Topic: Ignition switch

[Sparkplug]

I got my clutch fixed, truck will move fine now. But wont start . Wipers work, brake lights work, but wont even click when I turn the key. I had a prob way back in the day with my truck charging at 17+ volts, and ever since no fuel gauge, and lights act funny. Well i left for a while and came back and my truck was tweakerfied. Wires everywhere. It started fine, at first. But I did the clutch, and now nothing. Im thinking maybe the whole time it was my ignition switch that was bad, wikipedia says that a bad ignition switch will cause some things to work, and some not, and to intermittently not work. Just wanted to know what everyone else thought. Starter wire is hooked up, plug on starter is hooked up, battery is charged, but nothing. Usually it beeps when I turn the key to the opn position, but not anymore. Hopefully someone out there has some ideas. Thank you.

[Rocksurfer]

Get a remote starter switch, hook it to the starter and see if it works. If it does you may be on the right track, but don't forget about grounds. Grounds can cause the most trouble out of anything. Make sure you have a strap from the engine to the to the firewall, that is the biggest problem causer since the torque from the engine can pull it apart.

[Sparkplug [OP]]

I took a screwdriver and jumped it from battery wire, to starter itself, it sparked, but didnt do anything, is this what its supposed to do, pbb told me to jump it at the solenoid, is this what they meant?

[Rocksurfer]

I've never been able to start mine that way, I have always had to use a remote starter button to be able to start it from under the hood.

[Sparkplug [OP]]

this starter is less than a year old and still under warranty, if starter is good, where do I go from there?

[Rocksurfer]

Do you have a volt meter or amp meter?

[Sparkplug [OP]]

nope

[Rocksurfer]

So your truck doesn't have a amp meter in the center, because if it does and it is bad everything electrical starts right there and could be the cause. If it has an volt meter then it isn't a problem.

[Sparkplug [OP]]

thought you meant a hand held on, yes my truck is an sr5, it has the volimeter

[Rocksurfer]

Yeah I thought you thought that so I thought I'd elaborate.


Since you have a volt meter then it will not be an issue it's when they came with amp meters that you could have an issue.

[Sparkplug [OP]]

so what do i do if the starter is good, last few times it started, it was clicking, so even if starter is bad, would this cause my truck to not beep when I turn the key, and the lights that normally come on on the dash dont. But th wipers and lights work.

[Rocksurfer]

Check and make sure you have a good contact on the ground strap running from the back of the engine to the firewall. I had that one break on my 4Runner and it caused all kinds of issues with the dash but it always started.

[Sparkplug [OP]]

got good contact with firewall, what next?

[dntsdad1]

Your old alternator problem....just fyi that is usually a bad regulator. Older cars have exernal regulators and new cars ahve internal(inside the alternator) you alternator will put out a ton of voltage as is spins, the regulator keeps it at 13.8 or close to that for a 12V system.

Anyway, if you jumped the battery to the thing just started welding.....making sparks...you probably that a bad started. thats what I would think.

These guya are right about the ground though as well. If you pulled thinkg apart to change the clutch maybe you disconnected a ground somewhere.

[Rocksurfer]

You know thinking about this make sure that when you were bolting the trans back onto the motor after you did the clutch that you didn't pinch a wire somewhere.

[Ghtoyrunner]

screwdriver. thats how start mine

[93tonkatoy]

OK, a few questions.

When you said the wiring was "tweakerfied", did you mean that there was something wrong? or that there was some kind of damage to the wiring?

Have you checked all of your fuses? I'm not sure where all of them are on your body style, but there will probably be 2 fuse boxes.

Have you taken a look at any of the wiring harness under the dash (where the wires are bundled together)? I have seen a few cases where one wire has overheated, melted the insulation and shorted to other wires in the bundle.

If these all look OK, and you say that the problems with the starter are intermittent, the I would really suspect the ign switch itself. If the contacts wear out or corrode, they may or may not make contact, therefore no electrical connection.

[83yota]

ok PLEASE remember i am a chevy guy; but i know that ALOT of times in the older chevys you can have the power or ground corrode(sp?) from the inside. also when you put it back together there is not by chance a wire resting on the exhaust? if you have popped fuses check for a shorted wire.