[pgilland]

Hi folks, thanks in advance for your sage wisdom about my 82 l-jet spider.

1) removed head for machine work, engine mounts, injector cleaning etc.

2) cleaned starter connections and applied dielectric grease while apart.

3) Upon starting following reassembly I can hear the fuel pumps running but no click from starter relay - nothing. Battery is fully charged, fuses intact, hoses and l-jet connectors appear to be correctly connected.

Anything obvious to check before I remove the intake plenum again and double check that the starter is still properly hooked up? Is there an easier way to check for voltage to starter?

thank you again,
Paul

 

[Q.V.]

Did you check the ground?

 

[ghnl]

An easy way to check if the starter is getting energy or not is to switch on the headlights then watch what they do when you turn the key to 'start'. The starter is a big electrical draw. Normally the headlights will dim slightly if they are on during cranking. If they do not dim at all then current is likely not getting to the starter motor. If they go nearly off then either the batter is very weak or the starter is making too big of a draw.

Since the starter is such a big draw it requires good electrical connections - both + & -. Cleaning all conections between the battery & the starter is not a wasted effort. Even if that is not your problem it should be done as part of regular maintanance.

 

[pgilland]

I can see with a flashlight that the positive leads to the starter are connected. I need to verify that the black lead from the ignition switch is connected to the starter. My wiring diagram does not indicate a ground wire, so I assume that is done via being bolted to the block.

 

[Q.V.]

Yes, but is there a solid wire between the block and the body? It's usually under the starter; I'll try to locate it on my engine.
Your battery is in the trunk, right? Where is its negative wire connected to the body?

Upd.: Right, it's bolted to the bell housing, just below the starter

 

[ghnl]

The ground circuit is via the body. The battery negative cable bolts to the trunk floor. There should be a ground strap between the bell housing & a metal tab in the transmission tunnel (under the car).

There is a small gauge black wire at the starter motor. That is the conection from the ignition switch to activate the solenoid. The solenoid makes the heavy duty electrical connection to the starter motor (and also moves the drive gear into mesh with the ring gear on the flywheel). There is also a medium gauge red wire at the starter motor that sends battery power up the junction box on the left inner fender.

 

[pgilland]

I found the ground wire between transmission bell housing & transmission tunnel. It is intact - I cleaned the connections and still no power to starter (headlights do not dim when turning the key.)

I am unable to see if the small gauge black wire is connected to the starter so alas I may have to remove the air intake to get a better look... something I was hoping to avoid.... woe is me.

 

[pgilland]

I found the little black wire from the ignition switch and it had gotten disconnected during reassembly. Somehow I was able to reattach it by brail and.. vroom! Success! Thank you all!

 

[Saar]

Did you check that there is no power to the starter?
or maybe the starter itself is bad?

If there is no power, just follow the wires to the switch and check where is the last place that you have power...

In my case, I had similar issue which seems to cause by old/rusty wires. so I added a relay to the starter.
Did you try connecting a direct + to the starter?
Saar.