Car won't start, HELP

94Blue302GT · Sep 12, 2005

Ok, here goes....
Car was totalled about a year ago. I'm finally trying to start it. Front end collision; had to rebuild the frame rail on one side and rehang the bumper and buy a new hood and fender. Not a really big deal, but totalled either way. Everything is rebuilt and put back together and I turn the key....

The pump sounds, but no starter, DOH!!! :damnit:
I can jump start the solenoid and get the starter to turn, but it just won't with the key. The fuses are all good. The button for the clutch petal seems to be working as well, at least mechanically speaking.

Lee

HISSIN50 · Sep 12, 2005

Have you put a test light on the solenoid trigger to see if you have 12 volts during cranking?

I would do that and trace backwards through the starter-interlock circuit. The solenoid connection, clutch safety switch and ignition switch are the biggies in the circuit (in your situation, an open in the wire is entirely possible).

Good luck.

94Blue302GT · Sep 12, 2005

HISSIN50 said:
Have you put a test light on the solenoid trigger to see if you have 12 volts during cranking?

I would do that and trace backwards through the starter-interlock circuit. The solenoid connection, clutch safety switch and ignition switch are the biggies in the circuit (in your situation, an open in the wire is entirely possible).

Good luck.

No test light, but i did jump the Solenoid, so i know it's good, but there's no power getting to THAT point. I traced the wire back to the plug near the fuse box and there is nothing grounding out or anything. I also checked underneath the dash at the jumble of wires in the ignition switch, but didn't see anything obvios. The switch itself is brand new due to chasing out a different electrical gremlin i had before. The trigger wire itself seems to be fine and ungrounded, so it's got to be something before it.

If i unplug the clutch safety switch, will it act like it's pushed down, or no?
I'm wondering if after sitting for a year its stuck or something on the inside, and i thought if that works, it would be a cheap way to test it.

HISSIN50 · Sep 12, 2005

94Blue302GT said:
No test light, but i did jump the Solenoid, so i know it's good, but there's no power getting to THAT point. I traced the wire back to the plug near the fuse box and there is nothing grounding out or anything. I also checked underneath the dash at the jumble of wires in the ignition switch, but didn't see anything obvios. The switch itself is brand new due to chasing out a different electrical gremlin i had before. The trigger wire itself seems to be fine and ungrounded, so it's got to be something before it.

If i unplug the clutch safety switch, will it act like it's pushed down, or no?
I'm wondering if after sitting for a year its stuck or something on the inside, and i thought if that works, it would be a cheap way to test it.

Jumping the solenoid does not show you much at all, other than that you have battery power to the starter and that the solenoid works. You really need to use a test light to check for 12 volts along the circuit's path. For instance, if you have a bad connection at the ignition switch, the wire looks fine for its entire run, but no current is getting to or through it. The ignition switch is where the crank signal originates.

The clutch safety switch should need to be connected for the car to start. The switch closes the circuit when the pedal is pressed. For diagnostics, one can bridge the terminals on the switch's connector to simulate the pedal being depressed.

If you get a test light, probe the terminals on the clutch switch while the key is turned to 'crank'. Both sides of the connector should be hot.

If not: If one side is hot, but not the other, the switch is likely at fault.

If no power at all to the switch at any time, trace back towards the ignition switch.

A test light is your friend for this kind of stuff. Harbor Freight puts them on sale for 99 cents all the time.

Good luck.

mo_dingo · Sep 12, 2005

Your ignition switch is likely corroded and needs to be taken apart and cleaned. Usual case anyway.

But like JT said, you need to trace your 12V+ source from the ignition to the starter. It's obviously not getting to the starter, so start at the ignition module, and see if any of the wires get hot when you turn the key to the start position (all the way, like you are trying to crank the starter, ya know)

If none are hot, you have a bad ignition module, or you are not getting 12V+ constant to the ignition. Check it out.
Scott

94Blue302GT · Sep 13, 2005

Well, i kinda built a test light last night, temporarily. I put it in between the connectors right by the fuse box. It didn't light up, so basically, i knew it wasn't grounding out later on, and that the problem was before the actual wire.

With all the electrical problems i've had before, i had an ignition module that was good, but replaced it to be sure, so i tested it with that one as well. So, it's not the ignition module.

I know there was a car alarm on it at one time, and that it was all just taped up after taken out, so i'm going to check all those wires one by one.

I think i'll test the clutch petal switch first, however. There are two plugs with 2 wires each. (at least there is on mine, lol, unless i'm looking at the wrong thing) Which ones do i test, or am i looking at it wrong?
I have a feeling i'm getting pretty close!!!

We cranked it over pretty good, but i had a fuse in the power line (batt. in trunk) that obviosly wasn't big enough. I think i'm going to just hard wire it with no fuse, cuz i'm sure it takes a ton to turn my car over.

HISSIN50 · Sep 13, 2005

One connector on the clutch is for the CC probably, and one is the starter interlock.

trace that interlock wire - it was probably cut for the starter interrupt on the alarm. YOu might find a cut wire under the dash (inside the knee panel).

Good luck.

94Blue302GT · Sep 16, 2005

Ok, update.
Starter and solenoid: good
wire from relay in fuse box: good
relay in fuse box: good
The grey connector to the clutch pedal has power when turning the key, the black connector does not. I started to trace the wires, but they go into that big jumble in the corner and I really don't want to sort through all that and then wrap it all up again. It's a smaller grey with pink stripe and a medium blue with a faint yellow stripe.
Also, would not having any airbags hooked up and the fuses pulled for them trip something to not let it have power?
I went back and redid all the connections that were spliced into the ignition box to no avail.

94Blue302GT · Sep 17, 2005

Looking through my chiltons i've found that the grey and red wire seems to be a power wire of sorts to quite a few electrical items. This is the wire that should have the power to it. It's tied into all kinds of things, but i don't know where it would be shorted out, since everything else it seems to be tied to is still functioning fine.

OrangeMustangGt · Sep 17, 2005

one time when my car wouldent start, i found a large connector in the back of the engine bay, on the pass side was loose, i just plugged it in and it started.

If its not that easy, i would just take a 12v feed, run it to a nice big red button somewhere on the dash, then to the starter solinoid. That way your just like a Ford GT...push button start lol...
In fact my car is that way, and my brother's supra is that way, we have bad luck with starter circuits?

Another thing you could do is look up at the base of the steering colomn to find tha actual Switch that the key activates via a plastic rod(this is what broke on my car)....its white and about 3x2" it has 2 screws holding it in, i belive there torx....anyway pull that bitch down and check across the terminals that supply the starter.....haynes manual will tell you which ones....then you can say at least your getting power in/out of the main switch.

94Blue302GT · Sep 19, 2005

Well, it's not the big old connecter, believe me. I had the car runnin last night (sounds awesome with the turbo headers kickin it out the front at the moment, turbo isn't on yet) and everything ran fine and operated fine. Shoot, it even idled about perfect. It's just that dang starter!!!
Yeah, i guess i'll have to check that ignition module and check the terminals. It's a new module, so i'm sure it's not BAD, and i even took it out and tried to just push the little lever myself to see if it wasn't just goin that far or something in the dash.
Otherwise, i'm with you... big red button. Except i'd prolly put it underneath the dash where noone can see it.
Lee

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