Now it won't even attempt to crank

[Bitsyncmaster]

In the photo near the starter.

That bare ground wire terminal needs to be checked. It does not look crimped tight and not soldered.

[DaraSue]

a $10 multimeter and the schematic are very handy in such a case.

in 5 minutes the problem can be found


Do you have basic electrical knowledge ?



BTW - very clean electrical compartment, where is the power lock ECU ?

I've got a $7.99 one but I'm not sure how good it is. I couldn't get it to zero when I shorted the leads while trying to test the coil.

I know positive/negative/ground and I've re-terminated a couple of the wires in the car without making things immediately worse so I guess I know more than some people but prior to this the only electrical work I'd done was replacing household switches and lights and fans.

The door lock module is in the storage cubby b/c the seller said they tended to drain the battery and I didn't think I needed to have it in there if it might cause problems.

In the photo near the starter.

That bare ground wire terminal needs to be checked. It does not look crimped tight and not soldered.

I'm having a hard time even seeing what's what in there through all the exhaust stuff and the oil filter. Is it the fat braided wire or what looks like a skinny copper one?

Untitled.jpg

Make sure the starter circuit mod has been done.
Sounds like a textbook case of it.

I didn't get the relay holder apart to check 100% but I see a brown wire coming off it to the #18 breaker so I'm thinking it has.

[Jonathan]

I've got another appointment so I'm going to come back to this later but here are the pictures I just took of my wiring:

Attachment 49676

Could you please confirm under this relay socket that there indeed is a black ground wire in place? Your engine bay light switch isn't plugged in and I'm just ruling out that one of those wires pulled off of it didn't include the relay ground as they terminate back to that same screw on the bracket underneath the ballast resistor.

Ballast Resistor Connections.jpg

[Timebender]

Sounds to me like either a bad battery, or bad starter. Even though mine is modded, with the same symptoms, clicking relay, etc., it was the starter going bad then just pooping out altogether. New starter fixed the issue and never had another stuck somewhere situation since.

[Bitsyncmaster]

I'm having a hard time even seeing what's what in there through all the exhaust stuff and the oil filter. Is it the fat braided wire or what looks like a skinny copper one?

Untitled.jpg

The fat braided wire is what the starter gets it ground from. So you want to check that that "flag" terminal is connected tightly to the wire.

[DaraSue]

OMFG, IT WAS THE LIGHT SWITCH



I was looking at that relay Jonathan mentioned (which did appear to have an intact ground wire) and decided to swap it out and try starting again just in case. It still didn't start but when it was buzzing after I turned it off it dawned on me that the noise could be a lights-on alarm, and the last time I'd driven it I'd had the lights on so I hit the switch a couple times and voila, it started (with its usual-of-late reluctance, but I made it home).

So I'm guessing I have to start looking at things in the light circuit now? In addition to the ongoing starting problem. But at least I can do it in my garage instead of in the parking lot at work.

[Nicholas R]

If you're getting power to the car when you turn the key on, but no cranking when you hit the start switch, I'd start with jumping the starter. Turn to the key to the on position, take a screw driver, and jump the starter solenoid power cable terminal with the starter signal terminal.

If the starter and engine cranks, then you know its on the control side (starter switch, relay, etc.)
If it doesn't crank but it does click, then you know that the starter itself has an issue but the solenoid is okay.
If the starter spins but the solenoid doesn't engage, then you know its a solenoid issue. (I'm not sure if the starter will actually spin if the solenoid is bad but you can also test this by jumping the solenoid power terminal to the starter power terminal)
If nothing at all happens, then you know that you have no power at all to the starter or solenoid.

The ignition switch on the column of my Opel GT is flaky at times and I periodically have to start it by turning the key to on and using a screwdriver. Not the most glamorous method but it works until I get a replacement switch.


EDIT: Nevermind, just saw you got it resolved. By the way, for future reference, this is an excellent thread: http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?40...ing-Schematics

[DaraSue]

The fat braided wire is what the starter gets it ground from. So you want to check that that "flag" terminal is connected tightly to the wire.

When I pull on it it feels like it's tight. What's it supposed to look like?

EDIT: Nevermind, just saw you got it resolved. By the way, for future reference, this is an excellent thread: http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?40...ing-Schematics

Thanks, when they say "dip beams" that means low (normal) beams? It seems like "main" should be the normal ones but I've seen them referred to as the low beams elsewhere.

[Dangermouse]

dipped = low= outer lamps

Main=brights = inner + outer (or just inner on some cars)

[DaraSue]

Wait a minute, I don't see any lights-on warning buzzer in the diagrams. The only one is the "buzzer logic box" off the ignition switch (#246 on the big schematic), but the purple line off that runs to the triangle labeled horn/DI/dip push switch (#71). So.. I'm looking for something screwy in that circuit, maybe? The logic box is in the steering column, right? Is it advisable to take that apart?

This is so vexing...