I have just recently replaced my starter and starter solenoid because every time I wanted to start it I'd have to tap on the solenoid and have someone turn the key. well... unfortunately that did not fix the issue, it seems like I may have a wiring problem but I'm not sure. I can connect a wire to the switch post on the solenoid and touch it to the positive terminal on my battery and crank the truck but when the original switch wire is connected I have nothing. Any help with this would be much appreciated. Does anyone know what the voltage is suppose to read on the switch wire that goes to the starter.
CK5
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starter issue
- Thread starter ctortoris
- Start date
You need a full 12 volts,and by that I mean 12 volts with some amps behind it..using a multi-meter may show 12 volts,but it may not have enough amps to kick in the solenoid and crank...it needs amps and volts,not just voltage..
I use a headlamp bulb or something similar that puts a good "load" on the wires, to test wires like that one (or an electric fuel pump power wire)...
I would use one to test that wire,and leave the key in the "crank" position for at least 30 seconds,and watch to see if the light dims,or flickers,which would indicate a high resistance somewhere and reduces the available amps at the solenoid..
Part of the problem is the ignition switch gets its power thru wires with fusible links at the solenoid and another link up near the brake booster--after some years worth of corrosion,and the good possibility a short sometime in the past may have partly fried a fusible link,and the distance the voltage needs to travel from the battery to the ignition switch,thru the neutral safety switch,then on to the solenoid,there is a lot of connections and resistance,so by the time it gets to the solenoid,it wont have enough oomph to engage it...but you can jump it at the solenoid and it'll whip right over..
I have by-passed the neutral safety switch on my pickup,and a few other GM vehicles I had,after they proved to be the weakest link in the cranking circuit...that cured the "click but no start" issue,but also makes it possible to crank it up "in gear",which could be dangerous..but less dangerous than lying under the truck trying to jump the solenoid with a screwdriver..
I also installed a push button starter switch wired directly to the battery on more than one truck,using 10 gauge wire...that also was done so I could call it an "anti-theft device" and get a 10% discount on my car insurance..they always whipped right over with that setup..
I use a headlamp bulb or something similar that puts a good "load" on the wires, to test wires like that one (or an electric fuel pump power wire)...
I would use one to test that wire,and leave the key in the "crank" position for at least 30 seconds,and watch to see if the light dims,or flickers,which would indicate a high resistance somewhere and reduces the available amps at the solenoid..
Part of the problem is the ignition switch gets its power thru wires with fusible links at the solenoid and another link up near the brake booster--after some years worth of corrosion,and the good possibility a short sometime in the past may have partly fried a fusible link,and the distance the voltage needs to travel from the battery to the ignition switch,thru the neutral safety switch,then on to the solenoid,there is a lot of connections and resistance,so by the time it gets to the solenoid,it wont have enough oomph to engage it...but you can jump it at the solenoid and it'll whip right over..
I have by-passed the neutral safety switch on my pickup,and a few other GM vehicles I had,after they proved to be the weakest link in the cranking circuit...that cured the "click but no start" issue,but also makes it possible to crank it up "in gear",which could be dangerous..but less dangerous than lying under the truck trying to jump the solenoid with a screwdriver..
I also installed a push button starter switch wired directly to the battery on more than one truck,using 10 gauge wire...that also was done so I could call it an "anti-theft device" and get a 10% discount on my car insurance..they always whipped right over with that setup..
Kain
3/4 ton status
if the wire at the s terminal bends sharp bet it is broke there, had this happen to me
Kain
3/4 ton status
also check fusible links
I am not getting anything at all from the wire, no voltage at all, and I've tested that wire all the way throughout the wiring harness just in case it was just potentially damaged at the solenoid end. ill check and see about the fusible link by the brake booster. If it is the fusible link , could I just run a wire in place of the fusible links to eliminate them going bad?
Could just be your ignition switch
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Only a few things could cause what you are describing. Bad wire from switch to starter, blown fuseable link, bad wire to ignition switch, bad ignition switch, blown fuse in fuse panel for ignition. multi meter is good for testing wiring end to end, just replace the fuses they are cheap. just try it after making any repair so you know where the problem lies in case it comes back.
If you replace a fusible link with wire,you risk burning up the entire harness & truck if a bad short circuit ever happens...
Its like putting a penny in the house's fuse box..yeah,you'll get the power restored--but you can burn the house down too!..
You can use a jumper wire "temporarily" to test for a fried fusible link,but not to replace it...they don't cost much and most parts stores have them in stock..use a thin gauge wire to test it,that will burn up before any of the others in the harness..
Not sure what year truck yours is,but on square bodies you can check for voltage at the neutral safety switch with the ignition held in the cranking position,this will tell you if power is getting to the ignition switch or not,or if any is coming out of it..the wires are usually purple that come from the ignition and go to the solenoid..
Keep in mind if the shifter isn't in park all the way,or the neutral switch is out of adjustment,it wont let the starter crank..
First thing I'd try is hold the key to crank,and move the shift lever around,it might just be the switch isn't adjusted right..
Its like putting a penny in the house's fuse box..yeah,you'll get the power restored--but you can burn the house down too!..
You can use a jumper wire "temporarily" to test for a fried fusible link,but not to replace it...they don't cost much and most parts stores have them in stock..use a thin gauge wire to test it,that will burn up before any of the others in the harness..
Not sure what year truck yours is,but on square bodies you can check for voltage at the neutral safety switch with the ignition held in the cranking position,this will tell you if power is getting to the ignition switch or not,or if any is coming out of it..the wires are usually purple that come from the ignition and go to the solenoid..
Keep in mind if the shifter isn't in park all the way,or the neutral switch is out of adjustment,it wont let the starter crank..
First thing I'd try is hold the key to crank,and move the shift lever around,it might just be the switch isn't adjusted right..
Like @diesel4me said, I would go to the neutral safety switch
If you have a square body the neutral safety switch looks like this--the wires from the ignition switch that activates the solenoid are usually purple and in a plug that connects to the two tabs on the lower right side in the photo--(they will be on the upper left if your looking at it installed in the truck)..the contacts in these switches are not all that rugged and gets arc-ed every time you turn the key to crank it over..eventually they fail and interrupt the current to the solenoid..
I thought more about this and I'm pretty sure if you had a fusible link that fried or was "half fried",you'd be having other issues with power not getting to the cab,to the radio,etc too--not just the ignition switch..
..so I'd look at the neutral safety...you can pull off the plug and jump across the two purple wires with a cotter pin or paper clip and see if it'll crank over with the key then..if it does the switch is either NG or so far off adjustment it wont make contact in park or neutral...often the contacts will still work in neutral but not park because no one ever starts in neutral,and they aren't all burnt up in that spot..
If you have a tilt wheel..I'd bet money its the neutral safety switch or related wires in the ignition column...chevy tilt wheels are really bad on wiring when they get old....you really cant half fry a fusable link so like diesel4me said If it was burned up or broken you'd have other power issues. You can always replace the fusable link with an actual fuse (they are the same thing) the fuse is easier to chevk/fix when it goes bad and can be a good anti theft (just pull the fuse). I have had fusable links go bad and you couldnt even tell they had been fried.
Me too,that is why I'm not a big fan of them,they can look good and be fried inside,or look fried and still conduct OK--had a few that didn't fry quickly enough and let the rest of the harness burn some before they finally did too..
Newer cars that have the high amp "maxi-fuse" would probably work well as a substitute,but be sure to keep a few spares in the glove box!..
Newer cars that have the high amp "maxi-fuse" would probably work well as a substitute,but be sure to keep a few spares in the glove box!..
hey guys, just thought I'd update this situation, I did not see any fusible links in that line but Its because some jack wagon has decided to rig the wiring up, where they rigged that wiring was close to the firewall before the wire goes through the firewall. for some reason they broke the connection and added a separate wire and also ran it through the firewall? Not sure the reason for that yet but I guess we will find out of things start to melt or catch fire, honestly I believe I'm going to have to replace the full wiring harness and possibly all affiliated terminal blocks associated with it. so I ended up removing the wire they installed(that was going to absolutely nothing) and temporarily installed a wire nut just for starting purposes. I will be adding in a fusible link. She fired right up once I did that.... but I seemed to knock off the ignition timing when I removed the distributor cap to access the wiring harness. ill reset the timing tonight and hopefully be good to go. Thanks for yalls extensive knowledge and help with this!
Good to know that you got it figured out!
But I will say that I wouldn't jump to a new harness too quickly. Take the time to go over all of it before you decide.
You may have less time and money in fixing what is already in there. ...if The rest is not hurt too much.
I pulled a harness from a '79 for one of my trucks once. It only cost me $30, and then I got to modify what I wanted to from there. It still works great, but I found a really clean truck to get it from.
But I will say that I wouldn't jump to a new harness too quickly. Take the time to go over all of it before you decide.
You may have less time and money in fixing what is already in there. ...if The rest is not hurt too much.
I pulled a harness from a '79 for one of my trucks once. It only cost me $30, and then I got to modify what I wanted to from there. It still works great, but I found a really clean truck to get it from.
Thanks for advice, note taken. I plan on pulling the engine at some point for a little upgrade
so I may try to find a nice used wiring harness to install during the time I have the motor out. whoever had this truck in the past rigged up quite a bit of wiring harness.
