79 won't turn over
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 8,918
Likes: 27
From: New Hill NC
Been a little busy with other things (softball season is finally here), but no luck in finding the problem. I did finally buy a Haynes manual to see the wiring diagrams.
I have no green/white wires coming out of the clutch safety switch. Just the purple/yellow wires leading to it. I've tried to bypass the switch by connecting the two together (purple to yellow), but no such luck.
At the starter there are 3 wires that go to the large lug (one big black wire from the battery and 2 small red wires from the dash area) and one small one that goes to the small lug.
Let me ask....I've had the starter tested at Autozone twice now and they say its good. Is it possible that the solenoid is bad and yet their machine say its good? I've tried to start the car directly from the starter by jumping the large lug to the small lug and nothing happened, even though there was an arc.
I'm running out of options and patience. I hate to do this (and some might consider it a sin), but I'm thinking of having it hauled to a hopefully competent shop to at least find the problem.
Thanks again.
I have no green/white wires coming out of the clutch safety switch. Just the purple/yellow wires leading to it. I've tried to bypass the switch by connecting the two together (purple to yellow), but no such luck.
At the starter there are 3 wires that go to the large lug (one big black wire from the battery and 2 small red wires from the dash area) and one small one that goes to the small lug.
Let me ask....I've had the starter tested at Autozone twice now and they say its good. Is it possible that the solenoid is bad and yet their machine say its good? I've tried to start the car directly from the starter by jumping the large lug to the small lug and nothing happened, even though there was an arc.
I'm running out of options and patience. I hate to do this (and some might consider it a sin), but I'm thinking of having it hauled to a hopefully competent shop to at least find the problem.
Thanks again.
If you jump that thing across the large hot terminal and the inside solinloid terminal and it dont go, you got a bad starter or solinoid. Assuming that as I stated before, the battery is good.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 147
Likes: 0
From: Lafayette IN
So I spent some time over the weekend with a friend trying to figure this out. In the few hours we spent running down the problem, we figured it had to be the starter. There was power on the purple (actually orange on mine- I have no purple) when the key was turned. Even though Autozone said the starter was good, we bought a new one. $35 for a new starter isn't bad for one thats clean. A new starter did not solve the problem. No change.
I described before a popping noise down by the starter when the key was held on the start position. I was able to witness this at the starter and saw that one of the wires going to the large lug was getting so hot, it began to melt the insulation between the fusible link and the starter. I watched this after we installed the new starter.
Yesterday I went in and checked the grounds. From the battery to the frame, I lightly cleaned the the frame with an angle grinder til I saw shiny metal. At the starter, whatever black wires that came from the same harness, I cleaned and stuck back on the engine bellhousing.
My buddy and I also pulled the wiring harness that led to the starter (the short one that runs from the pass side top of engine to starter) and checked for continuity. All the wires were good.
meh.......
I described before a popping noise down by the starter when the key was held on the start position. I was able to witness this at the starter and saw that one of the wires going to the large lug was getting so hot, it began to melt the insulation between the fusible link and the starter. I watched this after we installed the new starter.
Yesterday I went in and checked the grounds. From the battery to the frame, I lightly cleaned the the frame with an angle grinder til I saw shiny metal. At the starter, whatever black wires that came from the same harness, I cleaned and stuck back on the engine bellhousing.
My buddy and I also pulled the wiring harness that led to the starter (the short one that runs from the pass side top of engine to starter) and checked for continuity. All the wires were good.
meh.......
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,740
Likes: 3
From: Aurora Ontario
So I spent some time over the weekend with a friend trying to figure this out. In the few hours we spent running down the problem, we figured it had to be the starter. There was power on the purple (actually orange on mine- I have no purple) when the key was turned. Even though Autozone said the starter was good, we bought a new one. $35 for a new starter isn't bad for one thats clean. A new starter did not solve the problem. No change.
I described before a popping noise down by the starter when the key was held on the start position. I was able to witness this at the starter and saw that one of the wires going to the large lug was getting so hot, it began to melt the insulation between the fusible link and the starter. I watched this after we installed the new starter.
Yesterday I went in and checked the grounds. From the battery to the frame, I lightly cleaned the the frame with an angle grinder til I saw shiny metal. At the starter, whatever black wires that came from the same harness, I cleaned and stuck back on the engine bellhousing.
My buddy and I also pulled the wiring harness that led to the starter (the short one that runs from the pass side top of engine to starter) and checked for continuity. All the wires were good.
meh.......
I described before a popping noise down by the starter when the key was held on the start position. I was able to witness this at the starter and saw that one of the wires going to the large lug was getting so hot, it began to melt the insulation between the fusible link and the starter. I watched this after we installed the new starter.
Yesterday I went in and checked the grounds. From the battery to the frame, I lightly cleaned the the frame with an angle grinder til I saw shiny metal. At the starter, whatever black wires that came from the same harness, I cleaned and stuck back on the engine bellhousing.
My buddy and I also pulled the wiring harness that led to the starter (the short one that runs from the pass side top of engine to starter) and checked for continuity. All the wires were good.
meh.......
Shop manual says to disconnect purple (orange on yours). Jump that terminal to the main connecting (battery terminal...red one) and see if it cranks. If the starter cranks your problem is in one of several other things.
Jim
Last edited by jdp6000; May 14, 2007 at 10:08 AM.
