I gleaned a bit of info from some similar threads, but here's the deal. '89 RS, 305. My battery is fine, all accessories are fine, headlights are fine, but no crank at all. There's what seems like a small solenoid I can hear "click" in the driver's side footwell. Took it out and looked at it, didn't see anything necessarily amiss.

Is this little solenoid the problem? Or is there something else I should check? Blown fuse, maybe? If so, which one and where? The headlights don't even dim when I try to start the car, and there are lots and lots of wires/fuses between the ignition and the starter. Help!

Sa.R

 

It's looking to be your started body!!!

50$ new or 20$ in a junk!

 

Starter body, eh? I kind of thought it could be at the starter, but would welcome any other opinions. Cheap enough to fix if you're right, that's for sure. I'm also wondering if the ignition switch itself could be the culprit.

 

Jump the two big wire on the selenoid whit a screw driver and ...

If it's does'nt crank, it's your starter that need to be change or repared

If it's crank, it's maybe you'r selenoid that is wrong and need to be repared or replaced

But, I really don't think that you'r switch or anything else is wrong

 

Check the connections on the starter, I had a similar problem on the Camaro. Some days it would start and run no problem, then some day's i'd jump in it and NOTHING, totally dead but plenty of power in the battery.

I put up with this for months, until one day it played up and someone noticed the main power feed wire to the starter was glowing. I tightened it up, and never had a problem with it again!!.

Sara Lou

 

This was almost the best advice on the thread. I've got it fixed now. After removing the starter (not a lot of fun, very tight quarters with the 305) and having it test fine at NAPA, I discovered the problem. The purple wire that feeds the starter had the insulation pretty chaffed in one spot. I insulated it thoroughly with black tape and cleaned all the contacts with sandpaper and put on just a dab of dialectric grease. I reinstalled the starter making sure there was plenty of clearance between all the wiring and anything else around, and voila - started right up! I think that purple wire, being chaffed, was grounding out before it could get juice to the starter.

Now for the next nightmare in tight quarters - spark plug replacement.