I decided to hook up the old cables after discovering that my bolts weren't completely tight at the starter and the charger wasn't working right. I finally got the battery charged up all the way and made sure everything was tight. Sure enough I got better results. The engine cranks with the starter, the choke light lights up as well as check engine (if I recall right when starting this is normal) but it is not cranking fast enough to actually get the car to fire. I am still suspecting something in the starting circuit. Starter, battery, and cables. Any ideas on where I can go next? I am thinking the cables might be ok, as might be the battery. But I am not certain. I am going to have a chat with the mechanic in town regarding work when I get out of school. While I am there I will talk to him about diagnosing the electrical system. It can't cost that much or can it?

 

Have you tried jump-starting it, or using a known-good battery?

 

Jump yes, known good battery at first yes (using the one outta my brother's Fiero) but then I switched back to the Junkyard battery that we got for the TA. Budget restoration (I know its the wrong way to do it but the longer the car sits the worse off it is).

 

You need to get a new battery. Period.

 

I know I do. But because its not going to be legal for the road for a couple months (I am leaving it to go back to school in January) I am sort of cheating maybe I will use my brother's battery, he got it just this year and is doing a 3800SC swap on his Fiero so he doesn't need it at the moment.

 

Check your timing. Mine didn't want to start, either, until the timing was reset, THEN I figured out that the yutz who had it before me had reversed the alternator wires, so it was drawing instead of charging! Now that it's fixed it's better...but you're right. These cars do NOT like to sit around. The more I drive it, the better it is...now if only I can keep from losing the battery altogether...

 

I had the engine out of the car and originally (the first time I put it together) I had the distributor 180 degrees backwards. My dad and I reset the timing to cylinder #1 at just before TDC and the distributor flipped around to its correct alignment at just before #1 spark. So by all rights assuming the electrical is correct it should fire. As I mentioned before I discovered loose connections at the starter itself and I am going to try a better battery. Those two things might be just enough to keep it from firing.

Also what wires are you talking about at the alternator. I inexplicably broke the stud off the back of the alternator so it will be running on the battery only til I fix that. Also if worse comes to worse I talked with the local mechanic and he said he would be able to diagnose the problem within an hour then I can do what I want (either have him fix it or I will fix it).

Hopefully I will have an update tomorrow. As today I lost most of it to after Christmas Shopping.

 

Ummm....well, I *think* it's the alternator... Under the hood is where I'm NOT so good. Maybe I can take a pic tomorrow or something. There were two wires under my hood that were reversed. When we switched them, the alternator started charging. POOF!

I can handle interior work and even light body work, but under the hood is not familiar to me.

 

Okay...THESE are the wires I'm talking about. They were reversed so the battery wasn't being charged.

 

If you have a known good battery an the cables test o.k. Check the current draw on the starter. A bad winding in the stator of the starter can cause all sorts of issues

 

Take the starter off and let autozone test it for you. My car recently wouldn't start, i took the starter to AZ and it tested good. Put it in my car and it started right up. Figured their system unstuck something.

 

to blg0720 I still have the original clip there so that is not a problem thanks for the picture though.

I was talking to a mechanic friend who lives down the block and he said its probably timed perfect on the wrong stroke. Told me most of the time its just a matter of popping the distributor up just far enough to disengage it. so I am going to turn the engine by hand til the distributor is back at #1 pull it out and turn it 360 more degrees back to the next TDC on #1 then put the distributor back in and try it.

I am not ruling out a problem on the starter circuit yet. I am going to check my voltages again using the troubleshooter guide in the factory repair manual for slow cranking or clicking. I am going back to school in three days so hopefully I can get this thing fired in three days.

 

OK folks here is where we are at now. I've figured out that my side terminal battery bolts are bad. I went out and bought new ones. Since I've done so its cranking much better but it still won't fire. I am suspecting at this time that maybe indeed we timed it on the wrong stroke. I've got 12 volts at the distributor lead and I've also got fuel splashing all over the engine compartment with the carburetor and after I quit trying whatevers left is smoking. Thus I am thinking timing. Any other suggestions?

 

how old is your starter ? a starter going out can have these problems as well, it will still crank just not torque coming outa the starter

 

I am not positive. I suspect that it could be the original starter. But there is a possibility that it was replaced. The last time it was fired and ran was about 4 and half years ago and since then it has been sitting on the shelf in the garage until I put the motor back in the car in March of this year. In any case if it is a bad starter I can't easily get at it because there is no room to put the car in the air in the garage. Thing is as I said I am getting 12.6 volts to the distributor lead. If the starter was going out I don't think the symptoms would have improved. I am checking my timing marks and distributor alignment at the moment and I might try turning the engine 360 degrees and put the distributor back in and try it again. Could be firing at on the wrong stroke. But when we timed it both valves were closed and unless I am mistaken that is the only time that it is at TDC with both valves closed.

 

I thought the hell with it and checked my timing marks sure enough when the distributor was at #1 I looked down at the timing mark and it was off the 0 degree mark by at least two inches if not more. Maybe something got thrown off when we were putting it in the car. I am going to set the timing mark at maybe five degrees (somewhere on the scale on the water pump) and put it all back together and try again. I must have tried starting this thing at least ten times for those of you who think it can fire on the first try. LOL