I just tried your test again, and the starter turns over each and every time like its brand new (because it is)

So before my problems were from ad grounding, now its something with the ignition

 

You got it. If when you use the key, and you hear a click each time, but no start action, then you know the circuit from the key to the starter solenoid is good, but most likely there is not enough current being carried by the circuit to engage the solenoid fully. You proved the starter and solenoid are good by what you did by bypassing the igniton sw and interlock sw.

So it's most likely a failure in the ignition switch. Bad contacts/burnt contacts etc. I never took one of those apart and am no help on that. I did buy a relay from the store and installed it near that blue connector. Ran the neg side of the relay coil to a chassis nut. Used the green/black wire in that six socket plug for the power for the new relay. Then used the black/whtie wire in that six socket plug for one side of the contacts in the new relay and ran a new power wire from the engine fuse box (has a inline fuse in that wire for safety) to the other contact in the new relay.

Key to Start pulls the relay in. The two contacts come together and feed batt voltage from the engine bay fuse box directly to the black/white and the starter solenoid and it starts each and every time.

I just don't like to mess with ignition switches. Personal problem, but that's where the problem lies. The new relay was easier and straight fwd. Act just like what your doing when you jumper a wire from the batt positive post to the black/white wire.

 

I like your "**** it, im bypassing everything" method

do you have a pic? and which fuse did u wire the power to? what kind of relay did you use?

 

Its that ignition switch, i was like you fixed and replaced everything! still, click.. click... click.... What you need to do is take your steering colum cover off, and then see where all the wires are sodered into the white plastic (sometimes a little tanish from age) circular thinggie? thats the ignition switch. Unscrew the ONE screw thats holding it in and unplug all the connectors. Carefully pry the cap off while keeping the switch upright so the insides of the switch dont fall out. Take the switch and look inside. you will see some brass pieces pull these out and clean these off but make sure all the springs and crap dont fall out or it will be hell to put it back togather. Clean the brass pieces you find inside with a dremel wire brush. In all you will need to clean the 3 brass pieces that are in there (one small circular shaped and the other two are slightly larger shaped like a funky D) and the contacts that were on the lid you pried off the switch to get it open. Remember how it came apart and put it back the same way and make sure the small circular piece is put in the right way or the car wont start, if you find that it doesnt start when you reassemble and install it, no biggie just flip this piece over and try again. When i did this on mine i found that over the years the scrapes from the ignition sliding back and forth had taken there toll and it was pretty disgusting in there. I think maybe stronger springs in there may also help to the contacts togather better and also its a good idea to use some kind of non-conductive lubricant however i dont know this to be a fact so just stick to the basic procedure and i am sure it will work for you.

 

I went to open up the ignition switch and it exploded in my face. It was really nasty in there so I cleaned it up, and put it back together, which, surprisingly wasnt all that difficult. Same thing as always happens. I tested the switch for continuity as per the FSM, and its all fucked up. so i'll just get another one. BTW don't ask at napa, because they dont even carry them apparently.

 

Dammit! i thought for sure this would work! Sorry!

 

Everything really isn't being bypassed. When you turn the key to start, that voltage from the ignition switch is still being used. But this time it's being used to pull in a simple relay that takes little current to stay held in.

The *problem* imho is that the contacts in the ignition switch couldn't carry enough current to fully pull in the starter solenoid. But that switch can carry enough current to hold a simple relay in. A new relays internal contacts should be good enough to feed enough current from the engine bay fuse box to the starter solenoid (that small blade on the solenoid).

When the new relay gets pulled in, the contacts in it come together and feed batt voltage from the engine bay fuse box........thru the new relay.........to the small blade on the starter solenoid.

I wouldn't do this unless you KNOW that your battery is good. Your batt cables and terminals are good. The connections at the starter solenoid are good, first.

If they are all good, then do the jumper job I described in a earlier post. If the starter turns over each and everytime you touch the wire from the batt positive cable to the black/white wire in the connector described, then I think that is pretty convincing proof there is *something* in the start circuit that can't carry enough current to the starter solenoid to actually pull the solenoid in fully. Just pulls enough to go click.

Someone did post some picutures just a week or so ago about this relay.

 

Well guys, I figured out the problem. It wasn't the ignition switch, it wasn't the alternator, and it wasnt a relay. give up? it was the GODDAMNMO#@RFU$^ING BATTERY. all that clicking was caused by a weak battery. I went to Sears, popped in a new battery, and the car starts perfectly 4 times in a row. Sometimes its the simplest things that screw you over. and that battery was from 06!

 

Too bad I missed this thread, I used to have alot of batt prob, that was one of them I remember the horrid clicking and the occasional turn then clicking again =(

If your battery is hitting 7-8v while turning over then you need a new one.