No crank, no start

[dboydb]

I'd check for power at the ignition switch.

 

[Fight Milk]

Alright. So I started checking the starter. I was wiggling around the purple wire at the s terminal, and (of course) broke it. So, I'll need to figure out a way to get a good connection and fix that wire, or replace the wire completely. However, when I was wiggling that wire, the person I had to turn the key to "start" said my dash lights briefly turned on, and I had him test the windows, which also temporarily worked. That makes me think it's an issue with the wire or starter itself?

To make sure that I am testing this correctly, does anyone know the "engine control switch" is and the "engine control switch terminal"? I have highlighted them on the troubleshooting tree here.

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Here's the connection that I broke

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[dboydb]

It seems to me that if you fix all of the connections at that big terminal that the battery cable connects to, that is probably going to fix your problem. The engine control switch must be another name for the starter solenoid on top of the starter that all the wires go to. The 2 smaller ones are the s and i terminals. The s terminal should have battery voltage with the key held in the start position. It won't if there's no voltage to the ignition switch. That broken wire in the picture is probably feeding the ignition switch voltage. The fuseable link mentioned on the right side of the chart would connect to this terminal that the battery cable connects to, the big one. The i terminal is used to bypass an ignition resistor if used to give full available battery voltage to make better spark for the plugs while cranking.

 

[Fight Milk]

It seems to me that if you fix all of the connections at that big terminal that the battery cable connects to, that is probably going to fix your problem. The engine control switch must be another name for the starter solenoid on top of the starter that all the wires go to. The 2 smaller ones are the s and i terminals. The s terminal should have battery voltage with the key held in the start position. It won't if there's no voltage to the ignition switch. That broken wire in the picture is probably feeding the ignition switch voltage. The fuseable link mentioned on the right side of the chart would connect to this terminal that the battery cable connects to, the big one. The i terminal is used to bypass an ignition resistor if used to give full available battery voltage to make better spark for the plugs while cranking.

Thank you.

My thought was "engine control switch" also meant solenoid, but I wasn't sure. I was wiggling the purple wire around a little bit on the S terminal before it broke, but before it broke, that is when the dash lights came on and the power windows worked. After it broke, I had someone turn the key to "start" and I was getting less than 1 volt, so I probably didn't get an accurate reading, but it sounds like that's the issue.

 

[PrairieDrifter]

9/10 times it's a connection/corrosion/breakage issue.

 

[PrairieDrifter]

I've even had wires rot from the inside, seeming to be fine on the outside. Even probing wires can cause issues way further down the road.

 

[Fight Milk]

I've even had wires rot from the inside, seeming to be fine on the outside. Even probing wires can cause issues way further down the road.

Yeah, I wonder if I should just replace that wire while I'm at it. Or I guess I could cut that plastic piece off and solder/heat shrink a ring terminal on the end of it. Probably not as weatherproof and may cause issues down the road.

 

[PrairieDrifter]

Yeah, I wonder if I should just replace that wire while I'm at it. Or I guess I could cut that plastic piece off and solder/heat shrink a ring terminal on the end of it. Probably not as weatherproof and may cause issues down the road.

For sure a few inches, if not then somewhere behind the block near where it comes out of the main harness. Get a heat shrink terminal kit, and use a heat gun.

 

[Dleslie212]

Yeah, I wonder if I should just replace that wire while I'm at it. Or I guess I could cut that plastic piece off and solder/heat shrink a ring terminal on the end of it. Probably not as weatherproof and may cause issues down the road.

Are you a bodyguard employed by Wolf Cola?

 

[mshawn]

Your purple wire is the ignition switch start wire when you turn the key to the start position you will have 12 volts + on this wire until you release it. When you release it you have power going to your distributor sending 12 volt to the distributor. Your pickup control module turns the on and off via the 8 points on the pick up causing the module to turn on and off , breaking primary circuit to the ignition coil, when this off happens and primary circuit in the coil is broke the energized power in the secondary coil builds up and jump spark via coil wire to rotor, as a rotor gets in range with pole on distributor it jumps spark to the wire of that cylinders plug. It runs to spark plug, jumps gap creating the combustion in the cylinder. If lights are flicking when you move the purple wire on the starter, I bet that is your problem. Also that truck of your *** build with a low oil pressure cut off switch which is wired in the start circuit of the truck. Interrupting the 12 volts to the starter via purple wire. Hope this helps. If not hit me back and we will walk you through troubleshooting.

 

[Fight Milk]

Are you a bodyguard employed by Wolf Cola?

Hahahaha. I named my first square body "Fight Milk" and that was definitely the inspiration!

 

[Fight Milk]

Your purple wire is the ignition switch start wire when you turn the key to the start position you will have 12 volts + on this wire until you release it. When you release it you have power going to your distributor sending 12 volt to the distributor. Your pickup control module turns the on and off via the 8 points on the pick up causing the module to turn on and off , breaking primary circuit to the ignition coil, when this off happens and primary circuit in the coil is broke the energized power in the secondary coil builds up and jump spark via coil wire to rotor, as a rotor gets in range with pole on distributor it jumps spark to the wire of that cylinders plug. It runs to spark plug, jumps gap creating the combustion in the cylinder. If lights are flicking when you move the purple wire on the starter, I bet that is your problem. Also that truck of your *** build with a low oil pressure cut off switch which is wired in the start circuit of the truck. Interrupting the 12 volts to the starter via purple wire. Hope this helps. If not hit me back and we will walk you through troubleshooting.

Thank you! This is definitely helpful. The dash lights briefly flickered to life when I moved that purple wire. I pulled the distributor and I'm going to have the solenoid checked out. If that doesn't fix it, then maybe the problem is with the wire itself?

 

[Fight Milk]

Alright, so the starter and solenoid both tested okay. I guess the next step is check the S terminal purple wire and that fusible link wire.

 

[Fight Milk]

It's been a while since I've been able to get back out to the garage to work on. Does anyone know the significance of this plastic portion on the purple wire to the starter? Doesn't seem like a fusible link to me? Can I just cut that off and attach a new ring terminal?

 

[dboydb]

You're going to have to cut it anyway to make a connection. Your pic with the starter in it makes me think that the red wire is the fusible link and it should be on the starter big terminal that's the one that will be feeding power to the ignition switch. The purple one probably broke off of the S terminal, a small terminal. I'd go ahead and put a ring terminal on that one and it should have power from the ignition switch start position if the ignition switch is getting power from the red one at the starter.