Starting Problems

[yesman]

I have replaced the Solenoid, the battery, checked all grounds and am still only getting a clicking noise from the relay under the passenger seat. any ideas??

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

I'm not sure if you're the person on the Rennlist having similar troubles, but here's some places to start.

First, I assume your car is a 74-75. Those have the "seatbelt interlock relay" under the passenger's seat. Remove that seat from the car, and you should see a black plastic block with two metal cans plugged into it. The smaller can would be the "door open" buzzer. The larger one is labeled "logik relais", and is the interlock relay. Unplug it.

Now, find the two fat yellow wires that connected to the interlock relay when it was plugged in. One may or may not have a red stripe. Check each of them for 12V when you have the ignition cranked to "start". One of them should get +12V. If neither does, then you have a fault in the wiring from the battery to the ignition switch, in the switch itself, or in the wiring from the switch to the interlock relay.

Splice the two fat yellow wires together. This removes the relay from the circuit, and removes one more place for a voltage drop (which you don't want in your starting circuit). Solder or, if you prefer, use crimp connectors. Use shrink tubing over whatever you do, though--this is one place you don't want water and corrosion getting into!

Next, test for +12V while the key is on "start" at the fat yellow (or yellow/red) wire in the front connector to the relay board in the engine compartment. If you get that, then plug that back in and test for +12V on the right-rear connector, on whatever pin it is that the fat yellow wire connects to there. If you get it, plug that back in and check for +12V on the yellow wire that plugs into the starter itself.

If you fail to get +12V at any of those places when the key is on "start", you have a problem in the circuit somewhere between the last two places you tested.

--DD

[yesman]

OK, ive taken the seatbelt relay out of the loop, and have 11.8 or so volts all the way to the solenoid when the key is in the start position. a brand new solenoid, still no start? I put a screwdriver on the solenoid and can get the starter to turn but cant get the key to do it...

[hargray2]

The starter circuit on the 914 often becomes
unable to pass enough current (amps) to the
solenoid when the wiring gets old. You can
fix this with a starter relay.
some relays also have an 87a terminal in the middle which is not used.
cut the yellow wire (the one from ignition switch)going to the solenoid.
Attach the end from the switch to 86 and the other end to 87. Follow the diagram.
If you don't have rear defrost, stock FI, or
heater blower, then you could probably reconfigure a couple of pins on the connectors at the relay board to use one of the relays from them, and it would 'look'
"factory."

[This message has been edited by hargray2 (edited 06-20-2001).]