Battery Isolation Solenoid Gets Hot and Trips 80 Circuit Breaker

Question:

My solenoid is getting to hot and is causing 80 amp breaker to pop

asked by: Mark A

Expert Reply:

Something must be drawing more than 80 amps for the circuit breaker to trip. Start on the output side of solenoid # PK5231201. Check the wiring from it to where the wire terminates and fix any damaged or pinched wires. The side input post should be connected to a battery only so nothing that can routinely put out more than 80 amps such as an alternator. And make sure the front input is connected to a 12 volt ignition source and not a constant 12 volt source.

The Solenoid should be attached to a bare metal surface free of paint, coating, and corrosion.

If all of that checks out then it is possible that the solenoid is getting stuck. You might be able to unstick it by lightly tapping it a few times but in all likelihood you would need to replace a stuck solenoid because it can happen repeatedly.

expert reply by: Michael H