Breakdown from ignition key to starter

[craig917]

Hi all, just getting into working on my girlfriend's 914 for the first time.

Starter fails to crank from the key, but +12v applied to the starter relay will crank the engine just fine. Checked with a voltmeter, and there is no power to the starter relay for the solenoid when the key is in the crank position.

Before I start tearing apart the steering mechanism to get at the key switch, are there other things I should check? Any easy ways of identifying this wire under the dash so I can check to make sure its not a broken wire? I have looked at the wiring diagrams and it doesn't look like this is fused. But I checked all the fuses anyway and they are good.

Thanks!

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

It's not fused.

Look for thick-ish yellow wires.

If it's a 74 (or early 75), check under the passenger seat for the Dreaded Seatbelt Interlock Relay. Jumper or splice together the two thick yellow (or yellow/red) wires to disable that.

The connection goes through the relay board. Make sure the front and right-rear connectors are plugged in securely to the board.

--DD

[3D914]

I'm having weird problems with my son's 74 - 2.0L. Even though the large yellow wire is removed from the Seatbelt Interlock Relay and spliced together, the relay is still getting power. If I remove the relay the car won't start to run. It will crank, just not run. Plug in the relay and the engine starts to run but dies. That's another problem.

How is this relay still getting power with the yellow wire removed? And why should that affect the engine running?

TIA

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

There are other wires that run to the relay, but they shouldn't have any effect.

Is it possible that the not starting is a coincidence? Can you tell what is being connected together by the relay?

--DD

[3D914]

Dave,

I recall that there were a couple of brown wires, a small yellow with white, and not sure about the fourth. I have a replacement ignition switch coming, so I'll be putting that in this weekend.

I know the car ran with this relay in place, I was just trying to understand why it wouldn't start when the relay was removed. But as you say, it may be a coincidence with the other problem.