Starter relay

One does it so many thousands of times I am not sure what I was doing with key. I think after it cranked and caught and tried to run for a second then shut off I then released the key completely like you normally would when trying to start a cold engine. I pumped the throttle for the second that it almost ran which did no good-it is efi. All power worked the entire time, not even any dimming. I briefly checked the fuse panel and did not see any broken elements. However, one of the small leads that connected to one of the large posts had an inline fuse but it was sealed. I am sure that of the three smaller leads I just attached one of them to the wrong relay post. Two leads went to the negative (starter) post along with the negative large battery cable, and one lead went to the positive battery post on the relay along with the heavy positive battery cable. Three leads (there is one other small lead that is coated and goes to the threaded tiny post on the relay even I cannot mess that one up) plus the two battery cables to two threaded posts on the relay. One of those smaller ones I connected to the wrong relay post but I do not know where it went and what it messed up. I am sorry. Can you make any sense of this?

Kind of helped but I have just three terminals, two fat ones (one for positive battery post plus one loop ended smaller wire that I do not know where it went; and the other fat post was connected to the battery post that went down to the starter along with two loop ended (metal connectors) smaller wires that I do not where they went. And then one small, threaded silver (not copper) post that was connected to a rubber coated snap on wire that, again, I do not know where it went. When I crossed one of those three looped smaller wires and placed it on the wrong fat post I think that is what caused the spark and I think screwed up wherever it was supposed to go. When I switched one of those three smaller wires and put it on the other post that is when the motor turned over and ran for a second. When it shorted I must have damaged wherever the wire was supposed to go as if the ignition was now burned, or if one of those smaller wires was supposed to trigger something having to do with the fuel supply. I know I cannot make it really clear. I had it towed to the garage and hopefully tomorrow I will learn what the problem is. If you are interested I can write back to this address and tell you what it was.

It looks like your picture except I do not have the upper wire where the black arrow is-it does not exist. If that ground is attached to one of the sheet metal screws that holds the relay to the fender it is not there no wires go to those two anchoring screws. In the directions which I, unfortunately, just glanced at it says to make sure that the fender wall and back of the relay are really clean as that is the ground. On mine the starter wire was not the only wire attached to the fat post-there are two smaller wires also, so three wires in total to the negative fat post and two wires to the positive post. I do not know where you are and how late it is but I will try to quickly find a picture representing mine on a Google image search.

Did this come through?

Okay, I just called them negative and positive because those are where the cables were received from the battery. If I knew I was using the wrong terminology I probably would not require any help, lol. Thanks for all of your effort. We still do not know what was damaged though. I will let you know hopefully tomorrow. It cranks though but when it runs for a second (I think at that point I have released the key) then it stops just like it is getting no fuel. Oh well, as long as it does not cost me hundreds of dollars I will be okay and will finally stop fiddling with things I know nothing about! But I thought this would be simple and it would have been if I had just hooked it up as it had been originally. Or better yet, I do not think there was anything wrong with it but I have had this truck for over thirty years and periodically I just feel like putting something new in it. Stupid

Well, you were right. One fat post on the relay should only have had one connection-the heavy starter cable. All others went to the other fat post including the positive battery cable. Took him five minutes to fix it and charged me nothing. Thanks again.