No Start Mystery After LED Turn Signal Install

[Cvett95]

After installing a pair of sequential turn signals on the rear fenders of my truck (for towing) I go to start the truck up and the engine barely cranks over. Continues to crank for 5 seconds and finally picks up momentum and starts up. All the symptoms of a dead battery (which is plausible because my ignition was set to on during various points during the install). After 3 or so minutes of idling I decide to shut the truck off to get everyone ready to head to the store. I come back out and try to start the truck- nothing. Clock dims out, lights on dash light up as usual, but no starter click, although the relay does click.

Charged battery overnight to 13v, still nothing. Bought a new ignition switch, tested it with it installed- same thing. Checked all grounds (including the new big 3 wiring and military spec positive terminal connector I added a couple days prior with 3 successful start ups under its belt) - nothing. Pulled the starter and hooked it up to my jump box - the little cog plunges and spins, all seems okay there. Test power of starter signal wire while buddy cranks the key- .1v, This leads me to believe the neutral safety switch could be at fault, or the wiring from the relay is shot. I desperately need my truck this weekend for hauling Christmas trees to various places etc. so I've decided I'm going to rig a momentary push button switch to the starter signal wire but do not want to run around like this forever. The button, given it fixes my issue will also allow me to travel to junkyards to try and find a neutral safety switch.

Is there a way to test the neutral safety switch?
Is there any reasoning behind the possibility of the neutral safety switch going bad while installing these auxiliary turn signals with the key momentarily in the on position?
I know there is still more testing to be done but am not sure where to go from here. I know the Holidays are right around the corner so any help is gratefully appreciated.

Hope everyone is enjoying their winter.

-Charlie

 

[Cvett95]

I forgot to mention that before beginning the install I noticed that my new engine ground (alternator mounting bracket) > chassis (driver inner fender) of the big 3 upgrade was connected wrong. I accidentally routed it to the negative battery terminal on the battery. I re-routed the wire to the correct grounding point (driver fender) and started on the install.

 

[brillo_76]

Possiblies if all fuses are good

1]Verify battery voltage at the terminals is above 12v to 13.8v your battery could have burned a cell

2] Neutral / parking switch

3] if equipped alarm immobilizer

4] contacts on the back of the ignition warn out.

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[Kanoe]

I forgot to mention that before beginning the install I noticed that my new engine ground (alternator mounting bracket) > chassis (driver inner fender) of the big 3 upgrade was connected wrong. I accidentally routed it to the negative battery terminal on the battery. I re-routed the wire to the correct grounding point (driver fender) and started on the install.

Did you leave in place the original battery negative terminal to lower engine block negative cable? This alt bracket to fender wire won't be the only engine ground.

Does it work alright with your push button? The amount of recent electrical work would make me suspicious. We don't know your abilities but I gotta say that making big electrical cables well is hard(and I have a lot of practice). Making them poorly is easy. Are you sure all end connections are done well?

 

[Cvett95]

The factory cables were not removed. Button is going in now. Will report back with outcome.

Thanks for the replies.

-Charlie

 

[Cvett95]

No luck with the switch either... Starter is getting power 12.5v, signal wire is definitely getting power... I've reverted everything back to the way it was when it was running. DC'd new lights, removed new wiring.

Kind of lost and out of ideas at this point.. It is safe to say this is a grounding issue though?

-Charlie

 

[Dieselchessy]

Maybe bad contacts in the starter that you toasted when you crawled the starter starved for voltage.

Did you take the back plate off the starter solenoid and look at the contacts when you had it out bench testing it?

You should have a positive wire that runs from bat+ down along front of oil pan and then back to starter.
Then a negative cable from batt - down to a bolt by the drivers side engine mount.

Assuming battery is good, those 2 cables are good, and starter contacts and function is good, then putting 12vdc to the starter solenoid connector on the starter should turn the engine over.
Pretty simple system.

 

[Cvett95]

The contacts inside the solenoid looked almost brand new, previous previous owner replaced the starter about 3 years ago. When overriding the fuse block with the switch didn’t work it made me think only two things could be wrong. One being that the terminal on the starter for the signal wire is faulty (it spins and jiggles pretty freely) and the other being that the batt - to driver fender is failing. I’ll get a new cable in there after work and report back.

Again, thank you for contributing your thoughts during this desperate time.

-Charlie

 

[19963.4lsr5]

The contacts inside the solenoid looked almost brand new, previous previous owner replaced the starter about 3 years ago. When overriding the fuse block with the switch didn’t work it made me think only two things could be wrong. One being that the terminal on the starter for the signal wire is faulty (it spins and jiggles pretty freely) and the other being that the batt - to driver fender is failing. I’ll get a new cable in there after work and report back.



Again, thank you for contributing your thoughts during this desperate time.



-Charlie

Go buy a test light and probe the small wire on the starter with the key in the start position. A bright light on the small wire and a bright light on the big wire at the same time means something in the starter is bad.

No light on the signal wire means it’s the relay (hardly ever goes bad) or the neutral safety switch or the ignition switch.

A bright bulb on the small starter wire and a dim bulb is a bad connection to the battery or a bad battery. Your battery shouldn’t drop below 9.5 to 10v while starting the engine.


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[Cvett95]

So I’m not getting any voltage at the signal wire but I found the culprit for the starter not turning even with the switch to be the starter itself. The internal contacts of signal wire connector on the starter are broken only making contact if the connector is positioned just right. I’m picking up a new starter later in the day which I will wire up to the switch allowing me to get these trees to their designated homes and eventually a junkyard.

How do you remove the starter relay? I’m a little confused as to why the signal wire isn’t receiving power. Will test continuity of the signal wire as well as clean the fuse box terminals. Hopefully that’ll fix it.

Once again, thanks for the input guys.

-Charlie