The ignition switch is a weak link. After many years its internal electrical contacts can't carry the load. A bit of corrosion/burning lessens their ability to pass electrons reliably.

Typically, such items are designed so that switching them on & off tends to 'wipe' the contacts in an effort to make them self-cleaning. Thus try it again and it may come back to life (temporarily).

Installing a relay for the starter takes the vast majority of electrical load off the ignition switch. Often that is enough to make a marginal switch last a long time.

Another possibility is an iffy electrical connection. It costs nothing and it's well advised to clean all connections in the battery to starter circuit - including/especially the grounds. Don't assume they are OK because the look good and feel tight. One by one remove & clean them all. (disconnect the battery's ground cable first and reconnect it last to avoid an accidental short circuit and expensive, big sparks!). Don't forget the ground cable's connection to the body. It's tucked up next to/behind the battery and out of sight.

After cleaning the terminals and connecting areas I like to smear on some di-electric grease - aka tune-up grease - before re-assembly. It helps to stave off future corrosion.

 

Thanks for the tips Eric. I am going to go through the connections tonight and just make sure everything is clean and tight. I'll go through the fusebox as well just to make sure nothing is blown.

Heres hoping it's something simple.

 

Putting in the starter relay is "something simple." I did it last weekend. There is not much to it if you understand what you are trying to do and there are many threads on this site that give good instruction.

 

Well I'm getting somewhere. I have power at the gauges and when I turned the key I heard a click. Turned it again and multiple clicks. Its like the battery is low but I know its fine it was charged fully.

I saw there was a tiny wire that was also clamped in the terminal on the battery that is grounding something. It was loose so I tightened and cleaned everything at the battery so I have power to everything now.

The starter relay very well could be my issue but I'm wondering why the first start of the day was fine then subsequent starts werent happening. It seems like something isn't connecting well.

 

Did you check that all connections are clean & tight? Actually removed them. cleaned them and re-secured them? There is also (or is supposed to be) a ground strap between the bellhousing and the body. To get to that you need to get under the car (safely!).

 

I have cleaned everything at the battery. Tonight I'll clean under the hood and inspect the fusebox.

Thanks guys!

 

if it hasn't been mentioned, then check also the main connector with the thick red wires going to it, on the left inner fender, under the hood..these are your main starter cables.

 

When I read the first post my first thought was the battery is bad and not taking a charge, and the one you swapped in was also bad or not charged. When you put the "NEW" battery in, was it charged? Always measure a battery's voltage to insure the battery is indeed charged to rule it out. It should be 11.5 (OK charge) to 12.5 (full charge) volts.

Next measure the voltage at the main terminal on the inner fender with the negative connected to the engine block. This will at least tell you if you have "decent" positive and negative connections up to the engine compartment. It should measure within tenths of the voltage of the battery.

If all that is good it could be the ignition swtch itself, which has mutliple contacts for providing power electrical component such as fuel injection, ignition circuit and the starter itself.

The clicking noise is typically one of two symptons. The primary one is not enough voltage gettind to the starter motor (connections, ignition switch or associated relays/solenoid) or a failing starter.

 

Yes both batterys were on the charger and were at a full charge. I'm thinking either loose connection or ignition switch because it did something different each time I turned the key the first time it happened. (Turn the key, click, turn the key multiple claicks, turn the key, no gauges or anything, turn the key, gauges on and clicking again.) Perhaps those contacts are going on the switch.

Where is a good place to look for a replacement?

Thanks

 

It's also a good idea to turn all accessories off prior to turning the key. On my car, the ignition switch works fine-- unless the AC fan, Heater fan, headlights, or similar are on. With these things are on, and especially when warmed-up, i get no starter action when the key is turned.

I did install a headlight relay, and starter relay is on my list for this winter.

good luck.

 

The switch may need to be replaced, but you can try to install the starter relay as indicated in ths post:

http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/spider-1966-up/36264-adding-starter-relay.html

If it does not solve your problem or at least buy you some time with your existing switch it will be there to protect your new one. Since the starter is not very accessible I would likely provide main power from the main terminals on the inner fender via a fuse rather than the starter positive stud.

We do see this type of setup on boats where the run from the switch to the starter solenoid is pretty long. They call it the STARTER AUX RELAY and on some engines it truly looks like an afterthought. And while you are installing relays you can install a second one for the other contact in the ignition switch that supplies much of the switched power in the vehicle.

http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/spider-1966-up/207412-voltage-drain-when-c-3.html#post4750314

 

Start off with some basic troubleshooting to isolate and eliminate. First thing I'd do is connect a wire directly to the terminal on the starter solenoid and touch it to the positive terminal of the battery (make sure the transmission is in neutral first of course) If it cranks you have now eliminated the starter and solenoid as possible causes.

Next logical step would be to put a volt meter, or better yet a 12 volt test light, on the disconnected end of the wire that went to the solenoid terminal and see if it lights up bright when yo go to START on the ignition switch.

One of those two tests is going to fail and you will then know where to concentrate your efforts.

 

I got some time to play around with the car today. I started at the terminal box under the hood that runs cables to the starter. I put a test light on it with the key off and it showed power. When turning the key, the light dimmed but no start just a click sometimes and other times nothing. I do have power at the cluster however.

Then after inspecting the connections to that terminal I same a little box connected to it with a 30 amp fuse. It was more than blown and partially melted.

I thought for sure that would do the trick. I replaced the fuse and made sure all the connections were tight and still nothing, just the same symptoms. I jacked up the car but I couldn't get a visual on the starter due to my tight garage situation on that side. I need to roll it out and see it I can get a better look at it tomorrow. So there's progress in the fact a blown fuse was replaced but it wasn't necessarily related to this issue.

Thanks for the help on this so far guys.

 

that little box, as you show in the photo above just to the right of your fingers, is a relay....maybe it is even a starter relay put in by a PO (usually has a 30A fuse between it and live).....perhaps the relay is bust?....if you turn the key to start, does that relay make a click, or can you feel a click in it of someone trys starting the car?.............can you get a better photo of the relay and the connections/wires going to it?...do the wires lead off the relay and go around the bulkhead down to the starter solenoid on the other side, for instance?

 

Success! I went a replaced the terminals though the they looked fine and were cleaned and sure enough that did it.

The fuse under the Hood need replacement anyway so hopefully she's good for a long while. I started it about 15 times in the driveway to make sure I had repeat results. Test drive with the top down in a little while.

Thank you all!


EDIT: She's doing fantastic