I will try and keep this simple.......Hope I have named the two mentioned items properly.

I turned the key to the on position and waited for the ready to start light to go off.
Turned the key to start and nothing turned over just a click. Tried several times. Moved the automatic gear shift to neutral and park and tried starting in both positions....just a click.
Turned the key to start and crossed the terminal of the starter relay(passenger side fender well) and the starter turned over. Did this a second time and it turned over again.
Turned the key from on to start and it started. My question is........What is the problem? Starter relay or starter solenoid? Starter solenoid being attached to the starter itself.
My guess is the starter/solenoid. Any help would be appreciated.

 

The better way to go about this is to actually check with a voltmeter,
First see if you are getting full voltage at the relay on the fender well ,when you turn the key to the start position. When you jumped the relay , you by-passed the power from the key switch. You can also use a test lite to do this check.
If you hear the relay on the fenderwell click when you turn the key and nothing happens it could still be the relay, but you need to confirm power is going through the relay on down to the solenoid on the starter. There have been times when power drops out right where the terminals are crimped to the wires and you can find this problem with only a test lite. You seem to understand what is supposed to happen, now all you need to do is follow through with either the lite or the meter.
Don't forget power does come from the ign switch through the switch on the trans on to the small terminal on the relay.
Also , don't overlook that the ground for the relay is obtained by it's mounting on the sheet metal.

 

Thanks for the information. My guess is power is getting through the relay because it is starting now. So either the relay or solenoid is randomly working or not. Just a guess. I will do some more investigating with a meter/test light.

 

Check ALL the associated ground connections as they (for some reason that I have forgotten) corrode FIRST in a negative ground DC system.
Eric

 

Sorry for the delayed follow up......Replaced the relay on the inner passenger side fender. Problem still existed. Replaced the starter and the problem went away. Until Porky Pigs next issue..................