Anyone have a picture or a good description on where the starter interrupt relay is located on an 82?

 

It should be located under the center console I believe, see pic attached. It could be the anti theft system keeping your car from starting. It is located behind the passenger seat, inside of the storage compartment on the bulkhead. Here is a picture of where it is located, next to the power antenna relay, just to the left of it.

 

Is it one of these?

 

The one on the left should be for the rear window defogger. The one on the right with the cream colored housing is the power antenna relay. There should be one other module further to the right in your picture that is not shown, it should be the anti theft module. Remember that the actual starter interrupt relay is up under the console, mounted on the same bracket that the console bolts to, it is in the picture I sent earlier. Here is the wiring diagram for it.

 

That's what I thought. Unfortunately it doesn't match the starter interrupt relay from either Zip Corvette Parts or Corvette Mods:

Any suggestions where this is located?

 

That is the starter relay and is mounted on the center console bracket, just where the shifter surround plate bolts to the bracket. If you know where the neutral safety switch is by the shifter, the relay is right in front of it.

 

Great! Thank you!

 

Just curious but are you having a starting issue or something?

 

Yes. Two weeks ago she started and ran great. Then last weekend turned the key and nothing, not even a click. So its either the starter solenoid or I'm not getting power to the solenoid. I'm trying to run down power to the solenoid. Also three of my gauges suddenly stopped reading properly several months ago (oil pressure, oil temperature and water temperature). I'm beginning to wonder if I'm losing ground connections due to contact corrosion. I had a problem with locking and unlocking the doors which was solved by disconnecting the switches then reconnecting them.

 

Check the starter harness extension going from the firewall down to the starter. There are two fusible links located in it and can cause the issue you are having if one of them burned out. Fairly common issue. Also check your main ground where it comes off the battery and goes through the body to the frame mounting location. That is your main ground from the battery to the frame and can get corroded.

 

Thanks again! I will check them out. If it were the main ground, would windows, radio, door locks, etc. still work?

 

Probably not. If it was a main ground issue you would normally see a hard starting issue especially when the car is warm.

Sounds like you have lost power to a specific circuit. Have you checked all the fuses to make sure one has not blown? It is a pain in the butt to get to them.

There are a few possibilities here that can cause the issues you have. It could be the ignition switch, the fusible links in the harness I showed or even the neutral safety switch. My first thought is the fusible links or the connector on that harness.

 

The only fuse I checked was the "crank" fuse which was fine. Are there other fuses that could cause no power to the starter solenoid? On other cars when I had an issue with the neutral safety switch it was usually out of adjustment and I could always start-up in neutral just not in park. On the 82 I can't start in either neutral or park. Can the neutral safety switch fail such that it won't start in either park or neutral?

 

I have the exact same issue with my 82 now. However, mine is VERY random and of course at the wrong time while out. I have some things to check and a few new parts that I will change only because I have them and have had them for a while now. Mine almost always starts with a jump which is really odd. But it does exactly what you describe, turn the key and nothing. It's not my battery either or connections ie...ground.

I know it is not my ignition cylinder or switch because I have replaced those for another issue a while ago. Cylinder, because it was worn too much and could pull the key out while running and the switch just because I was already there do the other part anyway. Both work just fine. Again, the odd part is that if I jump it, it will start right up. So, kind of scratching my head on that one a bit. I do have an extra neutral safety switch on hand and a new lower harness that I bought a long time ago just in-case. The starter is a mini high torque and seems to be just fine. I also had an issue a while ago with the ignition lug on there and fixed that as well.

It works just fine if I just drive it, then randomly doesn't want to start after sitting a while, like at a car show..which is a PITA when that happens. If you find the issue, post it up, might save me a lot of probing around with my meter, but it is VERY hard to find a intermittent electrical issue when out with it. I wish I could be of more help, but I appear to be in the same boat at the moment. Ugh!

 

I had the exact t same problem on my 82. Turned out to be the connector in the console had worked itself loose. Fired up and has run great (knock on wood) once the connection was cleaned and reconnected.

 

Which connector in the console was the culprit? Was it the one going to the starter interrupt relay?

 

I said the same thing that the OP just said...Which connector are you talking about, there are many.

 

Apologies for the vague description earlier. I actually discovered the problem area tracking the issue back from the starter solenoid. I had determined the neutral safety switch was ok and tracked the wiring (purple wire) back from the starter into the console, and I believe it is the connector going into the anti-theft relay that was the culprit - the starting circuit wire (dk grn/white wire I think). In any event the offending connector is under the consent in the circuit between the starter switch and the starter.

Trouble shooting description

 

OK, that's what I was thinking on mine, the anti theft system (maybe relay) was wigging out for some reason. I just hadn't gotten around to it yet since summer here in Arizona is starting to kick in and the temps are getting up there already. I guess I need to accelerate my AC plans for the garage sooner than planned.

 

Thanks for the details!