try cleaning up the very hard to see, let alone clean,engine ground.
Ground issues?
Thread Starter
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 65
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From: Houston TX
Ground issues?
I was having problems starting my 75 and found if I moved the negative battery cable around the car would start. So I trimmed the end of the cable, reset the clamp/collar, then cleaned up the connection to the frame (twice). Now the car won't start. Battery is good, everything turns on but starter doesn't make a noise. Any ideas?
Safety Car
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From: Palm Harbor, Florida
Le Mans Master
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From: melbourne florida
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
the ground cable from the battery to chassis is notorious for trouble. some maybe all were made with aluminum cable clad in copper. once the battery side terminal leaks a little the cable is doomed to corrosion. mine wouldn't start the car on cold days started fine on warm days. that cable may appear fine and be garbage
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Drifting
Joined: Jan 2002
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From: Schaumburg IL
Maybe I went for an overkill but after I made a new battery to frame ground, a new frame to engine on the starter side and added a frame to engine on the drivers side, the starter spins better than before. I used welding ground cable and soldered brass lugs and used shrink tubing on the connectors, the parasitic battery drain we get when sitting is almost eliminated. With glass cars getting solid grounds are extremely important.
Your not starting could be grounds or it could be the positive cable from the battery to the starter has problems. Take a digitial volt meter and measure battery voltage. Now do the same at the starter referening the + cable and the frame - and the drop should be almost 0. Corrosion, bad crimps etc are usually the problem -- unless you broke a wire on the starter like the "S" terminal. That's if you were messing in that area.
Your not starting could be grounds or it could be the positive cable from the battery to the starter has problems. Take a digitial volt meter and measure battery voltage. Now do the same at the starter referening the + cable and the frame - and the drop should be almost 0. Corrosion, bad crimps etc are usually the problem -- unless you broke a wire on the starter like the "S" terminal. That's if you were messing in that area.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 65
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From: Houston TX
Thanks for input. The battery ground is clean, the starter to frame ground is clean and I'm getting good power to the starter using the frame as a ground and using the starter ground post. I also connected the battery to the frame with jumper cables and have the same problem - plenty of juice but nothing from the starter. I'm going to pull the starter and have it bench tested.
Pro
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 610
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From: Vancouver B.C.
Agree with Bigvette. Do you have a remote bump starter. If I remember one wire to purple on solenoid, the other to positive on starter. Touching wires or squeezing remote bump starter tool should bump starter. Other thing maybe neutral safety switch. Likely the starter though.