jimsjam17

ok so i have a problem my 1986 camaro sport wont turn over, not even a click from the solenoid. i have replaced the whole starter and solenoid all my fuses are good relays and all brand new, new ignition switch, brand new battery, i cant figure it out before she stopped turning over sparks flew off the ground cables i just really need some help. thanks in advance.

FlamingPhoenix

Is it carb? tpi? could be the coil or the icm (ignition control module), just fixed these on mine this weekend. Same symptoms as you turn the key and nothing, replaced the coil first that didn't do it, replaced the icm and she fired right up. It's in the distributor under the rotor, looks like a bent L with connectors on both ends. Be sure to use some kind of heat sink compound, mine came with it in the box, it disperses heat thru the base of the distributor.

jimsjam17

would that prevent the starter from turning though?

Boogie123

Check your wires man.

jimsjam17

i have went over the wires so many times, i am positive they are correct with the wiring i have done thats what my dad told me to do. BTW i like the spoiler on your camaro.

FlamingPhoenix

Have you tried to tap the starter?, climb under the car and use a small screwdriver to jump the connections between the big terminal and the little terminal on the back of the solenoid, if the starter turns it is ok, then I would have someone get in the car and turn the key to start, put a volt meter or test light on the small terminal and see if you have juice at the small terminal on the solenoid. That should rule out the ignition switch. Just take your time and work from one end to the other, in this case starter back to the battery.

jimsjam17

yes, i have jumped,or bypassed the ignition key by doing that but no crank or noise from the starter or solenoid, would the ICM prevent the starter from cranking, and it is carbed.

87bluebird

it sounds to me like you got a bad ground somewhere. did you just check the wires you worked on or did you check all of them?

jimsjam17

yes all the grounds are connected, but if they weren't would the starter not turn.

FlamingPhoenix

OK so the icm being bad will not prevent the starter from turning, it cuts voltage to the coil to create a pulse, if you tapped the starter and got nothing, it is between the starter and the battery, check the main wire going between them at both ends for a solid contact, scrub up the connectors and terminals to bare metal if there is rust or corrosion, and check the whole length of it for a break in the insulation, if it got cut or melted, water could have gotten in an corroded the wire from the inside. If you have power at the starter end of that main power wire and jump the starter it will turn, unless the solenoid is bad, but u said that was new.

87bluebird

no it won't i used to have a loose ground on my old truck and if it wasn't just rite the starter wouldn't roll over. do what FlamingPhoenix said you may have a short in one of the wires. also you could try jumping a wire directly from the battery to the starter to test the starter

FlamingPhoenix

Also there is a gound on the solenoid, it is a post that connects to the starter, and the starter is grounded to the engine thru the bolts. At the base of the post is a nut, that nut vibrates when the solenoid engages the starter and gets loose, the solenoid will loose ground, check that too. put a test light on the main power wire and then touch the other end to that post, it should light up, if not there is a break in the ground.

camaronewbie

Try this:

Turn key to on, take a nice guage wire from the pos battery terminal and touch the purple wire on the starter solenoid - does it want to crank?

If not, then you have wiring issues with the fusible link wires on the other starter terminal, or a ground issue.

If it tries to start, then starter is good, fusible links are good (in theory), and grounds are good. Try the neutral safety switch and/or the starter enable relay - relay in driver kickplate under the black goo usually - place ear there and listen for the relay to click when key turned to start - no click = bad relay.

If relay clicks, then maybe neutral safety switch is bad - there is a nice size wire comes from relay to neutral safety switch - when car in park or neutral, the switch carries 12v over to the other nice sized wire (usually purple) - this is the purple wire that runs to the starter solenoid we bypassed earlier by bumping that wire off the pos side of the battery. You could check continuity on the two terminals of the neutral safety switch while the switch is in the park or neutral position - should get no resistance.

jimsjam17

OK so i got it to work my engine ground got severed and the ignition switch was improperly adjusted, by myself, but thank you for all your help so now that i fixed one problem i have another. My oil is gray what would do that i believe it is a cracked head but i hope not that would be expensive is there any other things that would cause the oil to get water in it?

87IROC-DAN61

Hello jimsjam17!!

Change the oil, and the filter, remove the rad cap, start the car, watch for bubbles in the rad, no bubbles, should be no cracked head!!

If there are bubbles, and they appear to becoming from the left or the right side of the rad, that would be the side to check for a cracked head!!

Also, your oil could have a lot of condensation in it, you could just start the car and run it until it's good and warm, and boils off the water in the oil, remember, water is not a lubricant!!

jimsjam17

but why would the water turn grey, it sat for 6 months before being started again, is there any other possibility like a bad gasket it had a fresh oil change and filter

87bluebird

does the car smoke any where its not supposed to also out the exhaust pipes what color and how thick is that smoke?

jimsjam17

at first it was really light gray but now it has hardly any when firing it up

87bluebird

then its probably not a cracked or warped head. that usually creates a thick white smoke. you probably just got moisture in there. is there smoke in any odd places under the hood. and do you see any leaks around any thing like the intake or valve covers.

87IROC-DAN61

Hello jimsjam17!!

Was it kept in a temperature controlled storage area??

When metal warms up, and then cools down, condensation forms, over a period of time, a fair amount of water can collect in the oil, and slightly mix with the oil, starting the car, and letting the oil reach the proper operating temp will burn off this condensation!!

The first time you start it up some of this condensation will show up as a bit of gray smoke, but it should disappear after awhile!!

This condensation will collect even if you had changed the oil 6 months prior, the oil changing before storage is to combat the effects of the acids from the by products of combustion that form in the oil from causing metal damage internally!!

jimsjam17

ok thank you for all your help guys i am gonna change the oil later on today and let it run, thanks again