Alright, last week I was trying to start the car on a colder day, and it wouldn't catch. I was trying to turn it over in @ 5 second intervals. Finally, it just gave a click. I checked the battery, and it is charged. When I popped the hood, I could smell a burning smell coming from the starter location, so I figured I fried it. Today I replaced it, as well as the wire that goes to it from the ignition (terminal was pretty corroded). I tried to start it, and it is still just giving a click. I tried different batteries, nothing. I am at a loss. The cables all seem fine. I tested the ignition switch by jumping the wires, and it gave that same click. Any ideas? I have heard about a fusible link under the dash, but can't find one. Also, there were two wires going into this little box thing that looked like it had a button on it, one was green and the other looked pink/yellow. These wires pulled right out of the box they were in. I am going to re-solder them. Anyone have any idea what they are for? It looks like their terminals are not meant to touch unless you push the button on the box. I have never seen anything like it before. Thanks in advance for your help, because I am pretty depressed right now. I got the car from someone who had it sitting for over 3 years, and just got it running last week.

 

the fusible link are actually under the hood on the driver's side, close to or on the strut tower, you'll see it as a box with wires looped onto itself, you might want to try to replace them...

 

you are positive your battery cables are good? you can jumper either with a jumper cable if your not sure. also there are fusible links located on the drivers side strut tower, 5 i believe, theyr'e essentially a fuse. When those burn, they stink. One of those could be burnt, but i'm not positive if those control the voltage to the starter solenoid. Do you get power to all your lights, and accessories in your car?

 

All accessories work fine, and the lights are bright. The fusible links in the engine compartment are all intact. Any other ideas?

 

You can't tell just by looking at a fusible link whether it's bad or not. Put the regular block fuses in it that you find at auto part stores. I would also invest in a multimeter.

 

Turn the headlights on, stand in front of the car, and have someone try and start the car.
Do the lights dim/go out? Or do they just stay bright?
IF they dim/go out you have bad battery/cables/terminal connections. If they stay bright, bad starter.

 

What starter did you install? I have found that 'reman' starters are sometimes defective. Most autostores have a test rig in the back for starters and generators, and it pays to test even a 'new' starter. A junkyard starter can fail also, simply because of age. I had 3 starters fail in one month this summer, all 20 years old, tho the mileage varied between 75k, 120k and 150k.

A voltage drop as low as 1 volt can cause a starter to fail. Get a pair of 3 foot test leads with alligator clips and attach to your voltmeter, then attach between every pair of points in the electrical path from battery post to battery post. Even post to clamp must be tested, as well as every length of cable and every connection and the pair of posts on the back of the bendix (solenoid). At each pair of test points turn on the ignition switch and look for volts on the low scale. Doing this I have found excessive drops in ground wires and clamps.

If you're getting a click from the solenoid it's unlikely that the fusible links could be involved. And there's nothing wrong with fusible links that they need to be replaced. You can get link material at the autostore.

B

 

Even though autostores have a tester, it won't show what a starter does when it's under a load. The solonoid will kick the bendix out and the bendix will spin, but ofter then bendix can't spin when it's engaged with the flywheel.

 

Have you tried turning the engine over by hand? Perhaps the dreaded carbon lock has reared it's ugly head..........
Ain't a battery or starter around thats strong enough to turn over a carbon locked engine.

 

I got it. It ended up being the positive battery cable. I am guessing there was corrosion in the terminals, because I scrapped them up with a wire brush, and it worked fine. Also rebuilt the oil metering pump. Anyone have any idea about that little box that I was talking about in the first post? I'm gonna try to hunt down a wiring manual, and see if I can figure it out.

 

It's amazing how often this happens. It pays to have one of those little wire brushes they sell cheap at the autostore with ready-made exterior and interior brushes. They also sell a tiny packet of goo to put on the connection to retard corrosion.

Remember: when tightening the positive terminal don't let the wrench handle hit body metal or sparks will fly.

B

 

Tighten the positive first, negative not connected. Best, and sometimes only way to keep from getting a shocker