hello, i have neglected my 88 iroc 5.0 tpi this year because it is my project car and i just got it out of the barn from storing it all winter to get back to it and it wont start it has me very frustrated.... i parked it just fine and now it wont start it has sat for about 8 months and somewhere along the time of it being parked someone left the door cracked and killed the battery also but thats fixed. and now has a full charge so that is out of the question. so when i go to start it.. it dosent even crank over. when i turn the key to, on, everything is normal all the lights are on and the door buzzer and what not, but when i turn it to start all of the lights dim down like it should start but there is noting no cranking no ticking nothing.. i have even tryed it with a charger on it but no effect. same result. on an additional note it has always had a delay in the time i turn the key to start till the starter, started to kick over about a 1-2 second delay but i always thought that was normal for an old car. but now there is nothing and i don't want to hold the key in start for much longer than that because im afraid of fire and burning wires and my girl going up in a blaze. but if anyone could help it would b appreciated. i do have automotive experience in auto body and a good understanding of the mechanical aspect but im lost here i have checked fuses and all around under the motor for any cut wires but havent came accost anything. So please help me!!

 

First and foremost, Have you load tested the battery or just put a multimeter across the terminals ?? A good battery should have min 650 CCA (Cold Cranking Amps). If you are getting around 200 CCA, It is time for a new battery. I would then remove, clean, and reinstall both the positive and negative terminals on the battery.. Ensure you use a little grease on the terminals as it will help cut down corrosion.

If it still doesn't want to crank after completing that, I would with the key off attempt to turn the crank pulley 1/4 turn.. It will turn hard because of compression but it is doable. I have had a few engines that for some reason appear to be stuck.. But once I turn the crank, it works..

If nothing still after that, Attempt to jump the starter through the solenoid. If you can successfully accomplish that, there should be no reason it shouldn't turn over. Ensure you place a block under the car if you are laying under it trying to jump the starter.. Don't need to get crushed by a 3500 lb car

 

fuse link(s)

 

Does your car have an alarm? No one responded to my earlier post but after replacing a clutch and starter my car would not start. Turns out the electrical signal was bouncing right back from the relay back to the ignition. I'd look into that if there's an alarm....

I needed to insert a special key underneath the wheel to get mine started. But mine has an old nightmare of an alarm system.

 

Thanks everyone for your input. And I will try it all tonight. IBMtech I forgot about those good old finicky gm batter terminals and thats what i am hoping thats what it is and that will make for an easy fix. And I will check the battery out too and I have heard of Turing the crank alittle I have had to do that in a old trams am I worked on once and I hope I don't have to do that and I don't really know how to jump the silonoid other than take the load wire from the battery and put it on the positive on the starter but is that how u do it? Lol.. Thank u very much!!! This will get me started!!! lol pun intended.. Lol

And arvizu9618 I don't really know what a fuse link is or where it is sorry but thank u very much!!

And oddscrounger... u just brought up my worst nightmair because YES it dose ...well it did have an alarm in it and it has me terrified about it because it has been taken out half way meaning the modular thing is gone and lots of spliced wires under the dash and around my fuse box and I was playing with them by jiggling them and trying to find a short wile trying to start it but I'm hoping to rule it out because everything always worked perfectly b 4 and i dont think being parked and not being messed with would mess that up and make that cause a problem and I am praying that it dosent come down to that so I am just staying away from it like I did befour just hide it all under the dash lol but thank you very much

 

haha man my alarm/start problem didn't act up until after we took down the trans, axles etc. to replace the clutch... cuz we had to take the starter out to get in there, and we replaced with new starter. is the nightmare still alive? hahaha... alarms are scary ****

 

Typical fuse link:

 

Also there is a main fuse bolted on the passenger fender near the battery, when mine blew everything worked but the starter, popped in a new fuse and I was good to go.
The connector in this picture with the 2 orange wires has a fuse plugged in the bottom. That was blown on mine.