Check the ignition switch on the steering column. The key cylinder turns a gear, which actuates a rod that runs down the column to the switch. The switch is on slotted mounts, and is adjustable. If it is too far down, the rod will not actuate it properly, and nothing will happen when you turn the key.

 

Along the same lines.. if you have tilt & telescopic wheel, try tilting the wheel back down (assuming it may have been tilted up). Had a power blip once and this fixed it.

 

You're going to need an extra pair of hands for this and a circuit tester. What you basically need to do is test each junction point in the various circuits to see where you are losing juice. So with the key in the start position you will need to test at the switch (bottom of the steering column), neutral safety switch, before and after fusible link and the starter posts at the solenoid. Somewhere along the line you are losing power. Keep in mind that the biggest electrical problems these cars have is grounding. Be sure to check all the ground straps for metal to metal contact - not metal to paint.

Good Luck!

 

I don't see how you can test the switch at the bottom of the steering column. I mean, without removing the steering column. I can't even see the thing. I can feel it and can feel that the harness is plugged in, but beyond that, there is not access. Also, where is there a fusible link? I don't see a fuse anywhere on the wiring diagram that I have. Finally, Leo23 spoke of a rod that runs down the steering column that, if out of adjustment "nothing" would happen when the key is turned. By "nothing" does that also include the lights and buzzer? Because I get that when the key is turned. Just no starter.

Thanks,
Bryan

 

Not sure if you have a manual trans or not, but there's not only a neutral safety switch, there's also a clutch safety switch as well. It's deep up there in the foot well, but you can pull it and jumper that.

Another thing, if you have a tilt wheel, try tilting it down from the full up position. My 74' will not start if the column is all the way up.

 

It is an auto so no clutch safety switch and I have a standard, non tilting column. Thanks.

 

Raphiki has the right path going on. Yes, you are going to have to drop the column to get to the top of that column. Yes, you are going to be chasing the purple wire down the path, from the ignition to the solonoid to see where that 12v drops out. It's not that hard to drop the column. Two bolts underneath the column and two bolts deep in the top, look and you'll see them.

GM designed it this way, so that it would be difficult to hotwire the car. The ignition key itself has no wiring behind it whatsoever. It simply actuates or pushes on a rod that runs down the top of the steering column to a sliding switch under the steering column support. They made it deliberately tough to do that, so that thieves can't hot wire the car. Note that the sliding switch is protected on all sides by the metal enclosure that also acts as the support.

Now that the switch is exposed, you can turn the key and see if the 12V comes out. Also, remember, that the same purple wire, is supposed to hook on the terminal that's on the inside of the starter when it's mounted (between the starter and the engine block. The other small wire coming out of the soloniod (on the outside, between the starter and the fender) is the 12v for bypassing the coil resistor and providing extra juice to the coil, because the draw on the battery while it's starting weakens the overall voltage available for the coil.

If you have an MSD or electronic ignition, you don't need the wire coming out. Basically, you're following the 12v from the ignition, all the way to the starter.

 

Ok, so I pulled the neutral safety switch connector and checked for current there. On the purple/white wire, I have 12.6v when the key is turned. When I re-attach the connector and check for power at the purple wire that connects to the S post on the starter, I get nothing. However, when I jump the purple/white and solid purple wire, I get 12.6v at the purple wire that attaches to the S post on the starter. Sounds promising, but even with this, once the purple wire is attached to the starter and I turn the key, nothing. I have checked the ground. The black ground wire in the bundle for the starter is attached directly to the block, no paint, no corrosion. This just doesn't make any damn sense. Hopefully someone can tell me where I am missing something.

 

Tough one for sure!

 

When you put 12 volts to the solenoid does it make a clicking sound? If not you have a bad solenoid.

 

If I apply 12v straight from the battery to the solenoid I get a click. If I apple 12v from the batt to the starter motor terminal, the motor runs. If I hook up a remote starter, the override clutch engages.

 

So with the starter in the car, hooking up a remote starter, the override clutch engages (it makes that strange 'whirring' sound, instead of making the starter run), am I right? And of course, this is how it is hooked up, right?

 

BTW, I had similar starting problems with my 74' and I sh!tcanned the old GM starter and got a new High Torque starter and I haven't had any problems since. Me thinks your solonoid maybe clicking, but it's not engaging the internal electrical contact that makes that starter motor run.

 

So, with the starter out of the car, I hooked up jumper cables black to batt - and red to batt +, then black to the large post on the starter motor and red to the large post on the solenoid. From there I hooked up a remote starter. One lead to the large solenoid post and one to the S terminal. Pushed the button and the starter worked. Then applied jumper red directly to S post, solenoid clicked. Then, applied jumper red directly to the motor terminal, motor ran. I'm not an expert but my understanding is that this series of tests confirms that the solenoid, override clutch and motor all function properly.

 

Oh, and yes, that is how mine is hooked up, minus the yellow wire. HEI.

 

If this is the case, then we have to consider not only voltage, but current too. Because if your starter works on the bench, the way you say it does, but doesn't work in the vehicle, then the problem has to be in the vehicle itself. I'm only bringing up voltage and current, because voltage is a difference in potential and current is what does the work. There may be something in your vehicle's electrical that is allowing the 12v to show up at the solonoid, but limiting the amount of current that will do the 'work'. Someone else please chime in and correct me if I'm wrong. Use to be an Electronics Technician a couple o' decades ago, so I'm just surmising here.

 

double check keyed ignition wires that plug into HEI cap?

 

Is there some way to measure current and if so, what figure would you be looking for?

 

Good question and I'll be honest, I'm not sure what kind of current you'd be looking for, but... high resistance will limit current and you can measure that, especially from the battery to the starter and the starting circuit itself. The resistance for the starter circuit should be really low, like under 10 ohms.


http://www.ehow.com/how_6363884_trou...-starters.html

Check the battery cables with the ohmmeter to see if there is excessive resistance. Turn the **** on the voltmeter to ohms. Disconnect the red battery positive terminal on the battery. Connect the black lead on the volt/ohmmeter to the negative terminal on the battery and use the red lead to probe the now removed red positive terminal from the battery. The resistance should be infinite. Remove the black lead from the battery terminal and connect it to the opposite end of the battery cable at the starter solenoid. Again touch the red lead to the battery side of the cable and the black lead to the solenoid side. The ohms should show zero (no resistance). If it shows more than 100 ohms, replace the wire.



Read more: How to Troubleshoot With GM Starters | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_6363884_trou...#ixzz2C2HLt1k5


I highlighted in bold and put in answers in italics on your quote.

Also:

I'd like to know if both of the statements below are true:

From there I hooked up a remote starter. One lead to the large solenoid post and one to the S terminal. Pushed the button and the starter worked (So when you're saying the starter worked, pushing the remote starter button caused the solonoid to both push the gear out to where it would meet the flywheel AND run the Starter motor, correct?).

[B]Then applied jumper red directly to S post, solenoid clicked [/B](this is without any power to the big post or starter motor post, right?).

 

Ok, I did the first of the two tests you offered above. When disconnecting the + battery cable, connecting the black probe to the - terminal and the red probe to the now disconnected + terminal, I get a reading of .086. I don't know the significance of that value. As for the second of the two tests, I'm not completely clear on what I am supposed to do.

For the two quotes, I just went out and ran it again. The first, yes, when hooked up this way, the gear pushes out and spins. The second, the gear pushes out as if to meet the flywheel. No spinning though.