Looking for opinions and advice here. What do you think would cause the starter to start when the wiring harness is not attached to the coil but when it is attached to the coil nothing? Would this be the voltage regulator or the Neutral Safety Switch?
I do not want to just go replacing things that do not need to be replaced but can not seem to figure out what it is on my own.

 

This information could save my life

 

Gosh, I don't know man. I just have this faint remembrance that I tried the same thing with mine and the same thing happened... but I just can't remember that well.

So what is happening for you right now when you try to start the car?

 

if it starts when you have the key in ignition, but not when the coil is connected you might have swapped the inner two cables at starter selonoid. do you have a voltmeter or at least a testlight?

 

Well this is what happens when I try to start the car. With the harness not attached to the coil I can hear the starter turning but it does not sound like it is catching the wheel. Also if I leave the key turn with the starter like that I get smoke. Almost like it is building up electricity or something. Now with the harness attached to the coil I get nothing at all.

Yes I have a volt meter. If you need me to check anything specific just let me know
I only get like 4.4 at the coil.

Thanks. I hope I can finally start my car after 2 and half long years of the project ha

 

yeah tell me about it, except now it's been about 2 months, 2 years if you don't count the couple miles I drove it.


Put that wire back on the coil.

So you don't even get a click when you turn the ignition?

Have you tried putting the black end of your voltmeter on the negative battery terminal and then the red end on the S post of the starter solenoid when the ignition is switched on? What voltage do you get?

 

S = 4.6
Coil = 5.1
Battery = 12.4

Also Kalli I checked that. I believe I have it correct. I took off the cables and touched the volt meter inside them. The cable that I got voltage on I put on the S. Is that correct?

 

Yeah I'm pretty sure that is correct, at least that is how it is with me. I thought that I had the S and I wires switched, so I attempted to switch them back and start the car and it made some weird noises and white smoke came out of the breather cap... so I am pretty sure I have it right.

The voltage seems right to me, at least according to my set-up (though we both know I am having similar problems also). The battery voltage seems a bit low, is it a new one? Do you have a charger?

 

Hi, my 2 cents. The key here is 'when the harness is attached' sounds like a short across it or the solenoid. If the starter spins but doesn't contact the flywheel, then the solenoid is not getting what it needs. So check the solenoid or the wiring to it. If you're seeing smoke you have either a dead short or a loose connection that it heating up to the point of glowing red.

You HAVE to find it. It will catch the car on fire if you don't. I"ve seen to many race cars do this to not worry about it. I don't know if I can tell you where to look, I'm basing this of wiring race cars for 20+ years, but the basics still apply. Its in the solenoid, or harness, and smoke= dead short.

Please let us know what else you find.

 

Hmm The only thing I can tell that might cause a problem is that my ground from my battery that goes to the engine block is also the same place I put the attachment from the wire running from the starter to the solenoid. Would that cause an issue? I thought it was just a bracket.

The battery is brand new this week.

This is an automatic transmission so I do have that neutral safety switch. Also I do not have the shifter linkage hooked up so I am not sure if it is in park but I i have the lever pulled towards the back of the car as far as it will go. I think that is park. Could this cause symptoms such as this?

Edit* The cable from the solenoid to the starter was a little loose. Fixed that but still no difference. I will check all the lines again.