Starting trouble

[orange75]

Hi all

I just aquired a 75 1.8 in Nepal Orange. The car had been sitting a while. I can start the car by "jumping" the solenoid.The car will not ,however, start when I turn the key. I get lights and all that good stuff but, no fire at the starter. It did turn over using the key a couple of times when I first tried to start it.

I will check voltage at the solenoid as soon as I can get the wife into the garage. My question is this:

The Haynes manual says I can check the ignition switch by connectinig A cable between terminals 30 and 50. It also says I can check the solenoid by connecting a cable from terminal 30 to connector strip terminal.

Ok... where/what are these terminals? What /where is the connector strip terminal?

Thnx for the help

Ronn


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X<- You're born here... You die here ->X
Kick maximum ass in between!

[roadtrp204]

Check uderneath your passenger seat. If still connected, there is a seatbelt relay that cuts power from the key to the starter if someone is sitting in the seats and does not have their seatbelt on. I am sure it was designed with good intentions, but it was just a bad idea.
Chris

[BenI]

Had the same problem-turned out to be a corroded ground connection between the battery and body. Clean up the battery terminals first, its easy and may just be the cause of the problem. There is a tech help page on this site that gives some voltage values at the starter under various conditions-maybe check that out before you mess with the ignition switch. Its been my experience that when the ignition switch fails, it melts and the key wont turn anymore. Good luck!

[Conrad W Peden]

Tranny to body also

[orange75]

Thnks for the info guys!

I looked under the seat and found the relay. The P/O had removed it (gone) and placed a jumper between the YW and the YW/RD wires. All other wires are just sitting in the plastic base that the relay attached to.

Any way I had no voltage at the yellow/red wire so ... looking at the current flow diagram it seems I have a bad ignition switch. Looks like I'll have other wiring issues as well.


Thnx again
Ronn

------------------
X<- You're born here... You die here ->X
Kick maximum ass in between!

[orange75]

Well I just solved my starting trouble. First I'd like to say thanks for all the good info.

The trouble turned out to be something I've never heard of and something no one here mentioned as a possability.

Ok... turns out that the key, when turned to the start position, would stop about a 64th of an inch too soon. Enough to give me all the appropriate dash lights and some relay click but just shy of energizing the starter.


Suffice it to say that this is a wear issue with the mechanical portion of the ignition switch and it should be replaced. the metal "blade" the fits into and turns the electrical part of the switch is either worn or broken.

My okie engineering (temp) fix was to cut a small piece off the cover of a match book and lay it inside the slot of the electrical part of the switch. This made just enough of a shim that the car now starts using the key. BTW I did replace the electrical portion of the switch.

Hope this helps some one else some day.

Thnx again

Ronn

------------------
X<- You're born here... You die here ->X
Kick maximum ass in between!

[red-beard]

Why not use a little of that moldable epoxy to creat your shim?