the only way i can get my car to crank is by jumping it by taking a screwdriver and touching the two bolts on the starter. it won't crank with my key, won't with my remote starter. i just put this starter in, along with new battery, and alt a few weeks ago. is this a sign of a bad starter? also just put a neuteral saftey switch in like 2 months ago. anyone have any ideas?

 

22,

Since you can crank the engine by shorting the starter solenoid terminals, you need to try to operate the solenoid. Jump the B+ terminal to the 'S' terminal on the solenoid. This should operate the solenoid and crank the engine. If it doesn't, the solenoid is toast. If it does crank, start checking the wiring back to the ignition switch, and pay close attention to the remote starter wiring you just installed.

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Later,
Vader
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"Make Me Bad"
Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0

 

now on top of it all, my power hatch button didn't work at all today. could this be related in anyway? i mean my car started not to start in the mornings the past 2 weeks when it was a little chilly out, but would around 10-11am when the sun came up. now, the high here in pittsburgh is like in the 40's and it wont start at all, and now my power hatch button. is something about the cold doing this?

 

Check all your fuses now.

 

Just to add a little more...

Hook a test light or VOM to the S terminal on the starter, then try to start the car. If the light goes on or VOM reads battery voltage, you know its a solenoid problem. If nothing happens, I'd suspect your neutral safety or ignition switches. Have you tried starting it in any other gears? That could diagnose a misaligned P/N switch.

EDIT: As far as the hatch release is concerned, does the motor come up when you manually release the hatch using the key? If so, you can rule out a fuse problem. The release switch is a path to ground, so if its not releasing you either have a bad ground between the chassis and the switch, switch and solenoid, or a faulty solenoid or switch.

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-Jason M. 1991 Camaro Z28
"Its Blue."

[This message has been edited by Jason M 91Z (edited October 08, 2000).]

 

I'm going to take a guess at the VATS....You just described what I went through several months ago.

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[This message has been edited by Kevin S (edited October 08, 2000).]

 

I found myself stranded in Michigan State's commuter lot back in late '93 with my Trans Am just ceased to turn over. It had gotten cold out that evening, and it plain quit. I got under the hood, and jiggled wires. Magically, it started up! It kept starting with no failures for about two days. Then, it quit in my garage on a cold morning. I got under the car, and discovered that the hot lead to the starter was loose on the terminal. I tightened up the nut and the problem never came back.

Check your ground straps, and check those wires on the starter solenoid to ensure that they are indeed snug.

BTW, Sorry about the quips on your last post of this thread. I apologise!


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Daniel Burk
http://www.isthq.com/~dan/fcar.html
'84 Trans Am WS6/L69
KB SFC, Moser axles, Torsen Diff. PST suspension, Braided stainless brake lines, Koni struts, 11-inch rear disks,Spohn Adj. torque arm,
Ported 305 heads w/1.94"intake valves, Comp Cams XE262H, Griffen alum. radiator,
Turbine Technologies 2500 stall converter, underdrive pulleys, Crane Hi-6 & more.
1.05g skidpad verified.
New best E/T! 14.039 at 100.82 MPH in 41 degree air at Stanton, Michigan.