Urgent no start help
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,941
Likes: 939
From: Chattanooga Tennessee
Urgent no start help
I'm sorry for the lack of background info, suffice to say a buddy bought a 71 270 horse 4 speed car yesterday from a private seller. Drove it all day no issues, last night it would only solenoid click at the gas station. Another buddy came and tapped on the starter and it worked but only intermittently the rest of the day.
Today I put a reman/lifetime starter on it, first one was wrong, second one fit fine. I cleaned the terminals and put everything back as it came. This was not my first rodeo however I still took a photo to make sure on tear down. Now the car will not attempt to start bit I do hear a solenoid click.
If anyone can help me troubleshoot this I'm much obliged. Wiring looks stock except for a ground attached to one of the starter bolts.
Thanks again! There are three little kids running around my buddies place like Indians while I try to resolve the issue!!!
Today I put a reman/lifetime starter on it, first one was wrong, second one fit fine. I cleaned the terminals and put everything back as it came. This was not my first rodeo however I still took a photo to make sure on tear down. Now the car will not attempt to start bit I do hear a solenoid click.
If anyone can help me troubleshoot this I'm much obliged. Wiring looks stock except for a ground attached to one of the starter bolts.
Thanks again! There are three little kids running around my buddies place like Indians while I try to resolve the issue!!!
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,941
Likes: 939
From: Chattanooga Tennessee
Had a helper hold the clutch and turn the switch while I took readings. 12.2 volts at battery terminal on solenoid. No voltage to starter motor when the key was in the start position!
Also, around 6 volts to the coil. No voltage from the (switch? Safety switch?) post by the block.
Then the fusible link behind the master cylinder started smoking!
Also, around 6 volts to the coil. No voltage from the (switch? Safety switch?) post by the block.
Then the fusible link behind the master cylinder started smoking!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 2,632
Likes: 112
From: Great Plains Iowa
The C3's came from the factory with an aluminum engine-to-frame ground cable and it MUST be replaced with a copper ground cable with crimped-on copper ring terminals to ensure a good ground. After many years the insides of the aluminum ground cable's crimped-on aluminum ring terminals get corrosion and then current will hardly flow. Just an ordinary 4-gauge 18" long copper ground cable is needed.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,941
Likes: 939
From: Chattanooga Tennessee
The C3's came from the factory with an aluminum engine-to-frame ground cable and it MUST be replaced with a copper ground cable with crimped-on copper ring terminals to ensure a good ground. After many years the insides of the aluminum ground cable's crimped-on aluminum ring terminals get corrosion and then current will hardly flow. Just an ordinary 4-gauge 18" long copper ground cable is needed.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,941
Likes: 939
From: Chattanooga Tennessee
There is such a high amp draw (full peg left) when I hit the start position on the switch I feel like the solenoid is passing all that current back through the system. Hence the smoke near the horn relay.
The old starter was working when it was hit with a hammer a bit. And this morning it was cranking fine (happened to be) when I pulled it. Since I have not changed anything else one iota except to clean the wire ends- and my photo confirms I put it back together the same... I'm wondering if I got a bum rebuilt starter?
Am I making a reasonable assumption? Think I will try another brand in the am.
The old starter was working when it was hit with a hammer a bit. And this morning it was cranking fine (happened to be) when I pulled it. Since I have not changed anything else one iota except to clean the wire ends- and my photo confirms I put it back together the same... I'm wondering if I got a bum rebuilt starter?
Am I making a reasonable assumption? Think I will try another brand in the am.
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,222
Likes: 93
From: shelbyville West Michigan
if you are not getting +12v to the S terminal when you turn the key to start, you have a problem seperate from the starter. don't replace the starter until you trace the lack of power to the start terminal. that is not a starter problem, it's a wiring, relay, neutral safety or key switch problem.
I might add, if you jump the S and batt terminal on the solenoid, the vehicle should turn over and attempt to start whether key is on or not. if you don't already have one, (and everybody on here should), go to HF and get a cheap $6 remote starter switch with the alligator clips on the ends so you can do this test. You can keep it in the car for emergency's as it will pretty much start anything if you put it on and turn the key to run...
I might add, if you jump the S and batt terminal on the solenoid, the vehicle should turn over and attempt to start whether key is on or not. if you don't already have one, (and everybody on here should), go to HF and get a cheap $6 remote starter switch with the alligator clips on the ends so you can do this test. You can keep it in the car for emergency's as it will pretty much start anything if you put it on and turn the key to run...
Last edited by gungatim; Jun 4, 2015 at 09:55 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 2,632
Likes: 112
From: Great Plains Iowa
Its highly likely your neutral safety switch next to your shift lever has bad contacts and is the reason you're not getting any current to your "S" terminal of your solenoid. Any time your starter fails to spin try putting the gear selector into N and then try cranking it. If it doesn't crank in P but does in N your neutral safety switch is certainly shot.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,941
Likes: 939
From: Chattanooga Tennessee
Thank you all for these posts. I believe in putting up the final solutions in threads for people who search later. In the end I guess I got a bad reading laying under the car with my multimeter. The s cable was ok.
The yesterday's remanufactured starter- ultima frim oreilly- failed the test when I crossed the posts. I bought another reman- a dura last from auto zone (also an offshore rebuilt I know) and installed with two shims. The car fired up, road tested great and restarted several times in all temp situations. So I'm chalking it up to a bad rebuild. Again my thanks! -Benton
The yesterday's remanufactured starter- ultima frim oreilly- failed the test when I crossed the posts. I bought another reman- a dura last from auto zone (also an offshore rebuilt I know) and installed with two shims. The car fired up, road tested great and restarted several times in all temp situations. So I'm chalking it up to a bad rebuild. Again my thanks! -Benton