pancake

Two days ago, I finished installing a set of rear speakers in my car and I turned the key and it turned over and fired off like you would expect. I went out to start it yesterday, turned the key, and it did nothing. No clicks, nothing. I let off the key and let it return to the running position and the radio, fan, dash lights, and gauges all powered up.

To diagnose, I measured battery voltage (12.26v) and then jacked up the car to check the wires at the starter. On this car, there are two red wires with fuseable links running to the same lug and I got battery voltage there. There is the heavy duty cable running from the battery and I had voltage there. There is a fourth wire that is black in color (but I think it might be red and just covered in 34 years of oil) and I tried to measure the voltage there when the key was turned but I couldn't get anything.

I popped the connector apart at the firewall and tried to clean it up a bit. Nothing changed.

Also worth mentioning - one of the two red wires with the fuseable links is missing the insulation which I'm assuming means that the fuseable link has popped. It's been that way since I bought the car and I haven't had an issue with it yet.

That makes me think that the ignition switch might be crapped out, but I wanted to run it by some people on here to see if ya'll had any recommendations on what to check, etc.

Though it's probably a bad ground. I did check the engine ground, too. It was tight on the block and on the frame. And the single ground wire that comes out of the wire loom for the starter and attaches to the bell housing bolt seemed like it was ok, too.

Any help is appreciated.

666WMD

I know it sounds dodgy, but have you tried hot-wiring it? Should tell you straight away if the ignition is your problem.

Or use a DMM to test the ignition....

my 76 ray

Your radio, fan etc. all work so your fusible link is OK. I would look at the neutral safety switch if it's an automatic or the clutch switch if it's a manual transmission. I would also look at the ignition switch. Sometimes the neutral safety switch is just out of adjustment and you can hold the key in the start position and move the gear shift a little and it will make contact and start. When you do that MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE BRAKES FIRMLY APPLIED in case you move it into gear and it starts.

I like to start my diagnosis at the neutral safety switch because it's in the middle. If you don't have power coming into the swich then you move back to the ignition switch. If you have power coming into the switch but not out, the switch is the problem. If you have power in and out of the switch then you move forward to the solenoid.

Good luck.

pancake

You know, I didn't realize it had a clutch safety switch. It would turn over with the car in gear before. I guess ill start there.. I tried wiggling the gear shifter, key, and steering column to see if i could find play where contact was made and never got anything to work.

Edit to clarify:
The car would turn over with it in gear and my foot off the clutch before.. ill jack it up and check on the transmission to see if there is power at that switch.

cm2dinger

The clutch switch is on the clutch it self it makes no never mind what gear a 4 speed is in.

Jud Chapin

Out of curiosity, have you tested the battery under load and determined that its cables are tight and in good condition?

pancake

I have not load tested the battery, I just put my multi-meter on it. I don't believe the battery is weak because there is no audible clicking noise or anything else you'd expect from a low battery.. and all the lights, radio, and fan work just like they should. Its an optima red top that's only about 8 most old.

Jud Chapin

I would do the easy stuff first and load test it or have it done at Autozone, etc. They don't charge for the test. And don't forget to have a good look at the battery cables. FWIW, I worked part time at Advance Auto after I retired and saw quite a few (too many) Optima batteries being returned under warranty. IMHO, they are overrated for automobile use.

pancake

Ok. It's not the battery (but I already knew that.)

I push in the clutch, turn the key, and then move the gear shift lever either to the left or down into 2nd or 4th and it fires right up.

I guess neutral safety switch as stated up above by '76 Ray

So I'll look at that now.

...Roger...

Some of the wiring for the neutral switch goes through the console ?
You could be torquing the engine and trans and grounding the engine.

pancake

I've got solid motor mounts and a poly trans mount. It doesn't move very much.. but the old motor mounts were totally hosed so it definitely could've rubbed/abraded/damaged/pinched the insulation or a wire. But I still think I need to check the adjustment of whatever safety switch is there on the shifter or transmission.

...Roger...

You have clutch switch , not the neutral switch that an auto trans has.

You could also have a loose pos cable at the starter

...Roger...

Your clutch switch is attached under the dash to the clutch pedal

pancake

See that's what I don't get. I didn't move the clutch pedal at all. I fully depressed it, turned the key.. got nothing. Moved the shift lever around and it would start in some positions.

I also tested this with the car in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. It'll start with the gear selector in 2nd and 4th. It'll also start if I apply rearward pressure (like lightly pushing it towards the 2nd and 4th gate).

The clutch safety switch is definitely disconnected or jumped. The clutch does not need to be depressed to engage the starter.

Also - The car has what appears to be the factory alarm on it. Any idea if that might interfere?

...Roger...

In this thread is a picture of the clutch switch
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...-not-work.html

...Roger...

If you have a set of jumper cables,attach 1 cable to the neg term of the battery and the other end of the cable to the transmission and try to start. That might tell us something.
That will rule out torquing creating a ground.

pancake

Forgive me if I am misunderstanding you, but I think I can eliminate torquing creating a ground without that cause the start doesn't even attempt to engage until I move the shift lever. It I turn the key and it does absolutely nothing.. then I move the shifter and vrooom!

When I say it doesn't engage.. I mean it doesn't do anything. No clicking, no spinning.. it does nothing.

...Roger...

Moving the shift lever is obviously doing something. My thought is ,pulling on the lever is slightly moving the trans and creating a path to ground. The ground could be finding a path through the exhaust brackets and hangers around the shift assembly. It might not be a grounding issue but its worth considering.

...Roger...

Maybe whoever bypassed the clutch switch did it in the console at the spot where the auto trans neutral switch plugs in and moving the shifter is making that connection.

(That seems odd but due to the wiring design you can bypass at either place)

pancake

Ahhh.. Ok. I see what you're saying. I'll go out and check under the dash for the clutch safety switch just to see if it's there or not.. or if it was jumpered or bubba'd. And then I'll try the jumper cable idea and see what it does.

I should probably pull the carpet off of the console and see if there are wires interfering with the shifter.