Car won't start
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 21
Likes: 1
Car won't start
I've had my 13 ls3 manual 6 car torn down for a couple months now, got it all back together and it won't start. When I power it on the dash lights up after a few seconds, fuel gauge reads zero & says service fuel & a few other lights, security light stays on solid & the handheld obd2 scanner says no connection but it does power up when you plug scanner into obd2 port so it's not the cigar fuse. All fuses check good & ive checked grounds I could find. Would the ignition relay I've heard a few people discussing cause this issue?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 2,211
Likes: 237
From: Indianapolis IN
You don't even have to take it out. Just jumper the excitation wire to positive. If it cranks then the problem is not the starter.
You want to jump the positive which is the one that has the terminal bent 90 degrees (in the pic it is straight for a different starter - middle terminal). Its easy to tell which big terminal wire it is because ground goes to the block. I found a pic from another post here. You take a wire from there to the small terminal. In this picture the small terminal shows it shaped funny. Should be easy to determine. Make sure that the car ignition is powered off. You don't want the car to actually start. You are just checking to see that when those two are jumped that it does or does not crank. If it does crank then you need to check continuity to ground. Then you will need someone to get into the car to see if the ignition switch wire is getting voltage. We can go from there if it does crank with the jumper and you need help with wiring or component diag.
You want to jump the positive which is the one that has the terminal bent 90 degrees (in the pic it is straight for a different starter - middle terminal). Its easy to tell which big terminal wire it is because ground goes to the block. I found a pic from another post here. You take a wire from there to the small terminal. In this picture the small terminal shows it shaped funny. Should be easy to determine. Make sure that the car ignition is powered off. You don't want the car to actually start. You are just checking to see that when those two are jumped that it does or does not crank. If it does crank then you need to check continuity to ground. Then you will need someone to get into the car to see if the ignition switch wire is getting voltage. We can go from there if it does crank with the jumper and you need help with wiring or component diag.
Last edited by User Omega; Nov 16, 2016 at 02:00 AM.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 21
Likes: 1
This isn't my starter but a good pic of the same starter. Mine has 2 wires up top where the stud would be( it's broken off of this starter in pic) jump it over to the right side where the little wire that clips in goes?
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 2,211
Likes: 237
From: Indianapolis IN
Yes. + to what should be a purple wire. Unplug connector and wire goes in. If only sparks come off of it or you for sure have a good connection and it does not crank the starter is bad. Given the positive and grounds are good.
Last edited by User Omega; Nov 16, 2016 at 02:50 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 2,211
Likes: 237
From: Indianapolis IN
Oh and do keep in mind that if you ground a wire from positive it is probably going to get stuck and instantly melt the coating off of the jumper, burning you and anything else it comes into contact with.
Last edited by User Omega; Nov 16, 2016 at 02:52 AM.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 21
Likes: 1
Ok I'll check that , my wire isn't purple but it is the same wire by the diagram. Where is the crank relay right above starter diagram located? In the fuse box? I haven't swapped it or anything just tested the mini fuses.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 2,211
Likes: 237
From: Indianapolis IN
I'm not positive on the base cars. Refer to user manual or pop off the covers and see what they say. You could jump the relay and achieve nearly the same thing. Doing it at the starter just eliminates everything from the equation.
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 56
Likes: 4
I recentlyhad this same problem. Turns out, one of my wires were burnt through and needed to be replaced. So you might want to check the wires from the battery leading to the starter, behind the headers. Mine were burnt causing issues.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 469
Likes: 44
From your original post, it looks like you have something else going on other than the starter. Before you took your car apart I'm guessing it was okay? What did you do to your car while it was down? You might want to backtrack and recheck your work. I've been around to long to believe in coincedences and usually find it's something I knocked loose or left unplugged.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 21
Likes: 1
Hi I jumped the starter from hot cable over to connector and starter spun over as it should. I had the engine out, I'm sure it something I've had loose as it did work fine before but I've back tracked everything I can think of.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 2,211
Likes: 237
From: Indianapolis IN
The fact that this is combined with other issues really makes me think you are just overlooking something silly since you've recently had things apart and it hasn't worked since.
If you unplugged any main harness wiring go back and check the connections. Pull the plugs apart again and look inside. You didn't put any dielectric grease in any of them did you? Maybe you have a recessed pin or something in there. Make sure that if you removed any power or ground wires that you go back and inspect them closely.
If you unplugged any main harness wiring go back and check the connections. Pull the plugs apart again and look inside. You didn't put any dielectric grease in any of them did you? Maybe you have a recessed pin or something in there. Make sure that if you removed any power or ground wires that you go back and inspect them closely.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 469
Likes: 44
Originally Posted by User Omega
The fact that this is combined with other issues really makes me think you are just overlooking something silly since you've recently had things apart and it hasn't worked since.
If you unplugged any main harness wiring go back and check the connections. Pull the plugs apart again and look inside. You didn't put any dielectric grease in any of them did you? Maybe you have a recessed pin or something in there. Make sure that if you removed any power or ground wires that you go back and inspect them closely.
If you unplugged any main harness wiring go back and check the connections. Pull the plugs apart again and look inside. You didn't put any dielectric grease in any of them did you? Maybe you have a recessed pin or something in there. Make sure that if you removed any power or ground wires that you go back and inspect them closely.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 21
Likes: 1
I didn't grease any connections, I've checked grounds & re cleaned them, block has continuity 0f .2-.4 at those spots & grounds on frame rail are all 2.2-2.4. I did notice tonight that the drivers window won't go up or down but the pass works fine using the controls from drivers door?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 2,211
Likes: 237
From: Indianapolis IN
I really don't know enough beyond this point to be helpful. It really does sound like a ground problem with everything being so wacky. That or maybe the EBCM has issues???
I know the battery cable ends like to be clean and tight. Maybe check those out?
I know the battery cable ends like to be clean and tight. Maybe check those out?