I've read a few threads that go along these lines, but it looks like some mad electrician got a hold of this car, did his deed and then, I don't know, went home and murdered his family.

From what I've been told this car used to have some sort of crazy sound system and alarm system. I highly doubt there is a wire in this car that hasn't been touched. I know the car works, I've seen it run, but the previous owner removed all that stuff. Now the car no longer turns on. Won't even crank. The lights work, blinkers, etc. The dash works when I turn the key to the run position the gauges do their thing. Also when I turn it to run I hear a noise like something starting (fuel pump priming?). I press the brake, turn the key to start and the only thing that happens is the "BRAKE (!)" light coming on in the console (no cranking, even tried jumping it).

I'm by no means electronics savvy. Also this is my first 3rd gen. Sort of a project/beater. Thanks for any help.

1988 Camaro IROC
L98/700R4

 

88 IROC did not have VATS, so if you are getting zero cranking, I would try checking the wiring to the neutral safety switch. I believe the wire is purple.

 

Yeah, that's what a few of my buddies have said. Problem is the ar-tard cut back all those wires so I'm having trouble finding that purple wire amongst other purple wires. Can anyone tell me exactly where it goes (where I can find the other end)? And I've read that you can hook it up with its ?green? pair to complete the circuit or create your own switch. Does that wire go to the same place?

Thanks again and sorry for how newbish this all sounds. Learning on this car.

 

My car is a 1975 Nova that I transplanted a 1988 IROC TPI motor/trans into, so my starting circut wiring will be a little different than yours. One thing you might try is to run 12 gauge wire down to the starter solenoid and attach it to a remote starter button (parts store has them for under $10). Then run a wire from the starter button to the positive battery terminal. With the ignition key in the run position, hit the starter button to crank over the engine. If everything else is OK, This should start the car (I think). Just make sure it is not in gear, that would be very bad.

As for existing wiring, somewhere on this site there links to interior wiring diagrams that should help. I am guessing it runs from the fuse panel to the steering column and goes to the shifter and then the starter. My 75 is a simple purple wire that follows that path. At some point, I think it goes from being purple to purple with a white stripe. You can try following up the wire from the starter and seeing where it leads.

Good luck.

 

Here's a picture of the wires going into the steering column. Are those the purple and green wires I'm looking for? if I connect them to eachother will I complete the circuit or am I still way off. I'm having trouble following advice found on the forum just for the plain fact that following the wires in this goatscrew of wires is next to impossible.

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No - not what you are looking for. In your pic - at the top - you see the big red wire, orange wire beside it in the pic, runs to 2 different connectors (one black and one blue) that connect to a gadget that on top of the steering column? Those are ignition wires - and that gadget is the ignition switch. Here's what happens:

Turn key on, that ignition switch 1) releases a metal pin inside the ignition switch to allow the auto shifter to shift, and 2) runs 12v out on a large yellow wire to the neutral safety switch. If car is in PARK or Neutral then the 12v runs out of the NSS to the starter through the main harness on the driver side. When purple wire at starter (same wire) gets that 12v, starter turns. So look for the large yellow wire, and make sure it's intact. Look for the large purple wire and make sure it's right. Check the voltage on both when the key is turned to start.

 

In the center console there is a plug with two 6 or 8 gage wires and a few (maybe 4) smaller guage wires. I, exhausted and just for the hell of it, cut the two large guage wires (purple and yellow) away from the plug (it wasn't plugged into anything), spliced them together and tried the ignition... VROOM!

I guess I had to try every single wire, why not those two. Thanks for all the help. Wouldn't have been able to do it without the these forums.

 

If that harness in the console wasn't plugged into the switch on the shifter, that's your problem.

 

Yeah, the problem is there was nothing for it to plug into so it was stuffed back into the dash and obsurity. In no way was it going to be getting the singal from the shifter so I had to complete the circuit myself.

 

Stock shifter assembly? If so a new neutral safety switch is about $20 at the closest auto parts store.

 

Just be careful - with those wires connected together, the car will start in any gear, thus make sure you are in park, or you could find a tree or another parked car the hard way!