Guys my issue when I go to start my car the Amp meter goes all the way negative and nothing happens. Sometimes a jump will get it turning sometimes not. If I take the wires off the starter and reconnect it starts. The connections are clean and tight. The car is a standard clutch interlock still attached. If it’s the interlock would I see the movement on the Amp meter I’ve been dealing with this off and on for a while now. It has a Powermaster high torque mini 9500. I know I’ll be looking at voltage drop tomorrow. Any other thoughts? As always Thanks in advance.

 

You definitely have some wiring problems. When your ignition is turned to START, the ammeter should not be showing any reading (still at 0 amps). The current 'signal' will reach the meter, but it should not have power to operate. There are some 'creative wiring' things going on with your vehicle.

As to it not starting-- If the starting circuit is really drawing significant current but the starter motor is not turning, it is possible that the armature brushes in the starter are completely worn out. If you have the original starter in the car and it has never been rebuilt, that is certainly a possibility.

You could have a faulty starter solenoid or an out-of-adjustment Neutral Start Switch. Either would prevent the starter from receiving current from the battery. But, neither of these faults would draw enough current to move an ammeter all the way to full discharge position.

P.S. If you really have a Voltmeter (instead of an Amp meter), it would still seem that you were drawing significant current when you try to start the engine. So, I think my focus would still be on the starter, itself.

 

WAG
Poor / hi-resistance connections in heavy gauge cable(s). Perhaps cable(s) itself is corroded beneath its insulation ... happens.

 

Three Checks.
1. Do you hear the solenoid click? If yes, the clutch switch/ignition is likely good.
2. Does the solenoid click once or multiple times? If once, it is likely the starter brushes or the solenoid. Most likely the solenoid since when you retighten the battery cable at the starter you are disturbing the lug the cable is attached to, That lug is actually the contact in the solenoid and is prone to wearing away. .
3. If the solenoid clicks multiple times rapidly, it is going to be a bad battery, high resistance in the cables or a bad/ shorted starter.

 

One click when meter pegs. I always kind of blamed it on the clutch interlock.

 

If that click is the solenoid, it is not the clutch switch. Easy check. Hold the key in the start position and operate the clutch several times. If the solenoid clicks on the way down releases on the way up (two slightly different sounding clicks) the clutch interlock is working.

 

If your problem is the Neutral Start Switch, Clutch Start Switch, or a starter solenoid that doesn't actuate, THERE WILL BE LITTLE OR NO CURRENT DRAW shown on you BAT gauge.

 

That answers my main question.

 

Thanks for everyone’s input hopefully I can track this down