So I decided to keep my '88 vert in my move from SD to Alaska. I light out last Tuesday for 5 full days of driving. My 2nd morning on the road, started to have problems. No click, just nothing. Over the next several days of driving some of the more remote highways around, I make do by picking gas stations on slopes and employing the auto bump-start. Seems to crank first turn in the morning and when cold but not when warmer.

I kept going since I wasn't sure of the problem but couldn't find a parts store with a solenoid in stock anyway. I eventually made it and now I'm trying to diagnose the actual problem. In a bit of a knee-jerk reaction, I assumed it was a solenoid. I had that replaced on Monday and everything was peachy for about 24 hours. Now, I'm back to no crank; obviously strike 1 on the swaptronics count. More diagnosis needed.

I have no tools and no friends but the Internet (this forum). Using a paper clip, I jumpered the interlock switch... nothing. Repeating the jumpering on the big wires of the starter cut relay yielded the same results.

Jiggling the key in the ignition has never made any difference. Assuming the switch and relay tests were valid, isn't the ignition the only possibility? Any ideas?

May try to walk to Sears for a continuity tester to ensure I was getting power in the above tests.

Thanks,
Todd

 

You need a multimeter. You need to verify if there is voltage present at the B/W wire at the Starter Cut Relay w/key to start. If that checks out then you need to focus on an intermediate connecter located between the relay and the starter solenoid. This connector takes the B/W wire coming from the relay and splits the signal in two. One goes to the starter and the other goes to the ECU. If the connector is faulty then the starter solenoid will be intermittent at best.

On your car the Ignition Switch sends voltage to the Interlock Switch w/key to on at the Black/Red wire. If this has voltage w/key to start then the voltage would pass on to the Black/Green wire at the Interlock Switch w/the clutch depressed and key to start. If this wire has voltage then it ends up at the Starter Cut Relay. If the alarm is working properly then the voltage on the B/R wire at the relay will pass voltage on to the B/W wire that runs to the starter solenoid. There are two B/G wires at the relay. The thicker one gets jumpered to the B/W wire if you believe the alarm and or relay is faulty in an attempt to bypass the relay. The meter will help you diagnose where the problem is specifically.

 

The engine ground point is on the long bolt that attaches the starter to the engine.
Have you ruled out a bad ground by attaching a booster cable from the battery and then to the engine and trying to start it?

 

Solved. Forgot to wrap up my thread but I am back up and running. Bumped it out of its winter hibernation this spring to get it home. Thought I had jumpered the interlock switch and starter cut relay with no luck.
I guess it was a nightmare because of poor diagnostic skills. I got back on it and figured out the plastic clip riding between the clutch pedal and interlock switch slid off to the side a bit. Along the way, I again tried a jumper on the interlock switch that didn't close the circuit. Guess I found a hole to shove the paper clip in that wasn't a contact, giving me an initial false indication of a bad switch. All switches and relays are fine, pedal just didn't activate switch.
Put about 1000 miles on her before winter mothballing!

 

Experienced a bad interlock switch here last week. For those whole stumble across this thread in the future for no start issues, always start troubleshooting by jumping/testing the interlock switch.

 

Note taken.

 

I know this is an old thread. I just want to clarify before I get everything built again [I may still have this issue when it goes back together]. OP's symptom was no click, no whir, nothing, correct?

How much difference does it make if I get a slight hum from the bay but it's NOT the starter spinning? I know it's not the starter. Before I tore it down, she'd fire right up when cold but I'd only get that little hum [not like the buzz of a spinning starter] with key to start when it was a little warmer, like having to make stops on a trip.

I want to be sure that my diagnostic procedure will basically be the same. Check pedal and interlock switch, then where?