Won't Crank (Was "Won't Start")

[deloreandude86]

Cant start my gt, have the battery hooked up and charged but when i turn the key there is nothing, the engine is not locked up the starter just wont turn over, make a noise or anything to that effect, please help, maybe fuse, stripped wire, bad ignition, please post a reason for this

Thanks again

Austin

[BQS4]

Well, one thing to check is to see if the starter itself is dead. Sitting in a field for a long time tends to get grit, dirt, and corrosion on the various parts, then go backwards from there. I would also see if the motor can spin over, just by hand, meaning, take a 19MM socket on a long pull handle/ratchet on the crank pulley and see if it want spin over.

[wrench459]

We need more info.
Do the warning lights on the dash work with the ignition switch in the run position?

After checking the motor for being locked up, like Gene said.
Turn on everything headlights,wipers,turns signal,blower...
If everything sounds about right you might want to try shorting out the starter solenoid. The large B+ wire @ the starter to the outside terminal.
If with all the lights on.. and they don't sound right check the battery connections. Bad grounds are a common problem on our cars and ignition switchs also.

[kwilford]

Originally Posted by deloreandude86 Cant start my gt, have the battery hooked up and charged but when i turn the key there is nothing, the engine is not locked up the starter just wont turn over, make a noise or anything to that effect, please help, maybe fuse, stripped wire, bad ignition, please post a reason for this Thanks again Austin

Moderator Note: Moved to "Starting and Charging" from "General Discussions" because, well, because that's where this belongs...

FYI and future reference, "won't start" means it cranks but the engine won't keep running (or even begin running) and is usually related to one of several things (which you haven't gotten to yet, but when the time comes, this diatribe might be handy...):

1) ignition (i.e. no spark, poor spark, spark at the wrong time, sparks but at the wrong place like inside the distributor cap but not at the spark plug, etc.)
2) fuel (not enough, or too much, or in the wrong place, or...look for supply, fuel pressure, carb operation, etc)
3) air (not as common, but required to make it all work)
3) compression (usually not enough, due to some mechanical problem, such as worn rings, leaking valves, blown head gasket, cam timing, etc.)

First thing is to find out what is NOT the problem. There are various diagnostic techniques, but we'll get back to them after you get the engine cranking. Which this problem is related to. Hence the thread move.

Things to look for might include (and as already suggested):

1) does the starter actually work? Make sure you have power to the big stud on the solenoid (direct from the battery) and then put power to the outside horizontal small terminal, either by "jumping" it from the centre stud as wrench459 suggested, or using a separate supply like a jumper wire or better still one of those remote starter buttons. This should cause the solenoid , which is basically just a big switch from that centre stud to the starter, and also kicks the starter drive gear into the flywheel ring gear. If not, then either the solenoid isn't working or the starter itself has a problem. If you hear a healthy "click", then the solenoid is probably OK, and the starter itself is likely the problem. A small click might indicate that the solenoid isn't fully functioning.
2) Does the starter work, but the ignition (aka "starter") switch doesn't? Common GT problem, as the contacts inside the ignition switch become worn and dirty and won't send enough power when turned to "start" position to the solenoid to engage it
3) Is there power TO the ignition switch? Here you are faced with tracing the wiring and finding out why there's power TO the fuse box but not to the ignition switch.

And so on...

HTH

[deloreandude86]

alright everyone, ive been working on this for a few hours now, with a power probe i can get it to crank, the only way i can make the key switch work is to jump the red wire going to it, this works fine, however it is not powering up the coils so, please tell me if this could be a bad fuse somewhere down the line, ive checked all the fuses, none of them are broken so, i dont know where to go from here please help,

Thanks

Austin

[Dennis Texas]

Originally Posted by deloreandude86 alright everyone, ive been working on this for a few hours now, with a power probe i can get it to crank, the only way i can make the key switch work is to jump the red wire going to it, this works fine, however it is not powering up the coils so, please tell me if this could be a bad fuse somewhere down the line, ive checked all the fuses, none of them are broken so, i dont know where to go from here please help, Thanks Austin

power feed from battery connection on starter has a fusible link looks like a smaller guage wire check there first for open circuit.

[deloreandude86]

did some more work today, i can power up the coils, when i turn the key both sides of the coil gets 12V but there is no power coming out of the coil, could this be a bad coil?

[tekenaar]

. . . to what I recall from previous GT electrical gremlins reminds me of four or five of us spending several hours at Rodney's one Saturday afternoon trying to find a "no alternator charge" problem in a TOPS member's GT, a real puzzler as I recall. Checked everything we could think of, swapped regulators and alternators 2-3 times with no solution, much to our chagrin . . . I mean, we had more than 50+ years of experience between all the "mechanics" working on this problem!

OK - long story, short - I finally went back to the fuse-box, can't really explain why none of us thought of this earlier, and removed the nuts from the feed and load wires at the four center posts, one set at a time, cleaned and retightened them and the problem was solved.

One of the FIRST things I'd try on any GT exhibiting weird, seemingly unexplainable, electrical gremlins, especially those that are being resurrected after sitting idle for a long time!

[deloreandude86]

alright tried cleaning contacts too, still no spark, i dont have to jump the ignition anymore either, i figured out the problem, but im still getting no spark no power (from) the coil and no action in the points condenser so,

[Redskinsjbs]

You said that you have 12 volts to either side of the coil . . . Is the resistor wire still properly hooked up?

[deloreandude86]

sorry everyone, i feel stupid, lol, i was not getting 12V to both sides i got 12V to one side and it was comming out the other side, also the problem was in the distributer, bad contact, cleaned them and it worked fine and started right up, thanks everyone for you help,

Thanks,

Austin