Battery Hooked Up - no smoke - but..., Starter doesn't turn Options

[lsintampa]

75 914/4 2.0

I worked up enough courage to hook power up to the thing.

The instrument cluster is out, as is the dash top, and most of the wiring is just hanging down.

Before I attached the battery, I did a once over to make sure I didn't see any shorts.

Here's what works.... with the ignition on.

Lights pop up and light, highbeams work, hazzards work, blinkers work, some annoying buzzer works (assume it is for the seat belts?), brake lights work, wipers work.... so it seems most things work.

With ignition on - I don't hear the Fuel Pump come on, I assume it should run with ignition on (no tank in the car, yet - getting it sealed again).

When I turn the key to start, I'm expecting the starter to engage, but it doesn't.

Worth mentioning that the car basically is still very disassembled. The FI is not wired up - so I don't know if that effects the starter or not - I wouldn't think so.

There were four red leads all that connect to the positive side of the battery, the long positive cable goes to the starter, and feeds another red wire that goes to the alternator / relay board.

The voltage regulator is new.

I'm not sure why the starter isn't engaging - it's new also, as is the alternator.

Onward through the fog as they say.

Len

[lsintampa]

Well, I got smoke this time.... UGH

What I did.

1) cleaned up all the positive leads to the battery.
2) replaced the strap ground wire that runs from the tranny to car body.
3) rotated the relays on the relay board.

The wires that fried were the Negative wires on the coil... both the condenser green wire and (in my case) the red tach wire. (I had traced the red wire to the tach port on the relay board, so I'm 90% sure that was the tach wire).

Now I'm not sure how much damage has been done.

Not sure if the wires fried when switch was in the ON position or Start position. I'm fairly sure they went hot when the switch was on.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/stromberg.gif)

[ThePaintedMan]

Well, I got smoke this time.... UGH

What I did.

1) cleaned up all the positive leads to the battery.
2) replaced the strap ground wire that runs from the tranny to car body.
3) rotated the relays on the relay board.

The wires that fried were the Negative wires on the coil... both the condenser green wire and (in my case) the red tach wire. (I had traced the red wire to the tach port on the relay board, so I'm 90% sure that was the tach wire).

Now I'm not sure how much damage has been done.

Not sure if the wires fried when switch was in the ON position or Start position. I'm fairly sure they went hot when the switch was on.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/stromberg.gif)

I did that before on my car, but luckily it was isolated to just the tach signal wire. It sounds like you've got 12V power hooked up to the coil negative somehow (shouldn't be that way). I'll come over after work and see if we can figure it out. As long as nothing was on very long, hopefully all you'll need to do is splice in a patch wire.

[lsintampa]

Well, I got smoke this time.... UGH

What I did.

1) cleaned up all the positive leads to the battery.
2) replaced the strap ground wire that runs from the tranny to car body.
3) rotated the relays on the relay board.

The wires that fried were the Negative wires on the coil... both the condenser green wire and (in my case) the red tach wire. (I had traced the red wire to the tach port on the relay board, so I'm 90% sure that was the tach wire).

Now I'm not sure how much damage has been done.

Not sure if the wires fried when switch was in the ON position or Start position. I'm fairly sure they went hot when the switch was on.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/stromberg.gif)

I did that before on my car, but luckily it was isolated to just the tach signal wire. It sounds like you've got 12V power hooked up to the coil negative somehow (shouldn't be that way). I'll come over after work and see if we can figure it out. As long as nothing was on very long, hopefully all you'll need to do is splice in a patch wire.

George, I always welcome your presence!

I'll be here... Just look for the big puddle of tears....

You have any ETA in mind?

Thanks,

Len

[lsintampa]

Well, I got smoke this time.... UGH

What I did.

1) cleaned up all the positive leads to the battery.
2) replaced the strap ground wire that runs from the tranny to car body.
3) rotated the relays on the relay board.

The wires that fried were the Negative wires on the coil... both the condenser green wire and (in my case) the red tach wire. (I had traced the red wire to the tach port on the relay board, so I'm 90% sure that was the tach wire).

Now I'm not sure how much damage has been done.

Not sure if the wires fried when switch was in the ON position or Start position. I'm fairly sure they went hot when the switch was on.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/stromberg.gif)

I did that before on my car, but luckily it was isolated to just the tach signal wire. It sounds like you've got 12V power hooked up to the coil negative somehow (shouldn't be that way). I'll come over after work and see if we can figure it out. As long as nothing was on very long, hopefully all you'll need to do is splice in a patch wire.

George, I always welcome your presence!

I'll be here... Just look for the big puddle of tears....

You have any ETA in mind?

Thanks,

Len

Hey George,

No need to stop by unless you bring a big mop and some towels... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

I pulled the ignition harness out, removed the tape and the main coil wire was fried almost half way to the relay board.

I'm going to have to replace / repair the harness first.

Then hope nothing else is cooked.

At least I know now that this harness was repaired in the past. The tach wire was patched and they used a red wire. I had tested the wires before I hooked them up to the coil, so I know I had them correct.

The red/black wire is all black - I don't see it was spliced, but this is the wire that goes to the + side of the coil. Maybe the red trace is hard to see, but it looks like a black wire to me.

Later,

Len