MY car wont start after new engine install!
 

ok I just put a new engine in my car only has 89k, it ran fine). I have a 86 n/a but it wont even turn over now. It makes a clicking noise the first time i try it and then nothing at all. I tried jumping the battery but nothing happened. I have the dash off and all the interior is stripped(no wires are hooked up either). Could this be why its not turning over maybe? Also Im not sure what it is but its like a vent for the heater or something, its on the passenger side and it comes on when i put the key on auxilary. After the first time i try and start it though it does nothing until i adjust the ground terminal on the battery? Any help would be greatly appreciated guys(girls). Could my starter be dead or maybe a wire i missed or some crap lol anyway thanks again,kevin.

Should i just take my starter off and have it tested? What about the alternator and batter, should i test those as well?

Same thing happened to me. I tried jumping it and swapping starters and everything.

Then I said what the hell and put a known-good battery physically IN the car. And it worked. I have no clue why. Give this a shot though.

Guess of the day: I think your battery terminals are not making good contact or the ground wire that runs from the battery....to the left fender...then to the long bolt on the starter, do not have good connections.

Get under the car with the wheels off the ground and the shifter in neutral. Now jumper the small blade terminal on the starter solenoid TO the large wire on the starter. The starter should turn over the engine now IF the battery connections are good and the connection for the battery ground wire is good AT the long bolt on the starter.

I followed that advice too (and a similar amount of nothing happened), before I tried the known good battery.. so if your car isn't already up off the ground, consider the pain in the butt factor and do the easy thing first. :)

well i just bought a new optima red top battery so i dont think its that? Im not sure i understand you hailers? Are you saying take the blade connecter thingy off and the put the bigger starter wire to that blade? Also the longer starter wire goes to the bolt closest to the drivers fender correct? Also the black threaded wire on the back of the starter, where does this go? Sorry i should know this but im a tard and didnt pay attention when i took all of this stuff off. thanks.

anybody got any ideas?

hailers i need help man hehe please.

Just in case Hailers doesn't get back with you- leave all the wiring on the starter, and jumper the two terminals on the upper solenoid portion of the starter. Use something fairly large for a jumper (some 12 gauge copper house wiring would work well, with insulation still on everything but the ends). Be fairly quick when jabbing the jumper in there to prevent arcing/sparking/welding...

LIke a small screwdriver that you don't care for anymore. Make contact with the small blade connector and the large connector on the starter solenoid. Leaving the small wire on the blade is an option. It matters not if it's on the blade. Make SURE the car is out of gear.

This jpg is the best I can do:

ok thanks im going to try this. I have to wait till this weekend though i have school and work hehe. At least the car is in the garage though. thanks guys.

Are you saying that when you try and crank the engine over the battery terminal for the battery aren't tightened/are just losly put on there.. ? if so they take those off clean the leads on the battery clean the inside of the rings that go to the battery then make sure that the terminals are tight then try and start it

Frank

actually the negative terminal is too big for the negative post. Im going to just get new terminals. Anybody know where to get a smaller terminal for the negative? Would a regular auto parts store have them?

Has anyone else ran into this with a optima red top? Should i just get side posts, cut the battery tray and run it that way?

Too big for the terminal? I have a Optima Red top myself with new battery cables (don't go OEM, they are part of a section of the car's wiring and expensive) and didn't notice that problem. You could go with new terminals and they'll clamp to the terminals fine.

That sound u hear when the key is in the on position is a combination of things.... first off.... to your rear left you should hear the fuel pump for a while..... otherwise it is likely to just be the vent. The fuel pump pumping is not a bad thing.

so cluosborne are you saying you're positve and negative cables are independent of the wiring harness? I was thinking of just getting new terminals too fit the optima. Is there a way to run new wires for the starter? I should be posting my results sometime this weekend. I hope the damn thing starts lol later.

bump

ok got new terminals and hooked them up. Everything is tight on the posts. Tried to jump the starter and the only thing that happenned was a little spark? Also that vent thats in the car only comes on when i turn battery terminal a certain way? Could this mean that the batterys dead. I just bought a new optima so i thought that it couldnt be the battery. Im going to check the battery and starter at a parts store. Could this be a wiring problem somewhere, like maybe a loose ground? Also on the battery cable loom that goes down into the starter theres a wire hanging that looks like a female metal connector(hard to explain). There isn't a way to connect it to the starter though its to short, any ideas? thanks,kevin.

ok starters dead wtf the guy i bought it from had it for no more than a month but whatever. Anyways just thought id let everyone thanks for the help it really helped. Laterz.

ok starter is fine, battery is fine. Car still wont start? Will the car start without all the grounds hooked up in the interior? When i tried to start it this time the car smoked like something electrical was burning? It came from right around the starter and the negative battery cable shot out of the terminal WTF is going on? Any help would be great thanks,kevin.

The negative battery cable shot out of the terminal... wha? Can you be a little more descriptive? Did your battery blow up or something?

Does the car still not even turn over?

no it doesnt turn over it just makes a dunk sound. If this is of any significance the timing is off i believe, we moved the pulleys on the car. Also yes the neg cable shot out of the terminal, sparks, smoke the whole thing wtf is going on? Its like my car is overloaded or something? Help lol!!!

Most folk are to gentle and kind to tell you the truth. YOU have the battery cables going to the wrong places. There. Done.