cobracosta

I have reviewed other posts and really no help. so Car was running fine, drove it to get a new intake manifold due to an oil leak at the front above water pump. Get back into the car and nothing not even a click. thought it was battery as I had just replaced it a few weeks before. went inside borrowed a new battery to jump it and nothing. had the car towed home I replaced the solenoid with one from another car and it started so I replaced with a new solenoid and no start? tried jumping the starter and nothing so I replaced the starter. no start. every time i Initially try to start i do here a noise (not a click more of sick thud from blue box regulator) and then nothing and the headlights don't work. if I wait an hour I can turn headlights back on and i get the same noise. If I immediately try the key again I get nothing. I get .45 volts at the solenoid when I turn the key. SO i made a jumper for the Nuetral Safety switch. the car starts... I replace neutral safety switch and get the same issue. So very very occasionally the car will turn over and start. I think its possessed. I have replaced the ignition switch and now the connector that it attaches to. still no start. I have gone through the wiring harness looking for cooked wires that may be shorting but no dice. I have had all the fuses out and get the same action...clunk and nothing. Even when I jump directly from the battery to the post that runs to the starter the starter wont turn over. I have replaced the negative wire and the cable that runs to the starter. When I take the starter out of the car and connect to a battery with jumper cables it spins (remember 2nd thing i replaced was the starter) went back out today and still when I turn the key only have .45 at the solenoid. really hope someone has an idea. I dont want to spend the money on a mechanic and at this point my wife wants me to sell the car.

racer_dave

sounds to me like bad ground between the battery and the chassis.

cobracosta

Thank you for replying
I don't think its the ground. I replaced the ground strap from the battery to the block which came with a secondary wire that i bolted to the radiator support. I cleaned the ground in the rear that attaches to the fire wall as well. I think I have a short somewhere. All last week car started right up each day. Friday it started stalled and then same symptoms started again.

cobracosta

i really don't think its the ground. I just replaced the ground strap from the rear of the engine to the firewall. Still nothing. when I run a continuity test its fine from battery to chasis . from starter to chasis. from engine to chasis. odd thing if I use a jumper from battery positive to starter cable I get nothing. I replaced the starter and the cable already. starter worked fine using jumper cables when it was out of the car...... I am perplexed. I am confused by the headlights working , try to start car and then headlights dont work. and then an hour later headlights work again. I'm thinking of replacing the whole wiring harness

cobracosta

my dad thinks its a fuse able link but I don't see one on the car?

bop11

Either you have a regulator that has a sticking cut out, or the alternator diodes failed shorted or brushes are shorted.

Stepman

Make sure you have a good connection at the bulkhead harness where the wiring comes out of the firewall. Pull it apart and reconnect it.

cobracosta

thx guys ill check the bulk head ground and Ill replace the regulator. The only thing I haven't replaced. Really appreciate the replies. I am stumped!!

Worth1

stop throwing parts at it. DC electric is easy. You are obviously losing a connection someplace so narrow it down. Before you do anything, remove both ends of both battery cables and clean and reinstall them, then do the same with the cable from the solinoid to the starter. Also clean the small terminals on the solinoid post, and the bullet connector on the start wire.

Now start testing. Make sure you are in neutral, make a jumper wire and short between the "S" terminal and the "+" terminal on the battery. If it starts that way and wont start with the key it is in the switch start circuit. If it doesn't start by jumping it, does the solinoid make a good solid clunk?

Do those things and get back to me. CapeCanal@comcast.net

cobracosta

well....... I caved and I bought a new voltage regulator. the original was all corroded and whats 20 bucks. nope still didn't start. of course after I tried starting it the lights didn't work and everything was dead. I waited about an hour went back out and with a wire jumped from the positive side of the battery to the starter cable. It bumped over. I then started the car........ this makes no sense. ( this was on Saturday 2/17) I went out tonight and it still turned over. I will start the car for a few more days. I agree though it has to be a bad wire somewhere. I did expose the wire harness underneath the battery looking for a bad fusible link. wires look fine? By the way about cleaning the cables.... starter new, cable to starter new, solenoid new,battery new,ground cable for battery attached to motor and chassis by radiator new, ground strap from engine to fire wall new, Neutral safety switch new, Ignition switch new, Ignition switch pigtail new, and now new voltage regulator.

before I replaced all of that i did continuity checks on all the grounds and they were fine. I thought for sure it was a short powering the ground. I could put a test light from chasis to negative battery and I would get light. After I replaced the NSS that stopped. now its just dead (was).. Thanks for help I do appreciate it.