l have a 78 Malibu no crank, battery starter fuseable link all good,replaced ign switch by passed nss.even tryed putting in push button starter that I ran to fuse box still nothing here is the bigger question I have 12 v at the solenoid wire when key is on postion but when I try to crank it it goes to ground and yes the starter is good I ran it direct from the battery.any ideas thanks any help please
more no crank gremlins
- Thread starter flyin brian
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Turn your headlights on, are they normal brightness?
Attempt to crank the engine, do they dim a little or at all (no change, flicker?) while holding the IGN switch in CRANK?
-This is checking to see if maybe bad connection at battery/cables if they turn off. Or weak battery, also possible bad connection or corrosion in battery cables, grounds.
-If the starter is trying to crank, and trying to pull any current from the battery they should certainly dim or flicker a little. Unless it's dark out, you may need a second person for this test.
Are you hearing any sound from the starter at all, not even a tick? a click?
Or did you take the starter out and test it on a bench with jumper cables, and bypassed the solenoid and connected the + cable direct to the starter motor windings lug?
If the former, you need to do the following IMHO:
Remove the factory wire from the S terminal at the starter, go to the IGN switch and locate that same wire (typically a 12ga PURPLE wire) and remove it's connector from the IGN SW so that the wire is now disconnected from both ends. isolated (no connection at IGN switch and no connection at starter).
Now, get your DMM (Digital MultiMeter) and set it to OHMS and connect one lead to GROUND, and the other lead to EITHER END OF THE WIRE and you should NOT see any connectivity, aka OHMS should be infinite or usually display "OL" on the meter. If the DMM has an audible continuity beep, turn that on too and it should NOT beep.
If you're seeing any OHMS reading, that wire is pinched or rubbed to ground somewhere and you need to trace it out, or replace it. NOTE check carefully if there is any type of aftermarket wiring under the dash, or near the IGN switch as sometimes aftermarket electronics like maybe a remote start, or alarm system with starter interrupt/relay are spliced into that wire. Confirm there's none of that as it will certainly trip you up.
If you don't have a DMM, you can use a TEST LIGHT with it's alligator clip side connected to BAT (+), then (with the wire still disconnected on both sides ---IGN SW & Starter SOL) touch the probe side to either end of it. If the test light LIGHTS UP that means it's grounded, or pinched and you need to trace it like noted above.
If the latter (bench tested) if you bypassed the solenoid S terminal and the starter spins, then you pretty confirmed you have a bad SOLENOID in which case replace it, or the entire starter depending on your preference.
Starting systems on these cars, are very non-complicated (compared to these newer cars imho) so as long as you're taking a logical approach to trouble shooting (like you seem to be) there's not many things it could be. Battery and Starter are easy to confirm functionality with LOAD and BENCH testing. The high current battery cables both POS and NEG are also easy to visually inspect, remove, clean, tighten etc. So that leaves the control side, IGN SW and WIRING and it's literally ONE wire.
You said you're sure fusible links are good, so you want to confirm that with making sure the two (I think) heavy RED wires feeding the IGN switch both have power at all times. If not, then the PURPLE wire to the starter won't either when trying to CRANK.
Hope this helps.
Attempt to crank the engine, do they dim a little or at all (no change, flicker?) while holding the IGN switch in CRANK?
-This is checking to see if maybe bad connection at battery/cables if they turn off. Or weak battery, also possible bad connection or corrosion in battery cables, grounds.
-If the starter is trying to crank, and trying to pull any current from the battery they should certainly dim or flicker a little. Unless it's dark out, you may need a second person for this test.
Are you hearing any sound from the starter at all, not even a tick? a click?
What do you mean it "goes to ground", are you saying when you go to CRANK with the IGN switch the 12v you had with IGN in the ON position then goes to 0v? If this is the PURPLE wire on the S terminal, it should not have 12v at any time other than when CRANKING. Please clarify your steps for this test.
Again, here what do you mean you "ran it direct from the battery", are you saying you took a jumper wire from the POS (+) terminal on your battery and touched it to the S terminal on the Starter Solenoid it cranked over fine?
Or did you take the starter out and test it on a bench with jumper cables, and bypassed the solenoid and connected the + cable direct to the starter motor windings lug?
If the former, you need to do the following IMHO:
Remove the factory wire from the S terminal at the starter, go to the IGN switch and locate that same wire (typically a 12ga PURPLE wire) and remove it's connector from the IGN SW so that the wire is now disconnected from both ends. isolated (no connection at IGN switch and no connection at starter).
Now, get your DMM (Digital MultiMeter) and set it to OHMS and connect one lead to GROUND, and the other lead to EITHER END OF THE WIRE and you should NOT see any connectivity, aka OHMS should be infinite or usually display "OL" on the meter. If the DMM has an audible continuity beep, turn that on too and it should NOT beep.
If you're seeing any OHMS reading, that wire is pinched or rubbed to ground somewhere and you need to trace it out, or replace it. NOTE check carefully if there is any type of aftermarket wiring under the dash, or near the IGN switch as sometimes aftermarket electronics like maybe a remote start, or alarm system with starter interrupt/relay are spliced into that wire. Confirm there's none of that as it will certainly trip you up.
If you don't have a DMM, you can use a TEST LIGHT with it's alligator clip side connected to BAT (+), then (with the wire still disconnected on both sides ---IGN SW & Starter SOL) touch the probe side to either end of it. If the test light LIGHTS UP that means it's grounded, or pinched and you need to trace it like noted above.
If the latter (bench tested) if you bypassed the solenoid S terminal and the starter spins, then you pretty confirmed you have a bad SOLENOID in which case replace it, or the entire starter depending on your preference.
Starting systems on these cars, are very non-complicated (compared to these newer cars imho) so as long as you're taking a logical approach to trouble shooting (like you seem to be) there's not many things it could be. Battery and Starter are easy to confirm functionality with LOAD and BENCH testing. The high current battery cables both POS and NEG are also easy to visually inspect, remove, clean, tighten etc. So that leaves the control side, IGN SW and WIRING and it's literally ONE wire.
You said you're sure fusible links are good, so you want to confirm that with making sure the two (I think) heavy RED wires feeding the IGN switch both have power at all times. If not, then the PURPLE wire to the starter won't either when trying to CRANK.
Hope this helps.
Thank you for the help i appreciate it. i found a frayed wire behind the fuse box
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