my 71 bb used to start fine. all of a sudden it will not turn over. You turn the key and nothing. After awhile it did turn over. Now it is back to nothing. i took the battery up and it checked out ok. i put it back in and still nothing. The lights and horn work fine. I have 12 v at the coil, horn relay and yellow and red wire on the solenoid. The purple wire on the solenoid reads grounded. I am thinking it is the ign switch or starter solenoid. Any suggestions. i would hate to take the starter out and it is good. any way i can jumper something to make it start??

thanks

 

after reading some old posts i am thinking it could be the ignition switch rod. maybe it needs adjustment or the cylinder is not moving it at all???

 

if you touch a direct 12 to the purple ignition wire will it turn over. (i think its the purple one. Im too lazy to go look at which wire i have a scrape and a shield on for my remote starter)

 

Dumb question: Manual or Automatic?

Another dumb one: When you say "The purple wire on the solenoid reads grounded.", can you be more specific? Are you measuring potential difference (voltage) between the purple wire and ground and getting zero? Or are you measuring resistance between the purple wire and ground and getting zero?

Thought: If you have an manual, and you are reading zero voltage between the purple wire at the solenoid and ground, that would be expected if the clutch was not depressed. If someone is in the car depressing the clutch and you still get no volts at the purple wire, your "neutral safety switch" (sometimes called a "clutch cut-out switch on manuals) may be bad. This is easy to diagnose. Stick your head WAY under the dash and pull the connector at the top of the clutch pedal arm that has a purple wire and a purple wire with a white stripe conntected to it (in order to do this, I have to get in my car "upside down", in other words, seeing/reaching this connector is not easy for a 6'1" 230 pound guy. You have been warned). Make yourself a double spade jumper wire, and jump that connector. If it is your clutch cut-out switch, your starter motor should operate as normal, and your clutch cut-out switch needs to be adjusted or replaced. If you do so, please be aware that you have defeated one of the safety features of your car such that the car can move when the key is turned to "start" even if your transmission is in gear.

If it isn't the above, post the answers to the questions above, and more help will be available.

 

OK, its a 4sp manual. I read gnd on purple wire reading the resistance between gnd and purple wire. I can check the clutch cut off switch tomorrow. I will jump it. after i jump it and is still does not start i am thinking it is the ignition switch rod. what do you think

thanks

 

with PK

If your using an ohm meter the purple will read grounded.
Try turning your multi meter to volts and read the purple with the key in the start position,clutch pushed in.

 

That's because you walked me through this one two years ago! I just figured I would save you the typing.

 

i put 12v on the purple wire on the solenoid and it started. so looked at the clutch safety switch and it was loose. pushed it in and i am good. thanks for all the help.

 

Thanks......