1996 854 Starter Connection/Relays/Bad wiring

waterskierfl · Post by **waterskierfl** » 10 Jun 2015, 20:25

I recently rebuilt my 96 854 cylinder head and finished installing everything, when I went to turn the key, the dashboard lit up like normal all the lights working, the fuel pump started and was working fine. However, there was no sign of life from the starter. I can hear a clicking noise in the fuse box area when I turn the key to pos III but the starter doesn't respond. The starter was replaced about 6 months ago and haven't ever had a problem with it. It had a lifetime warranty so I popped a new one in and still nothing. With the key in pos II, I was able to arc the starter and get it to spin, but it was not engaging the flywheel or cranking the engine at all. I pulled the shifter knob from D-L about twenty times in case it was the PNP switch and I haven't checked the CAM sensor if that what it could be as well, or just a shortage somewhere in between the battery and the starter. I just don't know what to do. Thanks

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 10 Jun 2015, 20:34

There is a green/red wire sticking out of the harness next to the left strut tower, more or less in front of the fuse box. If you apply battery voltage to that connector it will engage the starter if the PNP switch is operating correctly. What using the service starter connector does is allow you to isolate the problem to either being under the hood or back in the passenger compartment.

If you get no action from the service starter connector try to apply battery voltage to the green/red wire on the solenoid of the starter and see if it works there (make sure the car is in park!). If it does work there but not at the connector the problem is in the PNP or the PNP wiring.

...Lee

Post by **tryingbe** » 11 Jun 2015, 09:29

Using a multimeter, check the voltage at the starter POS to the battery NEG and see what you get.

waterskierfl · Post by **waterskierfl** » 14 Jun 2015, 19:45

Alright, I finally had time to check on the car, and when I fed the starter voltage straight from the battery, it turned the engine, not fast enough to start but it was allot more than what we were getting before. When we gave voltage to the green/red wire near the strut tower we got nothing. Also we pulled the PNP switch out and serviced it just by taking it apart and cleaning the corrosion.

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 14 Jun 2015, 19:55

Where did you apply the battery voltage to the starter? To the motor itself or the solenoid?

You can use an Ohmmeter to test the continuity through the PNP by going from the Red/Green wire on the starter solenoid to the service starter connector. You can also use a voltmeter to see if battery voltage appears at the service starter connector when the key is moved to Position III. For those two tests you want to see very little resistance (tenths of Ohms) from the solenoid to the service starter connector with the car in park and you want to see full battery voltage at the service starter connector.

I suppose we should have started with this but how are the battery cables?

...Lee

waterskierfl · Post by **waterskierfl** » 14 Jun 2015, 20:10

Ok we got it to crank. Turns out one of the wires was on the wrong connection to the solenoid!
Thanks so much for the help. We were getting full electron flow from the service starter to the solenoid and full voltage to the starter so it just didn't make sense to me. But anyway, thanks for your time!
-Cheers!

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 14 Jun 2015, 20:13

Don't feel bad, you certainly aren't the first!

...Lee