Alright, I recently took the entire dash out to fix some firewall rust and now it is going/went back in. I have pretty much everything for the steering column and misc dash wiring reconnected, but I have a purple wire with a white stripe on the driver's side around the fuse panel area...right behind it that is open. It is the spade end...male end. I am pretty sure it is for the starter from the ignition switch...but I can't seem to find any other wires there unplugged. I have another 2 wire connector with about the same gauge wire, 12 or so, with a yellow and a purple wire I am pretty sure and it also is not plugged into anything, nor can I find where it could go. The 2 seem to be separate as they are different style connectors. Basically, I went to start the car and I get nothing when I turn the key...like the starter is not getting signal. Which is why I suspect that single male purple and white wire are for the starter circuit...I just need a picture of that area with it plugged into whatever it is it plugs into I guess. Anyone have any under dash wiring pics I can look at. I will keep digging around under there, but it would help to have a picture of what exactly I am looking for. Thanks.

 

Alright...added a pic of the area in question if this helps. It is the single purple wire with a white stripe...also the bigger 2 wire connector with the purple wire and yellow wire. Both are about mid screen upper left section. Basically, upon looking through some before pics I had and what is there now, it looks like the 2 wire connector was by the hood latch release handle wrapped over top of the larger harness bundle there. Another thing I noticed is the purple w/white stripe wire will plug into the connector where the black wire in the picture is...I assumed that the black went to the other black, but maybe it's black on one side and purple/white on the other?

 

Would this be better off in TPI or Interior section? Not sure what kind of traffic this section gets, but all i really need a picture of someone's wiring harness in the area pictured for comparison...preferably someone who's car is running :-p

 

Can someone just post a pic of under their dash in that general area of the wiring for me to have a look at please?

 

i think that goes to your rear defroster if im not mistaken should be a block on the side near the kick panel with some heavy duty wires coming out of it plugs in there the other 2 wire plug have no clue but the starter wire is all purple not purple and white what year is the car and motor

 

It is an '88 T/A, 305 TPI motor. I don't have rear defroster option on this car, so maybe it goes nowhere then. All I know is the car won't start now...I'm going to get a multimeter on it later today and do some checks for voltage to make sure...then it's back to checking all my connections I guess. When I turn the key, it does absolutely nothing...like when VATS has it's issues...all the dash lights stay where they are, no voltage drop on the gauge...basically, like nothing is even telling the starter to engage. The 2 wire connector has all purple wire and an all yellow wire...about 12 gauge wireing.

 

did you plug the vats back in ??

 

It's an '88...and I don't think it has the VATS...didn't they introduce that in '89? If it has it, I may not have...that's what Im hunting for. I must have forgotten something because it started and ran fine before I had everything out. I either have a bad connection somewhere now or I forgot a wire.

 

oops to early in the AM yeah vats =89 + up ill look around tom in a wiring book i have to see if i can find anything for ya i think camaro wirin is just alittle different

 

That would be awesome, thanks. I also came across another question. The 2 wire connector on the driver's side by the door jam area behind/under the fuse panel, there is a 10 gauge or so purple wire and a yellow wire. There is also that color combo in a larger 5 wire harness around the stereo wires/power window harness in the center console area of the harness. The purple wire has continuity with that harness/yellow as well. Basically, is there any chance that is for the power mirror or something...which this car does not have and therefore would just be a wire going to nowhere then? It just seems like the wires are too large for a mirror, but you never know. They are good 2 sizes larger than the power window wires...only reason it seems odd, yet there is continuity between those wires at the center console area and the 2 wires at the driver's door/fuse panel area. Just trying to figure it all out...I really need a good wiring diagram.

 

Tom's right,

That heavy gauge purple wire leads to the rear defroster on the drivers side. If you don't have a R-Defroster than the other end is usually tapped to the harness behind the drivers side rear interior hatch panel.

The other wires/connector you describe sure sound like the Clutch pedal starter interlock. The Firebirds are different from Camaro's in that the Firebird has the wiring for both Auto amd Manual tranny's in every car. ( In the Camaro you need to cut/splice if you want to convert - the Firebirds are plug-&-play.)

Since you already checked the Neutral Safety switch on the auto shifter I'd get a helper and check the purple wire at the starter soleniod for voltage when the key is turned to 'Start'. If you have voltage ot the N/S plug and none at the starter than the problem lies somewhere in between !

 

I don't have power to the starter unless I jumper it there from battery direct. I do need to get someone at my shop to help me check some of the connections. As of right now, I am thinking it must be a problem with my N/S switch or wiring connection between the key and fuse panel for crank signal to the starter as everything else looks to be in place and if I jumper the wire it starts and runs and all the signals, etc. seem to work that the other harness connections go to that I removed when I took out the dash.

As far as the clutch pedal plug, that is sort of what I was leaning toward thinking maybe it doesn't go anywhere with the auto. trans. That plug is up by the driver's side fuse panel and has continuity to another matching set of wires at the shifter/center console area though. I will try and get a couple pictures today at work as descriptions are less than the best in situations like this.

 

Alright...figured it out. I knew it was a plug I missed somewhere. Turns out I missed the neutral safety switch harness/plug. All is well again...for now. until the rest goes back together... thanks for the replies.