****moderators could you please move this thread to the electronics section. thanks****


i have searched and searched for hours finding troubleshooting guides to help me. listed is what I have done and what is happening:

89 T/A TPI

new starter, wires hooked up correctly
good batt, also tried jumping to no avail
security light does NOT come on
checked the ohms on key. 3.73
checked the ohms on 2 wire connector under steering column 3.73
checked for voltage on red wire ignition box. yes
checked for voltage at yellow wire on starter enable relay. no voltage present

all fuses are in tact/not blown

all lights/ radio work. turn the car over and no click from anywhere. before I replaced the starter i did hear a faint clicking from the passanger side firewall area.

security light does not come on as before. key will turn but nothing happens. no click from the starter enable relay or the starter solenoid.

not sure what to do anymore.

thanks for all your suggestions.

*****update****

i just read a thread about jumping pins "A" and "E" on the starter enable relay and the damn thing started.. holy crap!

so, does this mean that I need a new relay? I guess it does. I'll find the part number on this site somewhere.

 

Sounds like the same problem im having, could you tell me exactly how to do that, I have no idea when it comes to car electronics.

 

ok here is an update.

i still have not located the starter enable relay part. autozone did not carry the WELLS version. So I will wait till monday and go to the dealer.

secondly, the autozone GURU diagnosed my problem after explaining the symptons. he suggested that I change out the ignition switch because he had 35 years in tha auto industry and is a certified mechanic. well, the new ignition switch did not work. same symptoms as before and a whole lot of work later. bruised nuckles and such.

tomorrow i will get the relay. if that does not cure the problem then i don't know what else to do.

Gaccett32: doe a search in the electronics section. type:
car wont start
starter enable relay
starter solenoid

i found the info i needed there. although the schematics are hard to understand for me, i was still able to locate the relays, and ignition switch.

 

your starter enable relay on a 89 is tucked behind the drivers side kick panel, on later years its tucked up by the fuse box

 

Go to advance auto parts and get your part, it is listed in their computer database as an Anti-Theft relay. It is an A/C Delco part number 14093107 and lists for $12.88 + tax.

 

Is that part for the starter enable relay, what about a replacement for the solenoid, and is the solenoid located in the panel or on the starter.

 

yes thank you. I have already located the starter enable relay.

trickster:

i have that same part number. i'm not familiar with advanced auto parts. is that the same as shucks/checker? i'm in Utah.

****update****

just ordered the part today through checker auto parts. it came to $18.00. i called napa and autozone and the dealer. this item is not available. even the pontiac dealer said they never sold that part before. i guess there are more f-body's back east than here out west?

Trickster: I hope this relay is the culprit cause i'm running out of options here.....

 

i tested my old starter enable relay the other day. i was told by the autozone guy that i should have continuity between the last pin "E" and the first pin "A". Well, I don't. I do have continuity on the inside two pins. He said that this was a sign that the relay was bad. Then I brought the relay in and he tested it out as well. same thing no continuity. however, he said that the 'field" as in magnetic field was good. so, the relay is good. this is the same guy who told me that i should have continuity on the two outer pins and that if i don't the relay is bad.

does the relay sopposed to have continuity? is this the correct way to test the relay?

 

Where is the starter solenoid located?

 

above the starter.

the starter enable relay is located behind the right side kick panel. once removed it's behind some black sticky rubbery insulation.

what exactly is wrong with your car? what are the symptoms of your "no start" situation?

does the starter solenoid click or try to engage?

 

I turn the key to try and start it and all I get is a fizling sound from the fuse panle area, but Ive been having trouble starting for a week or so, that sounds like the solenoid. But then again the sound Im getting is coming from the fuse box area which seems like it might be the relay, but that would die all of a sudden but not over time like a solenoid would, so I geuss Ill just replace both and hope for the best. Ill start with the solenoid.

 

i think i had the same thing...does your solenoid even click when you turn the key?...if not my anti-theft system in the ignition switch was bad...i just found out what resistance on the key and there are two wires coming into the ignition...go buy some resisters from radioshack and splice those two wires and put the resister in place of where your ignition wires were...that did the trick for me

 

I dont hear the clicking that you would expect with the solenoid, I konw because my dads truck's solenoid gave out at a gas station, he hit it a few times and got it to start, replaced it later, then the starter went, go figure
But from all the threads reading Ive been doing I consider VATs, but that didn't seem to fit, as I said my car was having trouble starting for the past week or so until it finally died thats why Im thinking solenoid. Ill find out when I start replacing stuff.

 

well, i just installed a new starter enable relay and still no start.

i have run out of ideas and have tried everything mentioned on this board. I also swapped out the ingnition switch for a new one and nothing happened.

what is weird is that when I jump pin "A" and "E" on the starter enable harness I get the car to start. When i do this I still do not get a security light.

I dont know what else to do anymore. please post up all your ideas cause i have run out of them.

 

89gta

you said when you turn the key to run the security light doesn't come on ?

 

First, isolate the problem further by placing a temporary push button starter switch accross your starter. With the ignition switch on, press the button on the temporary starter switch. If the car starts then the problem exists between the ignition switch and the starter. If the car still wont start then the problem may be the starter itself(have it checked) or may exist in one of the electronic components between the starter and the battery.

 

ok everyone, here is the scoop. after two weeks of trying to get this car started I finally got it running yesterday!!!!

I appreciate everyones input. all your ideas helped me in one way or another.

so, I found the problem. something happened which i never expected. I first mentioned that i checked the ohms at the two wire harness (yellow wires) under the dash. I first got a reading. well, the other day i tried it again just to make sure and rule out that this was no my problem. Well, i got NO reading this time. I was like what! Yes, no reading at the two yellow wire harness under the dash.

So, I decided to go to the source of the two wires which is at the ignition cylinder. Well, when I took off the steering wheel and removed the turn signal cam, I saw the culprit. One of the yellow wires was cut! That is why i was not getting a reading the second time. Putting my CSI miami skills to work, I deduct that the wires were previously hanging by a thread (pun intended) and as I continued to try to crank the engine over the wire kept getting weaker till it snapped. thats why no reading this time. These wires signal the vats/relay that i replaced by measuring the right resistance in the key pellet.

So, i soldered the wires back together and wrapped then in a heat shrink wrap tube for protection. Viola!!! it works.

my car has 104K on it. I would say that checking these wires at the ignition cylinder is a good idea for those who are having trouble with no starts. So many years of turning the key takes it's toll on these skimpy little wires. thanks again....

 

 

thanks trickster. I can honestly say that your replies as well as others on various posts that i read throughout my search on this site was what lead me in the right direction. I had no clue where to begin with this problem. The reason why i decided to re-check the two yellow wire harness underneath the dash again was because of a post i read where someone mentioned they had one of the wires cut right at the cylinder. I read that on this site and it lead to my problem which ended up the same. This site is great and packed with resourceful information.

 

And the reason I didn't mention the wires here was because in the first post you mentioned that you had already tried that route with the wires. Again on finding your problem and getting it resolved.

 

hey man badass i didnt even think to go chek the wires at the cylinder...i just bypassed the entire thing
nice work u r way more patient than me