So I just got the engine back in my Z - at first the starter just wouldn't engage, it would just make a "chunk" sound as the drive gear came out and contacted the flywheel, but wouldn't turn over the engine.

I jumped the starter at the solenoid and it started turning over but wouldn't stop. The car started and ran just fine and when I turned the key off, the starter was still turning over so i pulled the battery cable and brought the starter in for a warranty replacement.

With the new starter, nothing at all happens - when I put the key in the start position, there's nothing - no click or anything. Again, if I jump the starter at the solenoid it turns over just fine (only this time disengages properly) and the car runs great.

I've checked every fuse I can find and they're all good. The Security light isn't on (though, it wouldn't start at all if it was)

I need to get this thing out of the garage, but this starting issue is holding me up. Got other projects to finish

Anyone have any ideas what would cause the key not to engage the starter? I checked the wires that run to the starter, they're tight, but also with a test light and the key in the start position, I don't seem to be getting any power (purple cable and black with white stripe).

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. I've heard it run, now I want to drive it... except for this one small (huge) problem.

Is there some relay or something that could have went out when it was turning over on it's own before I got the battery cable unhooked? Maybe some in-line fuse I'm missing? Code reader says no DTC's.

 

Well i dont have a 94 nor can i find a schematic but what i can say is find the wire coming out of your ignition key switch. Find out if that is hot when you turn the key to crank. Next find the solenoid or relay, whatever it has i dont know the difference between the two. If you have power to coming out of the ignition switch wire, and power coming out of the solenoid there may be a fusable link installed somewhere before what i would call the s terminal on the starter. Clearly you have your constant 12v to the starter if jumping it works.

Two other items it could be is your clutch engauge switch if its a standard, or your neutral safety switch in an automatic.

By the way im clearly not a mechanic, just trying to throw out any help i can give.
I know you can get to the ignition wire from under the dash, i helped a buddy not to long ago on a similar car.

 

Well, I found one of my problems, somehow I managed to hook a ground to the solenoid (the black and white wire) that should have been to the block, but after I fixed that it still did the same thing.

When running, the only light on is the ABS light and the SES light for the fan relay. (according to my scanner, it's the only DTC)

 

Starting sequence

1) Battery to ignition switch
Starter control
1) Yellow wire from ignition switch to clutch safety switch or neutral safety switch
2) Yellow wire from safety switch to theft deterrent relay (Starter relay) This relay is controlled by the VATS module, Contacts close if VATS is happy, and power goes to from ignition switch to solenoid.
Solenoid power
1) Yellow wire from ignition switch to start relay contacts
2) Purple wire from start relay contacts to starter solenoid
Starter motor power
1) Large black cable form battery + to starter solenoid
2) Internal connection from starter solenoid to starter motor

 

the only wire I can see without ripping apart the entire harnass is the purple. Keep in mind this was working before the previous starter malfunction - whcih leads me to believe a fuse somewhere got blown or something... Is there any fuseable links anywhere inbetween there? I can here a module under the dash click, and obviously relays under the hood activating, but no crank. I haven't touched the Safety neutral switch since I took the starter off yesterday and put the new one on today... yesterday it at least did something, today it does nothing after it decided it was going to keep turning over whether the key was on or not.

 

I have the service manuals with all the wiring diagrams, but do I really want to trace down every single wire from the ingnition switch to the solenoid, ripping apart wiring looms, the whole under dash area? it has to be something more obvious that tracing every single wire of the whole starting system from column to starter.

 

Instead of tracing, use a voltmeter or test light and see if you are getting power to solenoid control wire when you turn the key to the start position. Could also be that the starter gear and the flywheel gears are not engaging properly. Also there is a fusible link sending power to the ignition switch, but if it was blown nothing at all would happen.

 

If I jump the two it starts great. I put a test light on the purple wire going to the solenoid and put the key in the 'start' position but it didn't light up, which tells me it's not sending power to the unit. I do have a Viper alarm system but it should be disabled (and if it wasn't it wouldn't run at all).

This is why I was asking if there was a fuseable link or a relay or something I could be missing.

keep in mind I've checked all of the fuses outside and inside (the fuse blocks) and all are OK. the car runs fine otherwise.

Otherwise, changing the engine will seem trivial compared to digging into the wiring harnesses.

But if that's what I need to do, that's what I'll do.

Also, I don't know what many acronyms mean on this car (used to working on fords) so if you could use the actual name instead of the acronym that would also be helpful.

Thanks!

 

i had a problem another car of mine not cranking at all when my alternator's voltage regulator went. although it wasnt cranking because it was blowing to IGN fuse. prob not the case.. make sure the wiring to the starter is on completely

 

Ok so I don't have power to the fuse box on the Cranking fuse with the key in the start position (only fuse that doesn't get power ever). I jumped a wire from the ACCY to the Cranking fuse and the car started, this is on the I/P Fuse block, fuse 16 or 17, whichever one says cranking on the cover and is 3A :P

Why is this not getting power? According to the diagram on page 9D-4 of the Service manual, it goes from the ignition switch, then does that fuse and goes on from there to the safety neutral and then TDR.

To check the safety neutral switch I hooked my reader up to it and got the following:

PNP:
reading in park: R/DL
Reading in reverse: P/N
In Neutral : R/DL
and then P/N for the rest of the gears.
PRNDL read P/N for all positions.
I don't know what these values are supposed to be so if that's normal, great.

Looks like I'm not getting power from the ignition switch to the fuse box to go elsewhere, but I'm not sure why. I seen mention of the ignition module being seperate from the actual key switch.

The fuse is obviously good, but just to make sure I tried another.