Only starts when key is in RUN position

[smestas]

I've been hunting a problem that I need help on.

I recently got my new rebuild in the car have noticed that my car has the following starting problem. It seems that if you crank the car (START position) it can go all day long and not fire up. Only when the key is released (RUN position) does it actually fire up.

Anyone know where I should start to de-bug this problem.

[Rondinone]

The fuel pump cut out relay is bypassed during cranking so that the fuel pump runs even though the air sensor plate is still grounding the relay. The relay is bypassed by sending current from the start wire (yellow) into the normally open side of the fuel pump relay. A poor connection at the relay or a bad relay can cause your problem. I would put a voltmeter on the fuel pump and see if it's getting voltage during cranking.

[smestas]

Thanks for the reply Rondinone.

I'll give it a look and report back.


"viva la alusil" Your brother in the alusil revolution.

[john walker's workshop]

it could be the ignition switch. see if you get 12V to the red wire in the plug on the CD unit while cranking.

[white87911]

smestas, is your ignition system stock?

[smestas]

@ white87911 - Yes it is all stock the best as I can tell.

@ JW - I'll check the CD also.

Also as a side note I have removed my rev-limiter because it was causing the fuel relay (red relay) to pulsate when connected to the point where the red relay would get hot. Since I disconnected the limiter the pulsing relay has gone away. The problem with the starting existed prior to the removal of the limiter. Not sure if the problem is realted but I thought I'd mention it.

[Lukesportsman]

If you have a stock ign switch this mimics a past problem of mine exactly.

John's answer is best if you have someone to help. If not here is what I did: I simply ran an auxillary wire to the ignition and verified it would start if I had power to it. If it starts fine with a flick of a switch then your ignition switch is probably dead.

[smestas]

Originally posted by john walker's workshop
it could be the ignition switch. see if you get 12V to the red wire in the plug on the CD unit while cranking.

Well I tested it today and I only get 12v to the red CD wire while the key is in the RUN position and it drops to 0v when cranking.

Does this mean my starter switch is bad?

[john walker's workshop]

kinda sounds like it. you can pull the plug off your original one without removing it from the dash, and then attach a new or borrowed switch to the plug for test purposes. use a screwdriver to start it. most shops have a few lying around.

[smestas]

Thanks John!

As always I owe you another case of beer.

[smestas]

Well I bought a used switch from another member here on the board (he said it was working). Unfortunatly I still have the same results (no 12v to the red CD wire durring cranking). Can I possibly have two bad switches? Is there another way to test if a switch is good or bad? Im kind of lost on all of this so any help is appreciated.

[john walker's workshop]

the red CD wire gets power from the top of fuse 11, which is bridged to fuse 12, which gets 15 (key on) power from the ignition switch. red/black is the 15 wire. does the 15 wire loose power when the switch is in start mode? check at the switch first, then if that's ok, at the top of fuse 12. the other red wire at the top of fuse 11 goes to the fuel pump relay and on to the over-rev cut-off relay that disables the fuel pump relay on over-rev. it's separate from the red wire circuit to the CD unit.

[smestas]

Thanks for the help John but Im afraid I dont know which is fuse 11 and 12. I also dont see any of the fuses to be bridged. Are you refering to these two fuses in the fuse block?

[john walker's workshop]

the bridging is done inside the back of the fuse boards, except for that one below the red relay. count from the front. it looks like there has been some wire swapping there, so who knows if it's correct. you're looking for a red/black wire in the vicinity of the two fuses you circled, at the top of one of the fuses, that gets hot with the key on. when it gets hot, it also makes a red one next to it hot, via the bridge, which goes to the CD unit. you can also test the red/black wire off the back of the ignition switch. i assume you have a test light. to find the red wire up by the fuse board, attach a test light to the CD plug and jump power to the suspected red wire, which if correct, will light the test light. you can also jump it to get the car started of course.

[smestas]

JW,

You were right about some of the wires being swaped. I finally located the correct wires and found that there was no bridge between the two. After further hunting I found a unconnected wire comming from the top of the red/wht fuse. After hooking everything up it works perfectly!!!!!

A happy ending to a long ugly story.

Thanks John and all others who replied to my cry for help.