87 GN will NOT crank

[rlamas67]

Hi All,

Well recently purchased my 87 GN here in Dallas I do love it got it on towards the end of Dec however on new years eve I drove it down the store came back home parked it like any normal day and next morning came out to start it and did not crank I was like WTH then I noticed silly me forgot to turn off the headlights I still getting use to it being old school.. so I figured just give the optima a charge and we're good to go.. gave it a charge and lights tuned on inside I was cool we're set turned the key and nothing.... now this day was freezing out in Dallas I think it was in the teens so we tried to charge it longer and still nothing not even a noise from the starter I was like dam the lights being left on all thru the night with this freezing weather killed the battery so like a dumb ass I drive to autozone buy a brand new battery plug it up and still nothing!!!! no crank or anything coming from the starter.. please help the Car has been sitting longer than I've owned it by now.. today I'm just now really messing with it since the weather is better.

 

[dank GN]

Well to start with all the positive leads connect to the starter so jack it up and check out the wires attached to the starter

 

[mikestertwo]

Could just be a bad starter. Smack it with a hammer or tire iron and see if it starts.

 

[Nick Micale]

Rather than a hammer, I would use a jumper wire on the solenoid from the ignition wire to the battery post at the starter.

 

[mikestertwo]

Rather than a hammer, I would use a jumper wire on the solenoid from the ignition wire to the battery post at the starter.

This will work if it's something other than the starter. The starter solenoid needs continuity through the brushes of the starter to operate. If it's the starter, hitting the starter may seat the brushes on the armature and the solenoid will then operate. This is a common problem when starters get old. I had the same problem with my GN years ago. Drove the car to the store....shut it down...when I came out the starter was dead. Smacked it with a tire iron and it fired right up. Replaced the starter.

 

[rlamas67]

So we took off the starter tested it and it works fine. Now this is getting puzzling.

 

[Nick Micale]

So we took off the starter tested it and it works fine. Now this is getting puzzling.

It is a simple circuit which activates the starter.

Battery power supplies voltage, the purple wire on the solenoid engages the drive gear into the flexplate.

So either you have no battery voltage at the starter, or the solenoid wire has no power to activate the drive gear.

If the jumper method was used with the starter in the car, you could have determined if the wire on the solenoid from the ignition switch is functioning properly or not?

 

[Chuck Leeper]

So either you have no battery voltage at the starter, or the solenoid wire has no power to activate the drive gear.

which leads to the question: Start switch take a dump? Lights work, starter doesn't. Lights don't run off the start circuit.

 

[mikestertwo]

So we took off the starter tested it and it works fine. Now this is getting puzzling.

Did you try any trouble shooting before you removed the starter? Did you check to see if you have 12V on the purple wire on the starter solenoid when you put the key in the start position? Now that you have the starter out check the purple wire for 12V when the key switch is turned. If you don't you may have a bad switch or a connection problem somewhere like at the bulkhead connector. If you do have voltage then the problem may have been the starter. The act of removing the starter may have seated the brushes.

 

[rlamas67]

guys I really jumped the gun on this one.. had a mechanic come over and help do the trouble shoot and the GN had a kill switch.

the switch was on the correct position for the car turn on but not sure what the battery did to it after it went dead but the main part that was connected the ignition just got stuck on off?? I'm not sure but he removed it and car cranked right up. lesson learned