Dropped my car off at body shop to paint and noticed the alternator appeared to not be charging. Asked them to charge battery if needed and I would get a new alternator. Well I had to have the car brought home on a flatbed because it will not crank. Charged the battery and nothing. Then when I was sitting in the car i pulled up on the e brake and then the gauges moved and the switch worked and the starter just clicks. (new starter). When i put the e brake down nothing again. What could be in that area that would do this. I am at a loss because it was running perfect. It makes no sense to me why moving the break does this. You can hear the fuel pump come on when you do this. Turn key move e brake pump comes on clicking starter. e brake down dead nothing. When down the brake light is on.

David

 

Well sounds like you're pinching some wires in there.

 

I looked and really only see on white wire near the brake arm. All the rest are far away. Its really odd...

 

Resolved. Bad engine ground. I guess the e-brake was creating some type of ground and was just enough to make it click.

 

LOL Well yeah, the Ebrake lever grounds the warning light in the dash to remind you it's engaged. Funny it'd backfeed enough to allow anything else, but it makes sense.

 

WOAH lol i would be shitting bricks if i seen that happen to me. Crazy just a ground wire.

 

Yes it was really messing with me Pull the break up and you have ground.. I changed the starter, pulled the console top off etc.....

 

This reminded me of my very first car, a 1975 mustang. When I bought the car the seller said that reverse didn't work. Well it did work it just caused the starter to engage! Somehow the reverse lights were causing the starter to engage.

I really hated that car...