No crank
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No crank
Hi all
New guy here, I have 1988 RS with 208 V6, Nearing 187000 miles on it now, I bought it from local dealer in 93 with less than 50K on it. Always stored foe winter, I live in northern NY state, lot of cold and snow in winters. Last fall I pulled into driveway parked and went in visit wife for a few min. ,came out went to start and it cranked for a couple seconds and quit cranking, I thought starter had gave out, changed it, and had old one tested, was good, money spent for nothing, Was getting near time to put it to bed for winter, had to push it by hand to other side of driveway to get into garage and park. This spring I was thinking maybe the ignition switch had given out on the start part, all night's and access. come on when key is turned, just won't crank. Now I am thinking that maybe the Park/Neutral safety switch is the culprit , Been searching for one from local part's sources to no avail. May have go scrap yard to find one in junk vehicle. Two Questions First is this a good possibility that the switch is my problem. Second is there an other switch that could be used as replacement from other GM models or is it model specific?? Any good help much appreciated . Thanks in advance
New guy here, I have 1988 RS with 208 V6, Nearing 187000 miles on it now, I bought it from local dealer in 93 with less than 50K on it. Always stored foe winter, I live in northern NY state, lot of cold and snow in winters. Last fall I pulled into driveway parked and went in visit wife for a few min. ,came out went to start and it cranked for a couple seconds and quit cranking, I thought starter had gave out, changed it, and had old one tested, was good, money spent for nothing, Was getting near time to put it to bed for winter, had to push it by hand to other side of driveway to get into garage and park. This spring I was thinking maybe the ignition switch had given out on the start part, all night's and access. come on when key is turned, just won't crank. Now I am thinking that maybe the Park/Neutral safety switch is the culprit , Been searching for one from local part's sources to no avail. May have go scrap yard to find one in junk vehicle. Two Questions First is this a good possibility that the switch is my problem. Second is there an other switch that could be used as replacement from other GM models or is it model specific?? Any good help much appreciated . Thanks in advance
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Why not use a test light or better yet a volt meter? First thing you want to check on an older car is the cables and connections. Old cables and grounds can overheat and just fail like a switch. In fact that is the most common way they fail. You do test with a voltage drop test. You can easily bypass the neutral safety switch or better yet just test it.
Step one in a no crank with a known good starter. Is power going into the little wire on the starter?
If it is you have a battery cable/ground issue. If not you have a wiring/switch issue. If you do not have power on that small wire can you jump it and start the car? See hooking up a remote start switch. If the car started on the remote switch then I would look at the Neutral Safety Switch. If it did not start but it cranked it seems more like the ignition switch took a crap. (note this is not an end all diagnoses, wires/connectors that can trick you into thinking a switch failed, I always test the switch to confirm the failure)
The manual will have a better step by step to help you.
Anything you read here you do not understand Like "voltage drop test" or "remote starter" just search Youtube for how too videos. Watch a few.
There is a term mechanics like to use. It is "Parts Canon" or some variation of that. It is when someone just starts replacing parts. Sure sometimes they get lucky but some time they cause us more issues, more than one issue on the same circuit can be exponentially harder to find because now we could have the original problem plus a defective or miss installed part. With these older cars just moving wiring harnesses around can cause problems.
Step one in a no crank with a known good starter. Is power going into the little wire on the starter?
If it is you have a battery cable/ground issue. If not you have a wiring/switch issue. If you do not have power on that small wire can you jump it and start the car? See hooking up a remote start switch. If the car started on the remote switch then I would look at the Neutral Safety Switch. If it did not start but it cranked it seems more like the ignition switch took a crap. (note this is not an end all diagnoses, wires/connectors that can trick you into thinking a switch failed, I always test the switch to confirm the failure)
The manual will have a better step by step to help you.
Anything you read here you do not understand Like "voltage drop test" or "remote starter" just search Youtube for how too videos. Watch a few.
There is a term mechanics like to use. It is "Parts Canon" or some variation of that. It is when someone just starts replacing parts. Sure sometimes they get lucky but some time they cause us more issues, more than one issue on the same circuit can be exponentially harder to find because now we could have the original problem plus a defective or miss installed part. With these older cars just moving wiring harnesses around can cause problems.
Last edited by Gorn; May 17, 2023 at 08:40 AM.
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I would be lying if I said I had every switch memorized. The best trait of a tech is to know how to use the manual quickly.
I think in most cases there is just 2 wire going to the switch. That means when the shifter is in gear it breaks the connecting and when the trans is in park or neutral it lets current flow through and continue the starter. If that is the case then you just jump one wire to the other.
Step one should be "do I have power to one wire when I try to start it." then jump the connector with a small pc of wire. If there is no power going to either wire the issue is more towards the ignition switch.
I assume you checked the wire at the starter and you are not getting power?
I think in most cases there is just 2 wire going to the switch. That means when the shifter is in gear it breaks the connecting and when the trans is in park or neutral it lets current flow through and continue the starter. If that is the case then you just jump one wire to the other.
Step one should be "do I have power to one wire when I try to start it." then jump the connector with a small pc of wire. If there is no power going to either wire the issue is more towards the ignition switch.
I assume you checked the wire at the starter and you are not getting power?
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Joined: May 2023
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Still have not been able to get car to crank power at starter, cables all tight, I was told by tech. at GM dealer to check the starter relay, now just where is it hidden??
Looked at youtube and it showed that it is mounted on back side of computor, behind right side kick panel. Is this where it is?
Looked at youtube and it showed that it is mounted on back side of computor, behind right side kick panel. Is this where it is?
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