Negative cable was grounded to firewall, the frame and the bottom starter bolt. When I replaced the solenoid on the fire wall I put the wire that goes to the alternator on the same terminal that the small wire that goes to the starter and it was melting my starter solenoids after I started it. Got wires corrected and truck is starting good now.