Ok so I haven't been able to get my car to start for the past week and I am close to having it towed to my mechanic, but first I want to try one last thing, and thats to replace the starter relay. But I am having trouble finding it, I have the GM Service Manual for a 87 Camaro and nowhere in the book does it say where it is located or what its replacement number is. WHich confuses me because it shows the relay for every other component in the car but the starter, does my car not have a relay or what?

I saw in one post someone said the kick panel of the driver's door, but that was for a 91 camaro which makes me thing that it will be in a different location in my car just because of how different 85-89's are from the last couple years.

 

Starting in 89 they put starter enable relays for the VATS. You should not have VATS so no relay.

Put a test light on the purple wire going to the small terminal of the starter and turn the key to crank. Light comes on then there is a problem with the starter.

No light, check the purple wire at your neutral safety switch or at the gear selector switch for automatics. If it lights then there is a short somehwerebetween the switch/selector to the bulk head connector to the starter.

Still no light, check the yellow wire for power when cranking. If the yellow wire has power then the neutral saftey or selector is bad.

Still no light, check at the ignition switch. This is located down the column near the brake pedal on top of the column tube. This could also have moved some and when you crank its not fully going into position. A way to check is to turn the key backwards to the ACC position and see if the radio will turn on (provided its connected in that way).

BTW, the purple and yellow wires will be large 10 gauge wires.

Oh yeah and also if there is an alarm with a starter disable look at that, maybe first thing. Sometimes they will cut the heavy purple wire, maybe inside under the dash where it goes through the firewall, and hook an alarm between the two ends.