I was filling up my car today and when i finished i went to start the car and got nothing, only gen light i have plenty of battery power just no starter. this happened to me before but i found the problem it was the solenoid wire it had come off the terminal. i checked this time when it cooled down and that wire is still on the terminal.
Could use some sugguestions on where to go from here, Please help !!!!

Thanks
Ted

 

Do you get a "click", or nothing at all? Does the starter work like normal with a cool engine? Our starter solenoids tend to not like the heat, and can give you a dead starter symptom when the engine is hot, but will work fine after it cools off. If that's what you're getting, you need a heat shield on the starter, if the factory one is gone. Or wrap the starter with a heat shield blanket, you can get it from places like Summit, etc. Oh, and I'm deleting your other duplicate post in the V8 section, you only need one.

 

Thanks. But the starter wont start even when cold no clicking like i mentioned before i had the same result when the purple wire came off the solenoid terminal.

 

Do you know how to jump the starter terminals with a screwdriver? If the starter then cranks, you have a wiring issue, or it's a problem with your starter switch (mounted on top of the steering column towards the firewall). You'll have to start tracing backwards with a test meter till you find the break in connection. If you get nothing with the screwdriver, check your positive connection at the battery, and the battery ground cable to frame and engine. If you're missing a frame to engine ground, it'll give you starter issues.

 

which terminals do you jump to check the starter??? the one with the battery cable on it and the purple wire????.
Thanks

 

Yes, those are the ones.

 

jumped them and the start turns over. I replaced the ignition switch because it was sticking in the start position. Now have new switch but starter starts sometimes then just clicks other time. did have the switch hanging down and i noticed one of the wires getting very warm after trying to start it a few times. my sloenoid is right up against my headers. i do have a mini starter

 

want to thank everyone for their help, after checking my wiring and finding a dead short on the wire to the selenoid terminal (purple wire) i decied to jack up the car and remove the starter. as i reach up i felt another bolt sitting on top of the solenoid terminal wegded between the terminal and my header tube. Well the bolt turns out to be a header bolt that loosened up and fell right between the header tube and the terminal. as the car moved around it changed position and thats why i had startes and non starts but the wire getting very hot was the clue of the short.

 

When all else fails, sometimes ya gotta just jump in there and start taking things a part!

Who would have thought! Glad you found it!

 

Nice find! That's what owning a hot rod is all about. I'm constantly going over bolts I've learned will loosen to check them. I probably check tension on my header bolts once or twice a year, and each time I find a couple slightly loose.