Help! Wiring issue
- Thread starter Sibo
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autokraftgt
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Front left fender as in a ground? Kinda sounds like the starter solenoid being grounded to the fender? Most starter solenoids I've been around are grounded through the solenoid itself (the back plate is metal) I just replaced my starter solenoid on my old mustang due to not cranking (just like yours)...I tried grounding the solenoid with a big negative wire to the chassis....didn't crank. Then I cleaned up the metal behind the solenoid, and bolted the solenoid to the driver's side inner fender (three bolts) like instructed.....motor cranked. I believe the big wire was not enough ground....once the entire back plate of solenoid was properly bolted to fresh metal, the unit was properly grounded and it cranked.....took me a few days to track this problem.....grounds can tough to diagnose.
07MegaCabRam
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This is why it's not a good idea to use a test light to trouble-shoot.
Sounds like you grounded a wire with it... There is no reason for your antenna wire to be hooked up to your starter.. LOL
Sounds like you grounded a wire with it... There is no reason for your antenna wire to be hooked up to your starter.. LOL
justin13703
Senior Member
Test lights have no business being near any modern vehicle. You can actually set airbags off with them if you hit the wrong wire. And they will cause you to chase your tail with stuff like this. Minor voltage fluctuations will wreak havoc on computerized vehicles and a test light simply will not tell you the difference betweeen 10 and 12 volts. All you see is a light, not a voltage measurement.
Get a multimeter. Check for voltage at the starter solenoid when someone turns the key to start. If you have 12 volts, the issue is in the starter. If you have no voltage or less than 12 volts, the issue is before that such as a relay or wiring issue. You can easily swap the starter relay under the hood with any other relay to see if it fixes the issue.
But you need to get a multimeter and start at the starter and go back through the circuit until you find where you lose voltage. A test light isn't going to tell you anything and you may end up setting off some airbags with that thing.
Get a multimeter. Check for voltage at the starter solenoid when someone turns the key to start. If you have 12 volts, the issue is in the starter. If you have no voltage or less than 12 volts, the issue is before that such as a relay or wiring issue. You can easily swap the starter relay under the hood with any other relay to see if it fixes the issue.
But you need to get a multimeter and start at the starter and go back through the circuit until you find where you lose voltage. A test light isn't going to tell you anything and you may end up setting off some airbags with that thing.
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