81 SC is Haunted by electric gremlin.

[bagpiper46]

Today I turned the key, the dash lights came on like usual, I could hear the fuel pump but no turnover?? I tried it 5 times with no luck.
Put it in nuetral pushed the car backwards in the garage 6" and tried again and it has returned to normal? Went to get gas, back home, went to work, went to lunch , back to work etc. . no problems
Also have been having an occaisional eratic tachometer for about a week where it will peg at 7k and bounce back down a few times before going out altogether for a 10-30 seconds and then comes on again just fine. This has happened about four times and today I did notice a very slight difference in power when the tach went wild Is my car possessed by some evil spirit from Jaguar??
Car buddy said it might be the Solonoid. . . I am planning on lifting it up tommorrow and take a look at the wires and cleaning them up, but dont know where to start. Would a voltmeter be a worthy purchase to check this out? Or should I get a large crucifix and some holy water and bring over my catholic buddy and have him perform an exorcism (he will do it for a 6 pack of Guiness)
Is the solonoid replaceable without the starter? What shorts/wires should I suspect/look for.

[Ron.G]

You might want to check your voltage at the battery with the car running.
it sounds like two different things to me.
1.starter or selenoid
2. voltage regulator or low voltage due to alternator problems.

Usually when the battery gets low, the tach gets wacky.
Also check you batt and ground connections. could just be that causing both problems.

[walt]

Sounds like it might be the solenoid. First clean all the electrical connections at the starter and also the two ground straps. Check for minimum of 7.5 volts at terminal 50 with switch at start. If you have the voltage it would likely point to the starter/solenoid.

[bagpiper46]

Is the solenoid saperable from the starter or is it a single unit?

[walt]

You can replace just the solenoid but you will need to remove the starter first. A good starter shop will be able to diagnose once removed. Starter removal can be a challenge.

[SC Schrauber]

Man, three different spellings for one thing!

On the subject:
http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/mult_starter_diag/mult_starter_diag.htm

I'd check all connections under the dash (ignition switch, ect). Has someone ever added some great features such as power locking or after market alarm? A PO did it to mine and it took me some serious detective work to repair the damage.

Good luck,
Frank

[bagpiper46]

I was in the dash about a month ago resetting my O2 sensor and may have jiggled something loose. Last place I did anything. . . . . . Hmmmm? Always look in the last place you had your hands theory may prove true.

[scottb]

The bouncing tach is a classic symptom of a problem with the charging system. I had identical symptoms right before my car lost power and died. It was a bad alternator.

Go to your local Radio Shack and get a voltmeter. You don't need anything too fancy, but get a decent digital one. Take some voltage readings at your battery with, and without, the car running. When car is "off," a fully charged battery is 12.6V...half charge is 12.2 volts. When car is at idle up to 2000-3000 steady RPM....voltage should go to 13.8-14.2 or so. You may have an alternator and/or regulator that's in the process of failing.

It sounds like you may have two problems, though, in that the car did eventually turn over. I'd start by resolving the electrical/charging problem, and then if the starting problem persists, look at your starter or solenoid.

Also, and this is very important, be sure the various ground connections throughout the car are clean and tight.

Good luck.

[fred cook]

Check the electrical portion of the ignition switch to make certain that all of the wires are plugged in properly. While you were resetting the 02 sensor, you might have bumped a wire.

Good Luck!