HELP: Rear red lights ON and no power to starter

[MH77280Z]

[SteveJ]

Thank you for the feedback. So the inhibitor switch may not be the immediate problem, but we haven't ruled it out. Have you checked for voltage to ground on the white/black wire at connector C4 with the key in ON? Also check for voltage to ground on the black/white wire with the key in START.

[siteunseen]

Is the small wire on the solenoid on good and tight? Simple minded me thinks it's the starter. But the smarter guys know about all the safety switches and all that crap.

Is it the original starter as far as you know, I guess it would be a Hitachi? or reman? I've bought some junk alternators and starters from Advance, sold as good but noooooo.

[MH77280Z]

12 minutes ago, siteunseen said:

Is the small wire on the solenoid on good and tight? Simple minded me thinks it's the starter. But the smarter guys know about all the safety switches and all that crap.

Is it the original starter as far as you know, I guess it would be a Hitachi? or reman? I've bought some junk alternators and starters from Advance, sold as good but noooooo.

The starter solenoid is good - it is original and rebuilt from a reputable shop. There is no voltage at the terminal to the starter.

[MH77280Z]

13 minutes ago, siteunseen said:

Is the small wire on the solenoid on good and tight? Simple minded me thinks it's the starter. But the smarter guys know about all the safety switches and all that crap.

Is it the original starter as far as you know, I guess it would be a Hitachi? or reman? I've bought some junk alternators and starters from Advance, sold as good but noooooo.

 

2 hours ago, SteveJ said:

Thank you for the feedback. So the inhibitor switch may not be the immediate problem, but we haven't ruled it out. Have you checked for voltage to ground on the white/black wire at connector C4 with the key in ON? Also check for voltage to ground on the black/white wire with the key in START.

Let me get back on this…

[MH77280Z]

Where is C4 located @SteveJ

[SteveJ]

The junction between the dash harness and engine harness is in the passenger footwell. C4 is a white connector. You want to work your probe in on the back of the connector so you can measure voltage while it is connected.

It should be at the block marked 3 in the picture, though many people have removed that junction block, especially if they installed aftermarket AC.

[MH77280Z]

17 hours ago, Zed Head said:

with.

 

10 minutes ago, SteveJ said:

The junction between the dash harness and engine harness is in the passenger footwell. C4 is a white connector. You want to work your probe in on the back of the connector so you can measure voltage while it is connected.

It should be at the block marked 3 in the picture, though many people have removed that junction block, especially if they installed aftermarket AC.

Tested voltage to ground at on and start at this black white wire in the white connector - left bottom wire and seeing nearing nothing like 50-60 milli volt on the meter.

[SteveJ]

15 minutes ago, MH77280Z said:

 

Tested voltage to ground at on and start at this black white wire in the white connector - left bottom wire and seeing nearing nothing like 50-60 milli volt on the meter.

 

Was that with the key in ON? If so, move to the other tests. If not, re-test with the key in ON.

What we are trying to figure out is why you're not seeing voltage to the relay that completes the circuit for the solenoid. If we don't find voltage on the downstream side of the ignition relay, we need to test to see if you have voltage going into the ignition relay.

After finding faulty components, we can replace just those components. The goal of this is to fix with spending the least amount in replacement parts. 

Did I understand that you replaced the ignition relay? If so, where did you get the replacement?

[MH77280Z]

Yes the voltage was tested at ON.

I have not replaced the ignition relay. I do expect a used one coming in next week.

let me try measuring the voltage coming into the relay. As I suspect it is ignition relay causing issue.

[Zed Head]

18 hours ago, MH77280Z said:

connected the remote started between two big solenoid posts.

And while ignition ON, I pressed the remote starter and also touched 12v to the solenoid pin and the engine cranked perfectly like it was before. Removed everything and the car is idling.

I just looked at the 1977 FSM wiring diagram, the one in the back of the book, and realized that what I thought was yellow with a black stripe is actually supposed to be black with a yellow stripe.  Also realized that Revision N from the Download area shows a "seat belt relay starter relay" but the FSM shows an inhibitor relay.  And the connections are of a different shape.  I think that this has been discussed before and that's why there are there is a Revision N.

Anyway, the fact that it started and ran, above, indicates that the ignition relay is working properly.  It also shows that starter and solenoid are working properly.  I would guess that the wire at the connector from the ignition switch would be the same color as the wire at the starter solenoid.

Good luck.

[Zed Head]

FSM wiring versus Revision N wiring.