Disconnected battery cable and reconnected, now starter wont engage Options

[ericoneal]

Tried the key both ways, jiggled. I dont think its that because I've NEVER had a problem getting this car to turn over until I reconnected the battery. I also cleaned some oil that was pooled on the engine here, that had some wires nearby:

that got jiggled a bit.

But thats all it took to kill it.

Hard to tell from just a picture, but it sure looks like the small red one should be hot with ignition on, like you said. The large red is constant 12V.

If that doesn't get you going in the right direction, you could go back to my hypothesis that the ignition switch itself is bad. Try turning the key over to the other side and then inserting it. Also try jiggling the key when you have it turned to "start."

[turk22]

When I had a similar problem, it was because the Red cable was corroded up inside the cable where the connecter is.

I removed the positive cable connector from the wire, cut back the corroded section of the wire to good copper, bought a $5 new positive connector, and when all hooked up, it started right up.

Just a thought, that it may be something simple....

[stugray]

Have you tried to jump the solenoid?

That was my first thought just stick a screw driver across both terminals (what I would do)

But here's the right way for those scared of that:
1 - use an idiot light and see if you have voltage at the starter
2 - use the idiot light to see if you get voltage at the solenoid when someone turns the key

If yes to both, it is wired and you havent blown a fuse.
3 - Put a voltmeter across your battery while turning the key.
If voltage drops significantly (below ~11) then you have a bad battery or the starter/solenoid has a short.

If the voltage at the battery stays up (>12) the battery is good and your connection to the starter is poor
4 - Put a voltmeter across the starter while turning the key.
If it stays high, your starter is bad

HTH Stu

EDIT - just read where you are not even hearing a faint click, so #4 is unlikely (steps are still all good though)

[ericoneal]

1 and 2 are both getting power and I have tried 2 different batteries that I know are good. No idea how this shouldnt at least be clicking. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif)

Have you tried to jump the solenoid?

That was my first thought just stick a screw driver across both terminals (what I would do)

But here's the right way for those scared of that:
1 - use an idiot light and see if you have voltage at the starter
2 - use the idiot light to see if you get voltage at the solenoid when someone turns the key

If yes to both, it is wired and you havent blown a fuse.
3 - Put a voltmeter across your battery while turning the key.
If voltage drops significantly (below ~11) then you have a bad battery or the starter/solenoid has a short.

If the voltage at the battery stays up (>12) the battery is good and your connection to the starter is poor
4 - Put a voltmeter across the starter while turning the key.
If it stays high, your starter is bad

HTH Stu

EDIT - just read where you are not even hearing a faint click, so #4 is unlikely (steps are still all good though)

[Mike Bellis]

OK. Just checked again. Put the battery from my Toyota in it, and nothing. Red and Green dash lights come on, fuel pump comes on, when I turn the key, red and green lights stay on, nothing happens. No click from the starter..
Should the small red wire in this picture: starter

be hot when the key is on? It is not, but the large on is.

In that picture, the red wire is the starter crank wire. Notice it is connected to the yellow crank wire. Only hot while cranking. Do you have the same solenoid? If so try to connect the red wire (spade terminal) directly to the started spade terminal.

Does this work?

Do you have the seatbelt interlock relay under the passenger seat? The started wire is interrupted if the seatbelts are not engaged. This relay tends to go bad. If you have it, jumper the yellow and yellow/red wire together.

Does this work?

[ericoneal]

"In that picture, the red wire is the starter crank wire. Notice it is connected to the yellow crank wire. Only hot while cranking. Do you have the same solenoid? If so try to connect the red wire (spade terminal) directly to the started spade terminal.
"

The picture in the link is actually my car. I'm a bit confused about what you are asking, but will try to understand. The small red wire is hot only when cranking. The fat red wire from the battery to the starter is always hot. I do not have a yellow wire, but there are yellow plastic connectors. Are you saying to connect the small red wire to the same terminal as the large fat battery wire?

Thanks everyone for the help so far. If I cant get this started by Saturday, she's getting towed. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

So this is what I know:

Battery is good
dash lights, fuel pump come on
Large wire to starter is hot
Small wire to little black box on starter is hot when cranking
other small brown wire on black box is always hot
all fuses that I can find are good.

maybe i need to beat the starter with a hammer? I tapped it with a socket wrench a bit, but probably could use more.

[Tom]

Check the condition of the 4 red wires' connectors at the positive battery connector and the condition of the wires. You were moving these around and if they haven't been replaced I can bet they are in need of replacing. Cut the wires back a small amount and crimp on new connectors. When I replaced mine, there were a lot of broken strands in the red wires = loss of current when needed.
Tom

[Tom]

The little black box is a ford starter relay. Simple way to see if the starter is good, jump the relay terminals ( larger ones). If starter turns, it is OK, relay may be bad or you are not getting proper voltage to relay to energize it, OR you may have a grounding issue. Check with an ohmmeter from the relay bracket to the trans, should be very close to 0 ohms.
Tom

[rpmmaxxed]

I have had this happen to my car a number of times, to no solution that I have yet been able to find. I've replaced grounds, old wires, solenoids, and none of it seemed to change the car. But every, say 30th? time I drive the car, I've just gotta rock it a little bit.

Rock the car in gear, hard, or try and bump start it. No idea why, but this has fixed it nearly every time for me. Just rock it, then start it up as usual. Especially a MOFO when it wont start parked parallel...

[ericoneal]

Thanks guys, I will try both of all of these tonight. When you say "jump the relay terminals ", can you explain exactly how to do that?

[Rand]

It only takes a minute to jump the solenoid as suggested. One minute and you will rule out half of the troubleshooting process. Just make sure it's in neutral and get under there with a screwdriver and short from red to green arrow in this pic...

[TheCabinetmaker]

thank you Rand. I really didn't want to go dig out a starter for a pic.

[ericoneal]

It only takes a minute to jump the solenoid as suggested. One minute and you will rule out half of the troubleshooting process. Just make sure it's in neutral and get under there with a screwdriver and short from red to green arrow in this pic...

Awesome! Thanks alot. So if it turns, that tells me the starter is good, and if not , then its (relay) just not getting enough juice from the battery?

Will let you guys know how it goes tonight.

[Jeffs9146]

I have had one of the smaller red wires fall down below the battery when disconnected! Check to see if there is a loan red wire lost under the battery!

[bandjoey]

To save your lifego to FLAPS and get a hand starter button for under $5 and try the starter. Clip the 2wires to the above red and green get out from under the car and push the button.

We can't afford to lose another Teener owner.

[ericoneal]

Will do

To save your lifego to

FLAPS and get a hand starter button for under $5 and try the starter. Clip the 2wires to the above red and green get out from under the car and push the button.

We can't afford to lose another Teener owner.

[stugray]

In my 71 Ghia, the ignition switch went out, I had to always start the car by climbing under it and jumping across those two terminals with a screwdriver every time.

I even once stalled it in LA on the 401 in rush hour traffic - pumped the gas once, left it out of gear, jumped out, layed beside the car and started it in 1 second (I knew where the terminals were by feel) got back in & drove away...

NOW STICK A SCREWDRIVER ACROSS THOSE TERMINALS ALREADY.

Yes there WILL be a spark if it is working, but the solenoid should engage and the starter should crank. Dont use your favorite snap-on ;-)

Stu

[ericoneal]

It worked! The starter turned and it sparked all to be damned. So this is telling me that the relay is bad, or its just not getting enough power because my red wires from the battery may be too crusty?

[Mike Bellis]

Just bypass that stupid relay. It's not supposed to be there anyway.

You should have a battery cable to the starter and a yellow wire. That's it!

[ericoneal]

Somewhere in Kentucky a 914 just roared back to life. THank you everyone, especially Rand and kg6dxn.
I bypassed the relay and she fired right up. In fact, she used to be hard to start, taking a few cranks of the ignition, but not anymore. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
So why is this damn relay on here to begin with?!?! And why is my idle now at 800+ (which is normal?) instead of 1100ish?

Thanks again, wife thinks Im a total badass now. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif)

Just bypass that stupid relay. It's not supposed to be there anyway.

You should have a battery cable to the starter and a yellow wire. That's it!