scooter18155

have been having issues with my car not starting pretty much sense i got it. This was an intermittent problem it seemed to come and go as it wanted to. it would start fine one day and work fine for an uncertain amount of time sometimes a day or at times up to week or more with no issues until it decided to be a pia again. well upon getting it out of hibernation early last week i got it started up for a bit and then a cpl days later went out to move it to work on my bad brake line and the starter finally took a dump on me. would get clicking noise from solenoid and some buzzing sound from dash (kinda behind the radio) which i have no clue what that noise is from. now i put a new starter in and still wont start. I don't get nothing no start no clicking just nothing. when i took out the old starter i did have it tested and it tested bad so it was definitely a bad starter I'm just unsure of where to look next.

a cpl things of note on this subject is

1 i had previously put in a new ignition switch last summer thinking it may be my intermittent starting issue which still persisted afterward Is it possible when the starter took a dump it fried this?

2 when starting issue would occur last summer my battery would also go dead. when this happened i would hook up a battery charger which has an automatic car start feature which would give me 14 plus volts according to the dash and still wont start until i let it sit that way for 5 10 Min's. I do have power now without the battery charger plugged in and letting it sit overnight to see if thats still the case tommorow.

3 the new starter i got my mechanic who does allot of my work had the starter cross referenced to try and save me a few bucks. Could this be my problem? maybe solenoid connection is different on corvette vs other vehicles? I did hook up the wires the same way they came off.

4 one of my concerns is the security module being crap causing my car to not start. If i just unplug it should it start or does it need to be present? (considering everything else was good) one reason I'm thinking this may be my problem is one of the fuses keeps blowing and is one of the fuses that this module is on. I should add that fuse is the one that runs radio horn lights in doors and lock switches. also if i press the horn it blows that fuse.

I'm really depressed that it doesn't start. even if i still had previous issue with intermittent starting problems at least i could still go for an occasional cruise. Ill tell ya this much i definitely don't want to do that damn starter again. I never had such a hard time with one before. the bracket that bolts to the back of the starter and goes up to the block just under the exhaust manifold wouldn't come off the starter. I ended up having to take the exhaust manifold off the motor to make room to unbolt that bracket. the bolt on the starter it bolted to just kept turning and couldn't get to the inside nut to hold it tight to unbolt the damn thing. anyways any ideas or input on this would be really help full

scooter18155

heres an update. I have confirmed my wiring to the starter is correct. However as i can tell by a voltage tester i am not getting any juice to my ignition wire at the starter. Does anyone know if there is a line fuse in that wire and approximately where it is? I also pulled that 10 amp fuse just behind the drivers instrument control panel just above the radio to disable the alarm in case that was my issue and the problem is unchanged. I also disconnected both horns and tried the horn button to see if the fuse blew and it didn't so i think i narrowed my problem there to the horns themselves. If it was the wiring in the column which i was afraid it was even with the horns disconnected pushing the horn button should still blow the fuse correct? I left the fuse in to see what happens previously fuse would blow when the car would sit overnight even though horns weren't touched. hopefully the fuse will be still good when i get at my car again. I am going to take the carpeted cover off under steering column and give the ignition switch a check there to see if that is my problem even though it isn't that old. I really don't know what else to check for as to why I'm not getting any juice to my ignition wire.

jhammons01

You have an electrical short somewhere draining your battery.

The fuse blowing over night would be where I would start.

The alarm being disconnected may be why you are not getting any voltage to the starter.

The main terminal to the starter may be corroded and broken.

scooter18155

i believe the electrical short was in the horns themselves which are disconnected. and i will be checking that fuse either today or tomorrow to see if it is blown. however pushing the horn button didn't blow it like it use to.

I don't think the main terminal to the starter is corroded it is a new starter. I have power anywheres i need it to be except the ignition wire. so i know the battery cable is OK and the connections at the starter are fine Ive checked and double checked those a cpl times already

How does an alarm being disconnected keep the vehicle from getting voltage at the ignition wire? I do get main power from the battery at the starter just not at the ignition wire when the key is turned over. I was told by others at a different forum pulling that fuse will disarm and disable the factory security module thus rendering the alarm inoperative and eliminating that as a possible problem. is this info wrong?

jhammons01

Maybe not, I'm just throwing things out there as no one else offered anything.

Lotsa times my inaccurate response gets the Gurus prompted to correct me.

The main positive wire may be corroded enough not to allow a full charge to reach the starter and that was your starter dragging issue. The fact that the ignition wire does nothing leads to things that disable it......alarm systems.

I think you have a few different electrical issues.

The horn circuit is messed up somehow draining the battery and blowing fuses. This may not be related to why you don't get voltage to the starter when you turn the key.

I dunno for sure, but maybe my statements will get the real Guru's to speak up.

scooter18155

i wouldnt worry about what others think of your posts like you said at least your spitting ideas which is more then they have contributed so far. I think my next step will be to check the ignition switches both on the column under the dash and the key switch. Perhaps the guy who installed it didnt tighten it down properly and it came out of adjustment? I didnt do that job myself so i dont know if it can be adjusted back and forth. I do know when you turn your key it pushes a rod which makes the ignition switch under the dash work so my thinking is maybe there is room to slide it one way or another. maybe ill get a new one to try if there is no adjustment and try that. I didnt make it to the car today so tommorow i will. this is just agrivating at the least. at least i got a few things taken care of in this process. i think i know where my horn problem is. the car seems to hold charge alot better then it did previously. It is hard to say how well as the battery gets used without it running so it drains with little chargeing. I try to hook up the battery charger on it to keep it up.

scooter18155

well i finally got it going again. turns out that the ignition switch was bad. thanks hammons for the suggestions.