hey guys, my 68 coupe is fighting me, it just wont and hasnt started for the last 6 months

thus far iv replaced replaced the

starter,
solenoid,
battery,

Basically the problem is i get nothing when i turn the key, have checked all the wiring for splits.
The only sign of life is if i connect a jumper from the earth on the battery to the body i get a grinding noise from the solenoid when i crank it. iv done a lot of reading on here and iv tried the screwdriver technique on the solenoid however i get nothing but a grinding noise.
the starter doesn't seem to budge although i have two and both have been tested.

Im new to the forum, based in the uk, basically looking for any ideas or tips to try and isolate the issue any help is much appreciated..

 

sure the replaced battery is charged?

 

yes sir, i had it tested when i went to collect it

 

does the starter turn the engine at all?

 

Maybe I'm reading this wrong or losing something in translation but you said that when you connect a jumper between the (-)earth(?) on the battery and the body (ground/earth) you get a grinding noise when you try to crank it, correct? The (-) post of the battery should already be connected to a good ground, ie, sub-frame or engine block already so adding another jumper between negative and the body should be redundant. If it does make a difference with your jumper in place then right off the bat it sounds like you have a weak or non-existent ground.

Is it a grinding or a clicking? I'm going to guess it's more of a rapid fire clicking sound than actual metal grinding. If the solenoid is clicking then I'd say you have a weak battery or loose connection.

See what happens when you jumper from one big post of the solenoid (battery +) to the other big solenoid post (to the starter) The engine should turn over regardless of the key position. Double check your connection from your solenoid to the starter and make sure that it's good and tight.

Do you have a 12v test light? Also a remote starter is invaluable in chasing these gremlins. Get one and start chasing sparks. Check and see that you are getting power to and thru the solenoid with the key on and then cranking.

Jolly good, stiff upper lip, blood pudding, right o' chap, welcome to the forum and all that. Whut, whut.

 

I once chased a problem like this on my 1969 coupe, and it ended up being the dumb shifter. Evidently there is a switch that indicates if the car is in Park or Neutral that allows it to start that was malfunctioning.

 

Hi guys, very much appreciate the responses, no the starter doesnt turn at all

fastbackford, you understood me correctly bud, and i totally agree that connecting a jumper from - to body should make no difference but it lights up the instruments and dash, i assumed the grounding wire from the battery to earth to starter was bad so i have replaced that aswell but still no joy.

i tried to bridge the + and - at the solenoid to see if it kicks the starter but still no life.

can i ask, at the starter motor, their is the large wire which comes from the solenoid, are their any other wires? or just the one? (i have had another mechanic look at it so im trying to figure out if he has made any errors whilst he played around with it lol

i am recieving power at the solenoid when the key is on and its definatly a grinding sort of electrical sparking noise. i have tried 2 different new solenoids to iliminate a faulty part.

with regard to the neutral safety switch, can i remove this and test it? maybe loop the wires and bypass the switch? (as you can imagine its costly and takes a while to order parts from the states) also can anybody point me in the direction of this switch? is it on the transmission?

 

There are no + and - posts on the solenoid. The solenoid is grounded against the fender by it being bolted in place but that is the only ground there is on it.

The solenoid acts as a bridge for + when it is activated. Use a thick piece of insulated cable and touch one big post to the other big post to test it.

But more importantly, your having to add a second grounding cable from your battery to get any signs of life really gives me reason to pause before moving on. Where do you have your battery grounded now without the jumper? Fix that issue first then see where you're at.

As 120 eluded to, the neutral safety switch is really worth taking a look at as well. It has been a long time since I have messed with one of those but if I recall it is pretty straight forward. Follow the wiring from the NSS up to the connecter, disconnect it and jumper from the male to female and that will bypass the switch. But first, fix your ground or the lack thereof.

The factory starter only has the one big cable coming from the solenoid.

 

" but it lights up the instruments and dash, i assumed the grounding wire from the battery to earth to starter was bad so i have replaced that as well but still no joy"

Because grounding the battery lights up the instruments and dash, it appears your grounding is very weak. My '72 came with both a ground to the chassis and a ground direct to the block that helps assure the starter is well enough grounded.

A thick piece of insulated cable connected to the battery- can be used to check your grounding.

Good luck!

 

I would start by checking all your grounds. Trace all of your grounds, remove these wires and clean any paint, rust, etc. and replace.