SmittyABP

Ok, got an 85 Camaro/305. Needed a new starter. Put the new starter in, hooked everything up. Went to start car, and nothing, it didnt crank or nothing. Do i have it connected wrong? I have the two wires on the positive and the one wire on the negative. Does it matter what order the positive wires go on?!? Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanx

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

"...one wire on the negative"? Are you talking about the starter solenoid?

There should be the battery cable and the large eyelet wire going to the large post on the starter, and a small eyelet wire going to the small "S" post to the side. If your new solenoid has two small posts, you may have hooked the small wire to the wrong post.

That small wire is the power to the solenoid when you turn the key to the start position. The smaller wire with the battery cable on the large post powers the rest of the car.

I'm assuming your lights, radio, etc., still work.

SmittyABP

With the solenoid being attached to the starter, i just said starter when i should have said solenoid. Anyway, there are two large wires. One has a plain round connection, the other is the same, but with a perpendicular post on the outside of the connection ring. Then of course I have the other wire that goes on the smaller post. I guess my only question is, does it matter what order those two larger connections go on the post?!?

Thanx

RB83L69

All of the larger connections have to go on the large post with the battery cable, and the one with the smaller eye terminal must go on the "S" post which is the one nearer the engine block when the starter is installed.

SmittyABP

So it doesnt matter what order the two larger connections go on the larger post?!?

SmittyABP

Please?!? Someone help? I tried stating my question easily, or maybe i dont understand the answers. All i need to know, is does it matter what order the larger two connections go back onto the post? One is just a regular circular connection, and other is the same, but it has a perpendicular 'tab' on it.

Thanx in advance.

Morley

Not really but the battery cable terminal lug has an ear on it that aligns with a flat spot near the terminal post that keeps the lug from turning. As far as which one goes on first it doean't matter so long as both are on there.

TomP

For the hell of it, you might want to keep the thicker wire closest to the solenoid, for another reason besides Morley's- that wire will hold the most current, so put it against the solenoid.

Try scuffing the terminals lightly with some sandpaper to clean them.

Also, I don't think that the smaller gauge wire with the large ring terminal would affect starting. It runs fuseable links that control other engine functions, such as the heater's blower motor.

My rebuilt starter has two small bolt terminals, one of which is the correct "S" terminal, the other one isn't. Maybe you just hooked it to a similar "dummy" terminal?

SmittyABP

Well here is the news...went home yesterday, tossed a battery in the car and just tried starting it. When i turn the key over, the starter clicks repeatedly for a few seconds, and then nothing, its not turning over. So where do I go from here? I havnt rechecked my connections yet, but im pretty sure they are right. Some one help!

Thanx

83tranzam

Let's go back to the beginning.....were you positive that the starter was the problem? I've replaced a starter or two in my day & i've never run into anything like this after the installation.

If there's a ticking noise when you turn the key, that's usually indicative of a power/battery problem. If you say you just replaced the battery & are positive that the starter was bad to begin with, then i'd re-check your connections.

SmittyABP

I plan on rechecking my connectings, and yes there is a ticking sound when i turn the key to the 'On' position. And trust me, im sure the old starter was bad, one of the posts had snapped off. How or why I do not know, as i said, i got the car for free. So if anyone has anymore insight, as always, id be much appreciated.

Thanx

SlowStangEater

Have you tried jumping the car? If it clicks without a jump and fires up with a jump it means that there is a lack of juice somewhere.