So my car wont start, it will not attempt to turn over at all. Worked great when I parked it new years eve, but now this morning nothing. Y2010 bug? Seriously though, I get no clicking noise or any noise from the solenoid or starter. I tried jumping it, no success. Had the battery tested which tested good.

I have verified 12V on the main battery cable going to the solenoid, guess it could be going bad and not pushing enough current, but it looks fine. I am getting about 10.5V at the solenoid connection from ignition when I crank it (this is with the cable still hooked up to the solenoid and with shitty meter cables). So is 10.5V normal? Is there a V drop within the solenoid that may be showing me only the 10.5V since the wire is still connected? I have not removed the cable yet and tested. At this point I believe my P/N switch and ignition switch to be good since I am seeing something at the solenoid when I crank, Am I safe to assume that?

I also ran a wire (shitty V meter cable) straight from the battery to the solenoid connection and got nothing at all, no sounds, no starter movement at all. Would the small crappy cable be enough to atleast get some response out of a good solenoid?

So what do you guys think based on this info. Should I grab a new solenoid/starter based on what Ive seen so far? Or should I run a new Main Battery cable? All my electrical seems strong.

I have occasionally in the past got a couple clicks and nothing else when I crank, but I always try again and it fires right up. Was that my warning sign of my solenoid/starter crapping out on me?

Any imput you guys could give me would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
James

 

what year car?

 

Sorry, that would probably help.

88 Firebird 5.0 TBI Auto

 

I'm concerned about the 10.5V -- but I think you should at least get a click of the solenoid.

The first thing I would do is short the main starter solenoid terminal to the "S" terminal -- this will bypass all wiring to/from ignition switch. If you consistently get solid cranking, then the problem is in the wiring and/or switch(es).

If shorting the solenoid terminals does not produce the desired effect, you probably have a bad solenoid (assuming that you have good power to the solenoid from the battery). If it was the starter itself, you'd still hear the solenoid click. The easy solution is to just replace the starter, but you could just replace the solenoid if you know it's the culprit.

Measuring voltage without a load is not really helpful. If you have poor connections or a bad switch, you will get a full voltage reading because there will be no current flow. With no flow, there will be no voltage drop across any resistance in the circuit.

Your problem could also be related to a bad battery cable or connection... but if that's the case, you should see other symptoms

 

OK - so I don't remember on 1988's - does it have VATS? Key have the pellet in it for security? Maybe it's a VATS issue? If maybe a VATS issue ...

If the VATS system doesn't get the correct resistance value from the ignition switch, then the car won't start - it won't crank or anything. Lights will all work, but no crank. There is a 5 minute delay period where if the VATS system gets the wrong signal, then the no crank will remain for a 5 minute delay.

The ignition switch has two tiny spring-loaded tabs inside the switch - these press against the pellet on the key and get the resistance value for the VATS system.

It can happen that the spring-loaded tabs don't "spring" anymore, thus the pellet doesn't make contact, and the value isn't read. Usually you can look closely while inserting the key and see if this is the case. The fix - get a new ignition switch, install, and have a new key made to match the cut of the new switch, but also match the resistance of the old key. Or, bypass the VATS and call it a day.

VATS keys - get them at any ACE Hardware - they are $25 (much much cheaper than dealer), and readily available at all ACE Hardware stores.

 

I have an 88 GTA and it has VATS... in fact, I got it cheap because PO didn't know how to bypass it (he lost the key).

So the answer is that it could have VATS. Jumping the solenoid terminals will still be the first step in troubleshooting -- if the starter responds normally every time, then the problem is in the cranking circuitry, which would include VATS if the car is so equipped.

If it is a VATS car, trying the spare key(s) would help you troubleshoot. If you have no spare keys, I strongly recommend that you get a set. You'll know if it has VATS because you can see the resistor chip on the key.

 

Yeah No VATS on my car. And with the fact that im getting voltage at the input to the solenoid, im thinking all my interlocks are met from the ignition. I have not jumpered the terminals, but I have run a direct wire from the battery to the solenoid terminal and I get no response at all, Im just wondering if I used too small gauge of wire, but I really wouldnt think that the input side to the solenoid would need that much current since its just a control circuit. Guess Ill try a direct jumper tonight, but Im thinking my solenoid is just dead.

 

Even a small gauge wire should be enough to get the solenoid to click. If the gauge of the wire is too small, it will heat up, but the solenoid will energize until the wire is removed or burns up. Therefore, I believe that you are correct in assuming that your solenoid is toast.

 

Mine had the same problem 1 week ago after I replaced the battery, now it works fine.
Could that have been a warning and it will do the same thing as AZ_James?

 

Not sure if I understand you correctly. Are you saying that you replaced the battery, and then had the problem? If so, you might want to make sure that your battery cable connections are clean and tight, both ends of both cables.

 

The clicks with no result are a pretty clear indicator your starter was on the way out. If you can even find just a solenoid, it'll cost almost as much as a complete starter. I'd pull your starter and have it tested if you have any doubts. But from your description, it sounds like the starter is bad. It's fairly common, every thirdgen I've ever owned with more then 100k miles needed a starter.

 

I hadn't driven the car in a while but I knew my battery was bad so I got a Red Top for christmas, after putting it in the car it wouldn't crank, click or anything then about 5 days later it worked fine and has been since then. It could have been a fluke or something.

 

I've seen this happen with a bad battery cable. Clean and tighten all your connections. If the problem comes back, give one of your battery cables a sharp yank. If the car starts, replace that cable at your earliest opportunity. If it doesn't, try the other cable.

 

Ok i'll try it thanks.