Well I'm stumped.... Just did an auto to T56 swap in my 1991 Camaro. Put a new battery in as car sat for a long time. Usually the alarm siren would go when I hook up a battery but nothing. Go to start the car and nothing. Try lights and nothing. I check all the fuses in the box and all are good. Use a test light and follow the wires test at connections and it's all got power. Now what? How do I check for power at the firewall? Help!

Thanks in advance

Kris

 

Is there power at the fuses? If not that check make sure all wires got hooked back up, might have a couple hangin wires not hooked up.

 

I tried using a test light ,used a ground, and tried to check the wires entering the fuse box but didn't see any power. Should I look at one specific wire? I mean which wire is the main power supply to the fuse box. Could an incorrectly wired starter short the whole system? Ill double check all connectors being plugged in. I did notice a large gauge 2 pin connector with green wire and maybe purple that was not plugged in up on the kick panel near the pedal pivot. Couldn't see anything to plug it into..... I'll get some pics etc.

 

Doesnt really fit the symptoms, but you got the two big purple wires from the auto shifter put together right? Should be run through a neutral safety switch, but regardless the current from one needs to make it to the other.

 

I do have the neutral safety switch wired from the large gauge wires from the auto shifter. Can't remember the colors right now but they were the biggest wires. I just don't understand the no interior lights or headlights. Guess I'll start by looking at the auto shifter wiring and the starter wiring. Can anyone post a picture of how the LT1 starter should be.wired

 

Lights etc won't be affected by the start circuit, your problem sounds like a more basic supply problem. There should be constant 12v on a least some of the fuses in the fuse box. Check 'em all just to make sure you didn't miss it. If not, there's a break in the supply somewhere between the battery and the fuse box.

The most obvious - if you removed the starter, did you put all of the fusible links back on the starter post when you re-installed it? If so, start with your meter at the batt and work your way upstream till the volts disappear.

How are the batt cables and terminals? Main grounds ok too?

 

I'll double check the starter wiring and make sure all connections are good in the engine bay. I'll double check all fuses as well. Pending all checks out, which wires do I follow for power? I know there is a larger gauge orange wire at the firewall that has power

 

The batt + runs to the start solenoid post. There should be several fusible links there, two of which connect to heavier red wires in the loom that carry power into the cabin thru the C100 connector beside the brake booster.

One of these wires goes to the ign switch and parts of the fusebox, the other goes to the light switch and fusebox. If you have no power to anything in the cabin, it implies no feed to both these power wires from the fusible links at the starter post.

Could be both links are blown, unlikely both went though. I'd guess the problem is more likely somewhere along the main batt cables, either the pos cable between the batt and starter, or the neg path between batt and chassis ground. Probably something happened with the terminals when you changed the batt.

 

Same thing happened to me when i had to remove my t56 trans to swap my clutch reinstalled, it wouldnt start i had power though but one wire underneath my center console that plugs into a connector came loose.

 

TreeFiddy!!!! Thank you! Car has power and fired up and ran for the first time in a few years!! Need to time it but it idles. Drove forward and back and few feet but need to adjust the B&M Ripper a bit. Whats the proper way to set the throw stops for the shifter?

Thanks

Kris

 

Cool! So what was it?

 

Kinda embarrassed to say but for those who may run into this " don't rush it and wire the starter right " . Basically I'm moving in 2 days and after working 8-6 .... Getting home late and having about an hour to work on it at a time I made the mistake of wiring the smaller power wires to the negative post. Super dumb I know but live and learn. Need to pull the codes as engine light is on but I'm sure its no big deal. Thanks again!!!

 

don't sweat it, simple faults are the best kind to have!