If you blew one of the fusible links by the starter....the one that runs to the ignition switch, would the car still be able to start? Or would it just make the car difficult to start (make it act like it had a weak starter, or low battery).

 

All or nothing. I've blown that link before, and you get absolutely nothing when you turn the key. Not to mention that half your accessories don't work either.

 

There are actually 2 of them... but whatever each one ffeeds, if it blows, would be completely dead. A blown one cannot cause slow cranking. Each one feeds about half of the car; so it's possible that if the other one blew, the car could still crank and run, but a whole lot of other things wouldn't work.

 

Sorry, I should have been more clear. The car is not difficult to start in the sense that it turns over slowly, just that you turn the key and it will just make a clicking sound sometimes. About one third of the time, it will start right away. I got 12.2 volts and like 18.9 amps with a multimeter at the wires going to the clutch safety switch. I would think a blown fusible link wouldn't let the car start at all, but I'm not sure. I had a blown fuse cause my power hatch to work in small increments once, which meant it was getting some power. Anyone have any input/ ideas?

 

Have you checked your connections at the starter? Make sure the nut is nice and tight.

 

Yup. I also had the starter tested, and it was fine. I tried another starter I had lying around and it did the same thing. Checked the battery voltage and it was fine. I know its not the clutch safety switch, thats pretty new. Just to be sure though, I tried to jump the two wires that go to the switch, and it did not improve.

 

You do have another relay behind the driver side kick panel. It's called the starter enable relay. I think it may be related to VATS, but I'm not positive. Anyway, it's not likely that it's causing your problem, but it is inline with the starting circuit, so you might try bypassing it to see if that solves your problem.

 

Ok, I took the kick panel off today to check the relay, and I don't see anything that resembles a relay. Should it be right there when I remove the kick panel, or is it hidden somewhere up in a corner?

 

Ok, I took another look today and I found the starter enable relay. It was wrapped in electrical tape and was kinda hidden, so it was difficult for me to spot since I had no clue what to look for. Anyway, I didn't get a chance to do anything else because it began to rain. I'm gonna go at it tomorrow with a multimeter and see what happens.

 

NO, check for damage wire and components.

 

Josh, please check the date of the threads you respond to, you just bumped a thread that's been cold & dead for 21 years.......