burntblues

Alright folks, need another bit of help.

I finished up the wiring tonight and had everything mounted. I wanted to hear if the fuel pump would run so I hooked up the battery and turned the ignition to the accessory on position. Sure enough, I heard the fuel pump whine for about 5 seconds, then it shut off. I thought I'd try bumping the engine over just to see if it would attempt to crank (I never heard the engine move so I didn't know if it would). Well, it did. I let off the ignition, but the starter kept cranking. I mean it kept cranking even once I took the key out of the ignition. I disconnected the battery and let it sit for a few minutes and I thought I'd try connecting up the battery again and I immediately heard the starter solenoid kick back in and attempt to start again! Does anyone have any ideas?

I'm so close to getting this thing going, I'm now at fluids and rerouting the wiring harness to get it to look nicer and then just buttoning down some odds and ends and I can finally get my garage back.

Thanks so much all!
Mike

xpndbl3

iTrader: (23)

solenoid failed or you have the purple wire on the wrong post on the starter

burntblues

I don't think it's a bad solenoid since when I pulled the battery terminal off and put it back on I could swear I heard the plunger kick back out and engage the flexplate.

Maybe someone can walk me through which wires go where. There are three posts on the starter, two big, one little. I have the solenoid wire running to the little post. I have the battery cable and what appears to be a 10 gauge wire with a large eyelet on it running to the post on the left. The post on the right (the one with the braided wire running into the starter) empty. My old nova wiring harness had what appeared to be three wires coming down to the starter. There was one wire with what appeared to be a 10 gauge wire with a little eyelet on the end of it. I snipped that eyelet off since it was too small for the small post on the starter and spliced on the starter solenoid wire from the vortec harness. There was also a yellow wire with no lead on it at all, I figured that was for the ballast resistor and so I left it off. As I said before, there was a third wire that was about 10 gauge that had a large eyelet. That went on the left side large post with the battery positive.

itsslow98

iTrader: (18)

small post only gets one wire, and that should be the ignition wire.

burntblues

Small post only has one wire, maybe it isn't the ignition though. Here is a schematic that I found, maybe someone can translate it for me.

http://www.stevesnovasite.com/images...ova-Wiring.pdf

From what I can tell, it says that there should be two wires running to the large post (battery and a dark brown wire). On the small post is a purple wire. Then on the old starters there was a yellow wire on a fourth post, R, which I think was for the ballast resistor.

Maybe I got the battery wire and the solenoid wire mixed up?

Is it possible that the starter I have is for one of the newer vehicles that continues to crank until it finally fires up? I wouldn't think that the starter would be any different on those cars as much as it would be something in the computer. Maybe I screwed something up in the wiring?

itsslow98

iTrader: (18)

Not sure, all I know is i ran my wire from the switched ignition to the small post, that powers the solenoid and the wire I have run from the battery to one of the larger posts starts the car.

I have a standlone harness though so Im not sure what the difference would be in how you are wiring it.

burntblues

I just had an awakening. I felt like an ape banging a stick against a giant metal post. I think that the battery positive cable may have moved a little when I bumped the ignition and it may be laying up against the S terminal. That would cause it to continue to crank wouldn't it? I mean that's like bypassing the ignition switch altogether. I'll check tomorrow and let you all know.

burntblues

I couldn't wait. I went and moved the battery wire over and sure enough. no more problems.

If everyone could erase this from their minds, this would help me.

Thanks though for the help!
Mike