Does anyone know why on a E350 van

Charging, starting, lighting, gauges, HVAC

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craftsman
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Does anyone know why on a E350 van

Post by craftsman »

it has 2 batteries? :eek: It is a 1991 E350 with 5.8 engine(gas) and a c6 trans. It has a starter solenoid on passenger side for the starter, and what looks like another solenoid on the driver side that goes to a wiring harness ( trace the wires off second solenoid and it goes to a harness not sure where it went from there). It has one alternator, it is on a friends van and it would only jump start from the passenger side battery. Not sure what the other battery is for. Had both batteries tested and the pass side bat was dead. Anyone know what this is? :? :?
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Post by fordman »

maybe it had some other lights and stuff on it. like for the interior tv or something like that. kind of like a camper special setup.
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Post by l1k2gadd »

Is it original with the 351 Windsor motor? Original diesel vans would have two batteries, but not two solenoids I don't think. Is it a passenger van? I know you say this is a van, is it a van / conversion? Some vans were considered motor homes even though they look like vans. I got 3 of my chrome 1994 Ford wheels for my 1968 F100 off of a Turtle Top Van / Motor Home. It looked like a conversion van for the most part but it was clearly a motor home inside. Could there have been a place that there was a generator installed in this van, if it's a conversion van?

My Fleetwood Motor Home is built on an E350 Van chassis and has the second solenoid on it along with the second battery. It also has a push-button remote starter switch inside installed in the plastic lower part of the driver's side dash to start the generator without having to go outside of the motor home.
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re: Does anyone know why on a E350 van

Post by basketcase0302 »

Did it appear to have ever had a wheelchair lift in it before?
Most wheelchair lifts being produced are of the electrical solenoid operated type.

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Post by craftsman »

It doesn't appear to ever have had a wheelchair lift. The tag under the hood has all the info on relating to it being 5.8 engine. It has the extented wheelbase on it, it's not motor home or doesn't look like it ever was but doesn't look like it ever had any seats in the rear area. It looks like it has always been a work van.
I don't know if it has a place that there could have been a generator, i'll have to look at it a little closer. He says that the title doesn't say anything different than it just being an E35 van.
Where would the generator have been located?
Thanks for the responces.
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Post by l1k2gadd »

When something gets added to a vehicle it could have been installed anywhere. If it was a work van someone could have added the wiring as a kit. My motor home had a poorly built after-market (probably Fleetwood made) auxilliary battery holder in it that was rusted in places. I went to the wrecking yard and removed a factory battery tray out of a different E350 van with dual batteries and threw the after-market one away.

Hey, it could have been installed for a rear-mounted scooter lift for an older person? The receiver-hitch mounted style. Easy to remove. There are so many variables. If there was a scooter lift on it all of the wiring might be cut off or just rolled up in the rear frame area under the back doors.
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Post by willowbilly3 »

That extra solenoid is probably a constant duty solenoid that activatges the extra battery for charging but keeps the main battery from draining when the engine isn't running. It might have been an option like it was on the old camper specials. It no doubt ran some accessories like rear lighting or maybe is wired out through the trailer plug for a travel trailer.
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Post by craftsman »

Thanks guys, it definitly came from factory like this, no hackjob wiring. The solenoid and harness is factory style.
You may be right about the solenoid being constant duty, i was wondering how it was tied to the alternator.
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