jap speed

Hi there,

I have a 1987 GLX body and I just recently put in a 1986 base engine and transmission. When I turn the the key in the ignition, all the dash lights turn on but when I turn it to start position, nothing happens. All of the electrical seems like it is drained and the battery is fully charged so that is not the problem.

There is also a problem with the clutch where it has no pressure to it so I dont know if there is air traped in there or the master clutch cylinder is bad but either way, I think that the car should still start as long as the clutch switch is pressed unless the switch is bad.

Either way, I jumped the starter to the soilenoid so it bypassed ignition and clutch switch and it started. If I pressed down on the gas at all, it went up in rpm and imediatly backfired and then stalled.

If anyone can help me with one or all of my problems, that would be great. The previous owner of the car made a mess of the electrical so I wouldnt be supprised if the starting problem was just some wires that are cut or not connected.

satch

iTrader: (1)

Located near the main relay is a blue plug which receives voltage from the interlock switch. The wire that connects the two is Black/Green in color. Also, the blue plug sends voltage to the starter solenoid via a Black/White wire. Now for the B/W wire to pass voltage onto the starter the B/G wire needs to have voltage when the key is turned to "start." Check the B/G wire for voltage with key to start position.

jap speed

Ok, ill try that the next time I am working on the car. So if its not getting any power, it means that there is either a problem with the wiring or with the clutch switch?

satch

iTrader: (1)

You could say that. There is a Black wire which goes from the engine bay fuse box to the ignition switch. When the key is put to start the voltage passes onto a B/R wire which goes to the interlock switch mounted to the clutch pedal so as to pass the voltage onto the B/G wire then to B/W. B/R, B/G, and B/W wires should have voltage with the key to "start" (Black wire always has voltage).

jap speed

Well I was in the garage today and I was looking for the blue plug that you were talking about but there isn't one to be seen.

satch

iTrader: (1)

Does your car have factory alarm? Is so, then your car would have the starter cut relay instead, which is next to the main relay.

jap speed

It looks like it does in the center council near the e-brake but I still dont see any plugs that color near the main relay

HAILERS

Turn the key to just ON. Now turn the turn signals on and or the wipers. IF the wipers and turn signals do not work, that is an indication you have lost the power to the ignition switch from the engine bay fuse box. Make sure the MAIN fuse is good there. IF good, then look below the engine bay fuse box and there is a single black wire with single connector. Make sure it's plugged together. IT feeds the ignition switch.

Lights coming on the dash etc mean zip seeing as how they are fed from the batt buss in the interior and not the other busses which are dead unless the ignition switch is put to ON or better.

Black wire and plug shown in jpg attached.

jap speed

My signals and wipers work, the main fuse is good and the black plug under the fuse box is plugged in. But i notice when I am rolling up and down the windows, the power seems to be drained even though the battery is fully charged.

HAILERS

Since the wipers work and the turn signals work, then the problem lies just in the START circuit. As was probably mentioned in a post above.

The voltage for the starter goes like this: From the igniton key..............to the clutch interlock switch.........to the BLUE jumper under the Trail coil assy.......to a connector b/t the Blue jumper and the starter solenoid.....on to the starter solenoid.

A good quick place to start looking, is to look at the clutch interlock switch and make sure it's connected to the harness. If you did not undo anything under the dash when changing engines, then forget this step.

Next step is to undo the three nuts that hold the Trail coil assy in place and move it to the side. No need to undo sparkplug wires etc, just move to the side. Then look for the BLUE jumper shown in the attached jpg.

Pull the blue jumper off and set it to the side. Then with a piece of spare wire bare at each end, stuff one end into the plug you pulled the blue jumper off. Stuff it in to the socket with the large black/white wire. Touch the other end of that wire to the batt positive terminal. Car out of gear. Starter should spin. No key needed.No press of the clutch needed to do this.

If it spins, the problem is an open circuit b/t the clutch interlock switch and the blue jumper, or a disconnected clutch interlock switch.

Write back if the starter spins.

If the starter spins doing the above, then get a meter out. Put one meter lead where the black/GREEN wire is in the plug. Then put the key to ON and push the clutch pedal. When the pedal is pushed the meter should show ???? 10-12vdc give or take depending on the battery charge.


IF you have factory THEFT protection.........then the blue jumper will not exist. But the plug the blue jumper is connected to will exist. It will be plugged into the Starter Cut Relay located close to the Main Relay. IF this is the case, pull the plug off the relay and do exactly what was described above .......because the plug is just the same plug I described in the paragraphs above.

If THEFT is detected by the car, then the starter cut relay will pull in and keep power from going to the starter solenoid. Just leaving the plug connected to the relay but extracting the trigger wire from the plug will make the circuit complete. The trigger wire is .......light green/yellow in color in the elect plug.

jap speed

Thanks tons. I will try that when when I work on the car again (probably two week) because im out of town and ill keep out updated

jap speed

Ok. I tried jumping the starter by connecting the B/W to the positive terminal of the battery and nothing happened. So what does that mean? Thanks

satch

iTrader: (1)

The following was in your first post:

""Either way, I jumped the starter to the soilenoid so it bypassed ignition and clutch switch and it started.""

If this means you bridged the two positive terminals on the starter and the starter cranked properly, and after doing the most recent test involving the jumpering of the battery to B/W wire and it not cranking the starter, it then points in the direction of the B/W wire as it makes its way from the blue plug to the starter solenoid. The B/W wire mates at the blue plug, the starter itself, and a connector in between.

jap speed

Ok. That makes sense. Ill look at the wire making sure its connected and ill get back to you with the results

satch

iTrader: (1)

After you locate the intermediate plug located between the blue plug and the starter you could test the various connecting points for voltage when you have the battery to B/W wire jumper in place.

jap speed

I take back what I previously said. I was under the car today and I notices the the wire going to the starter was unplugged so when I plugged it back in, I tested the jump from the battery to the B/W wire and it turned like it was supposed to. So the problem must lie somewhere between the ignition switch and the B/W wire. So maybe a bad clutch switch?

satch

iTrader: (1)

Then your focus shifts to looking how the Black wire from the engine fuse box passes voltage onto the B/R wire at start and then onto the B/G wire. Thus check for voltage at the B/G wire with key to start and if there isn't voltage present, which is likely the case, then try where the B/R wire attempts to mate with the B/G wire at the interlock switch and so on.

jap speed

Ok, ill look at that the next time I work on the car. I think that the black wire isn't the problem because i can jump the starter and solenoid and get the car to run and the ignition is still in control of allowing the car to start on the on position and turning off the motor. I could be wrong but ill trace all the wires anyways. Thanks for the help.