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Turn the key and nothing happens..... HELP

yep the angled one does have a yellow wire on it. I did the other one and still nothing. Heres a picture of the set up. relay ground.jpg
The black wire is the one I rigged in there. Its the non angled one. But it didnt turn over when I turned the key? What does this mean?
 
Ok, time for next test. You need to jack the car up and test that neutral safety switch on the tranny and see if it has continuity. If the safety switch checks out, than I'm thinking the ground wire from the relay down to the safety switch is bad and is preventing the neutral safety switch from being ground through the relay.


So you ran that black wire from the relay to the negative side of the battery, and nothing?

Tonight you need to go the auto parts store and get a test light and also some alligator clips so you can make an effective jumper wire.
 
Okay, I can reach it without jacking it. I'm looking at the 3 prongs now. Do I have the key turned while testing?
 
I forget, try doing it both way. But I don't think having the key on or off affects the continutiy.

74Runneer said:
Okay, I can reach it without jacking it. I'm looking at the 3 prongs now. Do I have the key turned while testing?
Click to expand...
 
Okay I did it with the key off and it beep so I believe it has continuity right?
 
Yes, the neutral safety switch is good. Ok, now time to go to the parts store and get the test light. We need to check that yellow wire now with the test light. When you get the test light, you want to stick the probe into that yellow tab/connector, and the alliagator clip to the negative battery terminal. Have someone watch the light when you turn the key on, it should light up. If not, there's the problem, the starter relay is bad.

AND while you're at the auto parts store, check and see if they have a starter relay for the car. Take the picture I posted earlier with you so you can match it and get the right one. Napa usually carries them.

I had these same intermittent starting issues last year and it was the starter relay.

74Runneer said:
Okay I did it with the key off and it beep so I believe it has continuity right?
Click to expand...
 
hopefully you are understanding what we are doing here. Cause say for example you were out somewhere away from home, and the car won't start with the key. That's when you try the trigger on the starter relay and start it that way. BUT, the key has to be in the "on" position for the car to actually fire up. Once you are done with this testing and find the culprit, go back and do these tests again and see how the car starts.

74Runneer said:
Okay I'm leaving now ill be back in 20 mins.
Click to expand...
 
Yep I've learned a ton so far. I knew absolutly nothing about wiring before and now I feel fairly confident. Thanks. Got the test light on my way home now
 
Okay what is the yellow tab/connector that you are talking about? Are you talking about the tab at the end of the yellow wires? Do I test it with the key turned on, or with it turned all the way to starting position? Does the probe have to be touching metal?
 
Yes, we are testing that angled tab that the yellow wire is connected to. That is the ignition key circuit. Stick the test light probe into the back of the connector so that its touching the inside tab that its connected to on the starter relay. Next, clip the test light alligator clip to the negative side of the battery. Everything has to be metal to metal. Then fully start the car with the key and every time you turn the key, that test light should come on if its working properly. If you are alone, you may have to experiment with angling that test light so you can see it from the driver's seat. If not, have someone else watch that light.

If that light doesn't come on when the key is turned, there's the problem. Time for a new starter relay. In the meantime, hook that starter trigger back up to the big wires on the relay, turn the key to the "on" position and see if the car fires up with the trigger (we know the starter engages already from the earlier test, now let's see if she fires up). If so, that's how you drive the car until you get a new starter relay.

74Runneer said:
Okay what is the yellow tab/connector that you are talking about? Are you talking about the tab at the end of the yellow wires? Do I test it with the key turned on, or with it turned all the way to starting position? Does the probe have to be touching metal?
Click to expand...
 
Okay I pulled the yellow wire off its angled tab and placed the probe onto the tab and had my brother turn the key and nothing happened. Then i shoved the probe inside the brown connector piece of the yellow wire and it still didnt work. Did I do this wrong or is my starter relay broken?

- - - Updated - - -

Heading to oreilly's now to get the relay. $20 with a lifetime warrenty
 
Ok, if you had the test light alligator clip hooked to the negative battery terminal and the metal probe stuck on the tab where the yellow wire connects to, the test light should light up when the key is turned to start the car.

Just to test the test light, I'm assuming you know where the fuse box is (perhaps the glove box). Find the fuses, then hook the test light alligator clip to something metal inside the car. I usually hook it to the ash tray or some bare metal where the trash mounts. Then, with the key turned in the "on" position, use the probe and touch the metal ends of the fuses and the test light should light up. If it does, good, we know ITS working.

Put that yellow wired connector back on the angled tab, and stick the probe in through the back of the connector towards the relay. Start the car with the key again. If still nothing, there's the problem, time for a new relay (Napa stores should have), and based on the way that current relay looks, it might be time for a new one.

74Runneer said:
Okay I pulled the yellow wire off its angled tab and placed the probe onto the tab and had my brother turn the key and nothing happened. Then i shoved the probe inside the brown connector piece of the yellow wire and it still didnt work. Did I do this wrong or is my starter relay broken?
Click to expand...
 
new relay.jpgokay i went and bought a new relay and installed it and still nothing.:confused:
 
Oh WTF?!?! any chance you got alligator clips while at parts store and can make a better jumper wire? I'm curious about if the relay is being grounded properly.

With the test light on that yellow wire tab, does it light up when turning the key now with the new relay?
 
I did get alligator clips. They only had a 3' 18 gauge one but i guess its better than nothing. Ill do that test again. Ha I know this is pretty epic

- - - Updated - - -

Nope the test light still didn't light up. I tested it on my fuses and it lit up for 3 of the 8.
 
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