Think I might have found my problem....

[chaos254]

So I got myself a multimeter(which I don't really know how to use but im trying lol) so I could check to see if my clutch safety switch was getting power, etc. Before I checked it, this is what I found....

As you can see in the first picture... there is a wire spliced into the clutch safety switch and goes to some type of relay that has wires coming off it. Also there is a connector(left side of the picture) that has been spliced into as well but it is not connected to anything. Where is this connector supposed to go??

In the second picture you can see the very nice hack job going from the wiring on the clutch safety switch to the relay.

Hopefully just rewiring this correctly will fix my no start issue!

 

[HISSIN50]

If the car cranks (whir whir whir) but won't actually catch and run, the CSS is not the issue.

I cant see much in the pics. If your CSS wiring is cut and has a leg run to the relay and a leg run back to the cut, you can restore the wiring if you like. Or just check the relay terminals that the wires run to. For most starter kill installs, one leg would run to relay terminal 30 and one would go to 87A. If this is the case, the relay should not be an impediment (those terminals are connected when the relay is at rest).

FWIW, for CSS testing, a test light works just fine and is easier to use.

Good luck.

 

[chaos254]

thanks for the reply hissin. I would rather just fix the wiring instead of having some crappy hack job under the dash.

The car does not crank and I have already checked the starter(free replacement) and positive/negative cables(upgraded to 2ga). Lights still come on and dont dim when cranked. I've tried jumping it and still nothing.

So pretty much it is narrowed down to 3 things; clutch safety switch, starter relay, or ignition switch?

Where do I get a test light and how do I use it? Can I just use the multimeter I got? Sorry I'm a newb when it comes to electrical stuff.

 

[HISSIN50]

For either a test light or DMM:

Put the ground lead to a chassis ground (bare metal). Then put the red lead or test light into a terminal of the CSS (leave it all plugged in. You can get the lead piggybacked into the connector where the wires go into the plastic). Turn the key to crank WITHOUT pushing down on the clutch pedal. The car should not be able to start this way. Find which terminal shows 12 volts while cranking. THis is the feed into the ignition switch. If you have it, you're good to that point.

Now move your red lead to the other terminal. Apply the Emergency brake and be sure the car is in neutral. While cranking, push the button on the switch and see if your meter/light shows 12 volts with the button depressed. If it does, repeat the test using the clutch pedal as if you were going to drive off and see if the meter/light shows 12 volts.

If it doesn't, post and we can tell you how to do a continuity test on your switch (it takes 10 seconds with your meter). At that point, the switch is likely bad.

IF the switch has 12 volts in and out, the issue is downstream. We'd move onto the [slave] starter relay in the underhood fusebox. Post up if this is the case and we can go there.

Good luck.

 

[chaos254]

ok, so I fixed the hack job and re-wired it correctly. I also replaced the starter relay for the hell of it because it was only $6. It still does not start...

Hissin, I did what you said with the multimeter and after trying it multiple times, I did not have any power going to the clutch safety switch! I tried both terminals and nothing at all. I tested a couple of other wires by the fuse box to make sure I was doing it correctly and I got ~12v. So since I am not getting power to the clutch safety switch, where do I look now? Would that mean its the ignition switch? thanks

 

[HISSIN50]

You don't have any anti-theft systems, do you? This would include aftermarket stuff as well.

Check all the ignition fuses in the underhood fusebox.

At your ignition switch, the white/pink wire should show 12 volts while cranking position.

Here's diagram, courtesy of bmac50 in this thread.

Good luck.

 

[chaos254]

It did have an aftermarket alarm before I bought it in 2002. Thats where that hackjob wiring came from under the dash. I'm thinking it has to be the ignition switch since I never had any problems with it starting until recently. Then it would start some of the time and other times it would give me issues. Now its just completely dead.

I checked all the fuses under the hood and they all look good.

Not to sound like an idiot but when you say cranking position do you mean the accessory on position(everything comes on). Just want to make sure I was doing it right.



I think it just doesn't like this AZ heat lol. Good thing i'm moving to northern cali at the end of this month.

thanks for your help hissin