I don't know for sure, but I haven't seen an 8 pin version. Just use 2. Reverse one so you can't mix them. (1male, 1 female connector coming from the switch)
Exact starter switch
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I don't know for sure, but I haven't seen an 8 pin version. Just use 2. Reverse one so you can't mix them. (1male, 1 female connector coming from the switch)
70NPORT
Old Man with a Hat
Guess I'm not quite getting what you mean.
The connector on the switch has all female slots and I don't want to modify that if I don't have to. The OEM connector is still intact and undamaged, maybe I can pull the existing male pins out and replace with all new pins that I crimp onto the existing wires after I've stripped a bit of the insulation back further. Less fuss and less mess?
The weatherpack connectors would replace the existing connector... both sides... from the switch and from the wiring harness. You'll have to cut, strip and crimp the new "pin connectors" on each wire... 16 in all.
The alternative is you just find a source for the pin connectors in the existing 8 wire connector and reuse the plastic insulator. Cut the bad wires back past the breaks and cut, strip and crimp the new connectors. 8 wires in all.
The weatherpack is a superior connector, easy to install and pretty foolproof to disconnect and reconnect, but if you don't want to change the connector from the switch, then the weatherpack isn't going interchange.
The alternative is you just find a source for the pin connectors in the existing 8 wire connector and reuse the plastic insulator. Cut the bad wires back past the breaks and cut, strip and crimp the new connectors. 8 wires in all.
The weatherpack is a superior connector, easy to install and pretty foolproof to disconnect and reconnect, but if you don't want to change the connector from the switch, then the weatherpack isn't going interchange.
70NPORT
Old Man with a Hat
ok Big John now I'm reading u. UGH.
Splicing this, cutting that, in general wiring scares the crap out of me something fierce esp. where this issue is (under my dashboard). It has to be perfect the first time. Guess I'm gonna learn how to get good at it. It's gotta be done at this point. Into dry dock.
70NPORT
Old Man with a Hat
Haha, I passed that stage with my very first job out of college... Anyways finished it up last weekend, wasn't that bad after everything was said and done....tedious. Just had to lay on my back face up for a few hours...but God, IT HURT after awhile like that.
However...I stumbled across this and I think the neutral safety switch on the transmission might be malfunctioning. I disconnected the brown wire on the starter relay and probed the end of it with a test light and it was completely dead.....should it not be hot?...until the gear selector is moved into the neutral position (or so I thought). Just to check the test light itself I disconnected and probed the yellow wire goes to ign....got in the car, turned the key to crank position and the test light lit up nice and bright.
However...I stumbled across this and I think the neutral safety switch on the transmission might be malfunctioning. I disconnected the brown wire on the starter relay and probed the end of it with a test light and it was completely dead.....should it not be hot?...until the gear selector is moved into the neutral position (or so I thought). Just to check the test light itself I disconnected and probed the yellow wire goes to ign....got in the car, turned the key to crank position and the test light lit up nice and bright.
The brown wire with a yellow tracer returns ground from the neutral switch.
In neutral or park, there should be continuity to ground. No power.
In neutral or park, there should be continuity to ground. No power.
70NPORT
Old Man with a Hat
Ok, well then I am completely lost. What the hell else could be in the dash for the ignition circuit? Everything has been replace....ignition switch in the column and even key cylinder. The bulkhead connector is clean on both sides with die electric grease...and no disconnected or melted prongs.
a. Strong battery...measured over 12Vs with engine off.
b. The starter motor will spin freely with enough elect. No loose connection down there.
c. I put a multimeter probe to ea new molex male/female connector (across both sides). All eight had an audible confirmation indicating conductivity.
d. Crossing the poles on the starter relay with a screw driver still only produces one "click".
I am thinking about getting back into the steering column to check the key cylinder to make sure it's perfectly lined up with the switch lever itself. Every forth or fifth time turning the key the car will actually startup. Maybe its slipping? Also the "click" tells me although there is power getting to the starter motor its not enough to spin it.
a. Strong battery...measured over 12Vs with engine off.
b. The starter motor will spin freely with enough elect. No loose connection down there.
c. I put a multimeter probe to ea new molex male/female connector (across both sides). All eight had an audible confirmation indicating conductivity.
d. Crossing the poles on the starter relay with a screw driver still only produces one "click".
I am thinking about getting back into the steering column to check the key cylinder to make sure it's perfectly lined up with the switch lever itself. Every forth or fifth time turning the key the car will actually startup. Maybe its slipping? Also the "click" tells me although there is power getting to the starter motor its not enough to spin it.
Let's start with simple stuff...
12 volts at the battery doesn't mean much if it drops off under load.
Do you have voltage at the starter when the ignition switch is twisted to "start"?
So.. there's two things to check. Check voltage at battery when starter engaged and check voltage at starter from the relay.
12 volts at the battery doesn't mean much if it drops off under load.
Do you have voltage at the starter when the ignition switch is twisted to "start"?
So.. there's two things to check. Check voltage at battery when starter engaged and check voltage at starter from the relay.
Oh... You can also check voltage when you turn on lights. How much does it drop? That will check the battery.
70NPORT
Old Man with a Hat
Yeah, there is voltage at the starter when the key is turned......and every now and then.....3rd or 4th time, the stater will fully engage...I pulled the coil wire off so the engine will not fire.
im getting around 11.25 volts when the stater is engaged.......12.20 when headlights are turned on.
70NPORT
Old Man with a Hat
I happened to notice one of the blades in one of the bulkhead connectors was loose..able to move in and out a bit, but I don't think that's the problem.
OK, this sounds like it's the starter.
I'll explain the way it works and maybe it will make sense.
The starter has a solenoid that pulls the gear into the ring gear to engage the starter. The starter relay powers this and this alone.
Inside the starter is a set of contacts. One is a round disk that moves on the core of the solenoid and the other "fixed" contact is on the end of the battery connection. This makes the starter motor turn on and off.
What happens is this... The fixed contact wears. The movable disk will arc a bit and erode the fixed contact surface. As it wears, it arcs more... and then wears more.... until the contact is worn to the point of intermittent failure.
This is what I think is happening in your case.
This is a few bucks for a new part and countless starters get changed because of this simple part.
You have your choice.... get another starter... In which case, I get to call you a wimp... or learn to take the starter apart and change this yourself. That will make you the hero.
It's not that hard... trust me.
I'll explain the way it works and maybe it will make sense.
The starter has a solenoid that pulls the gear into the ring gear to engage the starter. The starter relay powers this and this alone.
Inside the starter is a set of contacts. One is a round disk that moves on the core of the solenoid and the other "fixed" contact is on the end of the battery connection. This makes the starter motor turn on and off.
What happens is this... The fixed contact wears. The movable disk will arc a bit and erode the fixed contact surface. As it wears, it arcs more... and then wears more.... until the contact is worn to the point of intermittent failure.
This is what I think is happening in your case.
This is a few bucks for a new part and countless starters get changed because of this simple part.
You have your choice.... get another starter... In which case, I get to call you a wimp... or learn to take the starter apart and change this yourself. That will make you the hero.
It's not that hard... trust me.
70NPORT
Old Man with a Hat
i have a couple of spare factory starter motors laying around that I can swap in. I'll put the current starter (it's a mini not factoryi) on my work bench and disassemble to see what's what with it. i will be surprised...its been trouble free with no signs of malfunctioing...stay tuned...
70NPORT
Old Man with a Hat
Really. Stan World's emporium of obtuse and utter nonsense with have to wait for now, lmao...my first goal is getting the car mobile again. Big John may have just figured it out - worth a try at this point.
commando1
Old Man with a Hat
Gary, I love ya man. You know that!
70NPORT
Old Man with a Hat
The problem does not lie with the starter. I tested two spares as well as the mini and got the same results. I put a test light to each. All three did nothing when I cranked the key. Strange thing though I keep hearing a "click" sound somewhere inside the dash when the key is cranked. It was never there before...makes the same sound as the turn signal blinkers do.
commando1
Old Man with a Hat
Gary, I'm starting to get too many variables in my head to keep track of so I need to ask some dumb questions first.
1. The starter won't spin when you turn the key to START. Is that correct?
2. Was this the reason you you started fiddling with the connector? In other words, was it not starting before the connector fiasco?
1. The starter won't spin when you turn the key to START. Is that correct?
2. Was this the reason you you started fiddling with the connector? In other words, was it not starting before the connector fiasco?
Wow...
OK.. Time to get back to basics.
Let's start at the starter and work our way back.
Two connections at the starter. Large battery terminal should have 12 volts all the time. Small terminal will have 12 volts only when key is turned to engage starter. Check these with test light and then jump the two connections with a screw driver. The starter should work.
Next up to the relay. Brown wire with yellow tracer from trans switch should return ground when car is in park or neutral. Battery connection should be hot all the time. Connection for brown wire to the starter solenoid should be hot when key turned to engage starter. Check the yellow wire from the ignition switch. That should be hot when key turned to engage starter. If yellow is good and battery connection is good, but solenoid connection isn't jump the starter solenoid terminal and battery terminal. The starter should work.
Jumping the relay bypasses the ignition switch and relay. Jumping the starter bypasses everything except the starter itself.
OK.. Time to get back to basics.
Let's start at the starter and work our way back.
Two connections at the starter. Large battery terminal should have 12 volts all the time. Small terminal will have 12 volts only when key is turned to engage starter. Check these with test light and then jump the two connections with a screw driver. The starter should work.
Next up to the relay. Brown wire with yellow tracer from trans switch should return ground when car is in park or neutral. Battery connection should be hot all the time. Connection for brown wire to the starter solenoid should be hot when key turned to engage starter. Check the yellow wire from the ignition switch. That should be hot when key turned to engage starter. If yellow is good and battery connection is good, but solenoid connection isn't jump the starter solenoid terminal and battery terminal. The starter should work.
Jumping the relay bypasses the ignition switch and relay. Jumping the starter bypasses everything except the starter itself.
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