H&R2 Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 well weve had this black 1986 chevy for about 2 and a half yrs now. when we got it it had the 305 in it but then we took it out. bought a 350 for it bored 30 over and has been runnin great ever since till this week. we changed the starter,alternator, and the whole wiring system. when we turn the key theres nothin no noises or anything. any ideas on what could be going on with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun_300 Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Ok, so it just wouldn't start one day so you changed the starter, alternator and whole wiring system? I think that's the way I'm reading it, if it's different let me know. Battery is good I take it? So no clicks or anything when you hit the key? Do you have power on the "S" terminal when you hit the key? All the fuses and relays ok in the fuse block? To me it sounds like a fuseable link burned up. Not too familiar with the older vehicles. 1986 is the year I was born. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 No doubt electrical can be a booger to trace, but you need to do like Shaun said and get a volt meter and start working it from the solenoid back. It's going to be a simple problem, you just have to find the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LETMGROW Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 standard or auto trans? If it's auto you could have a bad neutral safety switch on the steering column. Should be a connector with 2 purple wires. Unplug the connector and jump across it. Will it start now? Similar for std. There is a switch on the clutch pedal which goes bad once in a while. I believe the colors of the wires are the same. You could have a bad fusible link like Shaun said. Therefore you wouldn't be getting power to or out of the ignition switch. And of course the switch itself could be bad. The ignition switch is on the steering column down by the brake pedal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 My brother spent hours one day trying to get his '82 T/A to start. He even replaced the fuse block which was a bear under that tight dashboard. I hopped in the car and looked down, pushed the console shifter into "park" and fired it right up. Never overlook the simple things. Lynn is probably on the right path - as usual Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H&R2 Posted February 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 battery is good. and everything is fine it just wont start idk why. we are just gunna take it back to duckets where they rebuilt the motor and some wiring. so were just gunna have them fix it its been a pain to fix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LETMGROW Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 I've got to clarify something. If I remember correctly there are 2 12v. feeds to the ign. switch. The heavy red wire feeds the starting circuit. The heavy purple wire feeds the starting circuit when the key is turned to start position. This can be checked with a test light from the wire connector to a good ground. I would start at the starter. Find a good ground for the clip on the test lamp.Make sure the tester works when touching a good 12 v. source. [ usually at the battery pos. terminal ] Touch the probe on the tester to the S terminal on the starter. Have a helper turn the ign. to start. Does the lamp light? Yes, you need to check for 12 v. to the battery term. on the starter. Yes, you have a bad starter. No, you should go to the neut. safe switch or clutch switch. Again have someone turn the ign. switch to start. Depress the clutch or have the trans. in park. Check for 12 v. on both sides of the connector. 1 side lights the lamp 1 side doesn't, you have a bad switch. [ clutch or neut. safe ] No power either side, go to the ign. switch. Find the heavy purp. wire. touch the wire in the connector and turn the switch to start. Lamp lit? you have a broken wire between the switch and the safety switch. No lamp lit? Check for power to the heavy red wire on the ign. switch. Lamp lit? You have a bad ign. sw. No power, you probably have a failed fusible link from the starter bat. [ 12 v. ] to the wiring harness. Or a break in the wire. You said you replaced the wiring harness. From where to where? I should have started with: Make sure the engine and starter have a good clean and secure ground. You can do this by simply hooking a jumper cable from the bat. neg. cable directly to the starter. Shaun will agree with me, grounds are just as, if not more, important than power circuits. Chances are I have forgotten something even though I have read this post several times. Comes with age and having done this so many times. Have a question, don't be afraid to ask. Or . bring it in to my shop and I'll show ya. At a nominal fee of course. LOL Lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun_300 Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 Thanks a lot for helping with this one Lynn! Lots of good info there. It's great to have another tech in here like you who has been in the trade a lot longer than me and has experience with the older vehicles. As much more simpler the older ones are to work on, they're quite a bit different than the new stuff I have to work on at the dealer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H&R2 Posted February 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 well we changed all the wires running to the engine to the firewall. and when we hook the jumpers to the starter and the battery it starts we scraped pain off the block to ensure we had a good ground. i still have no idea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 Think Lynn is right on track here, would definitely check for power at the switch and check the switch itself to see if it is working. Have not seen any mention as to whether or not you get power to accessories(radio, wipers, etc) with the ignition switch turned to on or accessory. If you are getting power there, might help determine the direction to track down the problem. No power getting to those things then you know the issue is before the switch or the switch itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 If all else is working do what most rednecks would do...... 1) toggle switch 2) pushbutton Life is good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeramie Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 If it's auto you could have a bad neutral safety switch on the steering column. Should be a connector with 2 purple wires. Unplug the connector and jump across it. Will it start now? That is exactly where I was going with it. Another option is the try it in Neutral. Some of the older trucks would start in neutral when they wouldn't start in park because of that problem..... Would definitely be worth the try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeramie Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 If all else is working do what most rednecks would do...... 1) toggle switch 2) pushbutton Life is good. That actually use to happen quite a bit! I remember riding in a truck as a kid (think it was my dads) that had a push button on the dash. I can still see it like it was yesterday. I borrowed a truck one time that had a toggle switch for the fuel pump because the relay had burned out.... Just make sure you shut it off when you stop or youre going to pump out all of the gas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LETMGROW Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 If all else is working do what most rednecks would do...... 1) toggle switch 2) pushbutton Life is good. DANGEROUS! That is why they call it a SAFETY SWITCH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBow Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 Before I'd start testing, I'd get an electrical schematic to help pinpoint thngs already mentioned here. TBow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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