Hey:

I'm having a little trouble with my LS1 swap. (1984 Trans Am car/ 2002 LS1 engine)

As simple as this sounds, my starter won't work.

Now, I know this:

1- the starter worked in the donor car. I heard the engine start/ run
2- my wiring worked in my car prior to the engine removal.
3- although I have changed this car from an auto to a manual trans, I have bypassed the wiring that plugged into the auto shifter. (I connected the heavy gauge purple and yellow wiring- they made a complete circuit when the shifter would be in park and neutral. I also connected the other 2 smaller gauge wires , orange and black, that also made a circuit in park and neutral)

4- I believe i hooked all my starter wires to the starter. (same ones from before- they're all to the solenoid post just as I would have hooked on any typical smallblock starter) I have the battery cable hooked up to the larger post.

and it still doesn't work.

5- I had the wiring redone over at speartech and while there's a grey wire for the clutch (safety switch) this is currently unplugged. I was told I can leave it like this and it shouldn't affect anything.

I checked fuses and they seem to be Ok. My fuel pump comes on when I turn the key to "on", but nothign when I turn the key to "start".

so, how can I check this?

I have a volt meter and I'm thinking I should get under the car and look to see if I have voltage going to the starter.

what about trying to bypass the solenoid to see if the starter is working?

any other ideas/ suggestions?

the only other things I can think of is the old wiring for the old smallblock engine. maybe because some of this is unplugged now (open) it's not allowing the starter to work?

There is the "batt" wire that used to go to the old distributor. that's just unplugged now. same for the old wiring to the alternator.

any ideas or suggestions would be of great help.

Thanks,

-BV

 

check to see that you are getting 12v on the purple wire at the starter when you turn the key.....i had a similar problem. I removed the purple wire....hooked the meter to it and placed the meter on the windshield then turned the key.(I was working alone)...then go from there......I don't know about pontiacs but if they are anything like chevys, the wires that go to the neutral safety switch are both purple.one has a white stripe. Those that go to the reverse switch are yellow and green...I think...check to see that you hooked the correct wires.

 

did you bypass the VATS system yet?

 

Do you have a ground strap from the motor to frame?

Pat

 

the yellow wire should be a ground for your starter relay that goes to the park/nuetral switch the heavy purple wire should go to the starter solonoid red or orange (can't remember without looking) should be supply power then you will have an activation wire from the steering colunm this is all at the starter relay. it sounds like how you have it wired you have a dead short.

 

HI:

1- yes, there's a ground strap to the frame. The factory LS1 ground strap. I even made sure it was on bare metal...

2- the VATS was removed by Speartech.

3- on my old auto shifter- there was a 6 plug harness/ switch. I tested the switch with a volt meter. the 2 thicker gauge wires (one was purple and one was yellow) completed a circuit in only the park and neutral position. so I connected those 2 together.

There's also a black wire with white stripe and an orange wire that also operated in the same fashion as the purple/ yellow wire, so I connected those 2 wires together. However, these 2 and the above 2 are not connected.

The remaining 2 wires were for the reverse light- which I had to spearate and integrate into the speartech reverse light switch wires. (I have that hooked up correctly, as my reverse lights work)

I'll now need to see if I'm getting 12 volts at the starter. Please confirm I can just hook the volt meter up to the solenoid prong and ground the other wire (12 volt setting) and then when I turn the key it "should" read 12 volts, yes?

any other tests???

Thanks,

-BV

 

Ok, but I'm confused.

How should it be wired?

should I ground the yellow wire to the chassis? What do I do with the purple wire?

currently- my park safety switch has 6 wires. 2 are heavy gauge (yellow and purple) 4 are thinner gauge wires (blue, green, orange and black).

the 2 heavy gauge wires (yellow and purple) complete a circuit when the shifter is in park or neutral.

the blue/ green wires complete a circuit when the shifter is in reverse only.

the orange and black wires complete a circuit when the shifter is in park or neutral only.

the orange and black wires are a smaller gauge than the yellow and purple. these wires do not complete a circuit with one another. (orange does not work with yellow or purple, neither does the black)

I had originally tried this withthe switch just unplugged and it didnt' work.

I then connected the yellow and purple wire together, and it didn't work. I then also tied the orange and black wire together and it still doesn't work. This is where it currently is.

thanks,

-BV

 

wiring diagrams for your car would be your best friend at this point....

 

At this point I would run a wire directly from your battery to the starter (hot wiring it) to verify for 100% that this will start the car and then you will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the starter is good!

 

cool, thanks! I'll try that

 

ok...heres the rundown so far..

2 heavier gauge wires (Yellow and Purple) complete in park and neutral only.

2 Lighter gauge wires (black/white stripe and orange) also complete in park and neutral.

2 more lighter gauge wires (for Reverse Lights) Connect in reverse only.

Now here is how it should go....the purple side on most GM cars will come from the column to the Park/Neutral switch...then out of the Yellow wire to the starter hot side.

The Black/White Stripe wire should be grounded and the orange wire should go to the Park/Neutral safety switch wire from the ECM (given the car is an A4)

So you need to make sure the purple wire comes from the IGN (hot in start only side) of the key switch into the P/N switch...then out the yellow to the Starter. You can test here also to make sure it has 12v in the start position. The orange wire will provide ground in P & N to limit rpms and such in those gears. I hope this helps to straighten out what the 6 wires go to on your P/N switch.

J-

 

go to pg 49 on this it will show you where the wires should go
http://www.ls7power.com/diagrams/sys...g.diagrams.pdf
ground the yellow black wire
purple will go to the starter solenoid
red is the fused power
dk green is the start switch

 

This should help you alot.
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2079260/5 good luck

 

Sweet, thank you everyone! I have printed this out and will give it a try this weekend.

 

You guys have helped me out as well. Thanks for the tech references.