Starter won't crank-Where's this damn purple wire go?

[colokevin]

(1990 Suburban 5.7) So I tore apart my entire dash down to the firewall in preparation for a DIY4X dash. Removed pedals, steering column, HVAC… EVERYTHING. I have just about everything plugged back in where it goes and everything electrical (lights, buzzers, wipers, windows, doors, etc) works fine except the damn thing won't crank over. When I turn the ignition switch to start it, I just hear the fuel pump come on for a second. No clicking, no cranking, just silence. I rebuild the Park Safety Switch and I think it's fine. I haven't touched anything under the hood since it last ran, so I think everything there should be fine. However, I found 1 purple wire with white stripe that I have no idea where it goes. I remember reading that a purple or purple/white wire leads from the Park Safety Switch to the starter, so I think this might be my problem. Where the hell does it connect under the dash???

 

[sweetk30]

if I recall its other half is yellow and on the park/N switch or clutch safty switch.

 

[Bent77]

Yep, that's the safety lockout to the starter

 

[colokevin]

OK, so maybe I'm on the right path. Here's a photo of my Park Safety Switch. The right connector (for reverse lights I think) has blue and green wires. The left connector (for the starter circuit I think) has an orange/black and black/white wires. I am fairly sure that this is the unmolested stock wiring. So I'm still left with the single purple/white wire with "single wire" plug (previous photo). Where does this purple wire plug into?

 

[sweetk30]

yep green/blue 2 are reverse light.

maybe the purple plugs in by the firewall fuse box bundle and you just need to trace it down for the matching other end of the plug. ?

 

[colokevin]

Well, after some more digging around, the purple/white wire connects to the rear window defrost system. At least that's one less thing to worry about. However, the damn thing still won't start. I'm going to start following the troubleshooting chart in the wiring manual that I just purchased.

 

[sweetk30]

jump the 2 wires on the safety switch just to be sure its not that .

and I have seen the electric power feed switch on the top of the steering colum get bumped out of adjustment . then the key wont move the rod to push the switch all the way .

 

[colokevin]

Yep, I checked my ignition switch; good there. I checked the Park Safety Switch; good there too, at least when I adjust it into the correct position. Next I tested the switched lead on the starter solenoid and got nothing, although it was a tight fit and I'm not sure I was getting the best multimeter reading. I also checked the battery lead on the starter solenoid; got 12.4V. So, it seems my problem is somewhere between the firewall and the starter solenoid. I think that the purple/white starter wire (that comes out of the Park Safety Switch) goes direct to the fuse block, through the firewall, then direct to the starter. I don't think that there are any connectors along the way. More troubleshooting...