I'm getting 12.4v at the battery and at the "B" terminal on the starter. I'm not getting anything at the "S" terminal when the key is turned forward and the voltage on the "B" terminal drops to roughly 6 volts and fluctuates. The car has a B&M shifter and the neutral safety was only wired to the reverse and was bypassed sometime ago as far as the ignition circuit goes. Any ideas as to what could have changed during the swap to affect this?

Someone in another forum suggested the battery could be at fault. Took it with me to work and charged it before I tried starting the car. I always have a hard time charging Optimas. Best I could get it up to was 80% charge but it tested good. My next plan of action tomorrow was to start it with a remote starter and try and let the alternator charge it the rest of the way up or to drop the battery from my truck into it. Both batteries are 800 CCA but the one in my truck is a standard acid-filled battery.

Thanks in advance.

 

Assuming you have a quality volt meter and are using it correctly, it sounds as if your optima has at least one bad cell or more, it is showing you 12.4 volts but as soon as you put it under a load it is dropping to 6 volts is the symptoms of a bad cell. Try a known good battery.

 

^Will do. Thanks for the response. Think that would cause there to be no power to the "S" terminal on the starter?

 

I'm wondering the same question. It is driving me crazy. I didn't bypass the neutral safety switch though.. maybe that is my problem. Hope someone can help us out.

 

Hate that you're stuck too, but I'm glad I'm not alone. Can't quite figure it out because I didn't change anything that should affect that wire during the swap. The neutral safety was bypass 2 motors ago.

 

I'm with you, I put the motor in my truck, without the tranny, and it started every time I turned the key... When I finally got the tranny in, I went to fire it, and you know my frustrations. I have 12 volts at the starter but less under load. So I'm thinking I might try changing the battery cables next.

 

No you should still see some voltage at the "S" terminal, once again if you have a known good volt meter and are using it correctly. If you have no voltage at that terminal you either have a ignition switch issue or safety neutral switch problem or a problem in your wiring harness.

 

Figured it out (or rather I remembered it). For whatever reason I have to turn the key with this column ridiculously hard to start it. I mean ridiculous as in with 5 times more pressure than my daily S10s ignition switch. Now to find why my 6010 box isn't firing...

 

Sounds like it is time to replace your ignition switch. Eventually that switch is going to go out altogether.

If you are not getting voltage to the 6010 box then I would start at the switch. Could be related.

 

I had a similar problem with my swap. I wired the harness in and all of the accessories, when I went to crank it for the first time it did nothing. I racked my brain for about an hour until I remembered I changed out the ignition switch. I had it adjusted in the wrong position. Even though it felt like it was moving far enough, it really wasnt. One quick adjustment and I was good. Your ignition switch may need to be adjusted, sorry I am long winded.