Thread: Highport/ No crank/ good starter&batt/ WTF!?!? Gurus, help!!

Ok, long story short.

I replaced the coolant line behind/under the intake mani on my 91 ser.

I removed my entire intake and a few random things here and there to access the hose.

I put it all back together and it cranked a few times and died, so I bought a new battery.

Tried again, and cranked a few times, and nothing.

I tried to push start, and nothing.

I got the starter tested 3 different times and it is good.

I hooked the starter up to the battery, outside of the car on the ground via jumper cables and it spun strong.

I mount it in the car and WIRE IT DIRECTLY TO THE BATTERY, and it wont start!

I check volts at the positve terminal at the starter and I have 12.5v

I check starter housing for good ground, and it is good.

I attach the signal wire from the starter directly to 12v and it doesnt do a damn thing.

I have checked the tstat ground and its good.

I havechecked the 2 smaller grounds behind the manifold and they are good.

WTF do I check next!?!?!?!??!?!?! Im all out of options!

PS: Anyone around the thousand oaks area feel like getting dirty?
Call or text me if you want..
805 338 5046

Quadruple check those. Those are the ECU grounds. They need to be connected properly. If your starter is working and the engine is cranking fine then you have a fuel or ignition issue. Can you hear the fuel pump prime?

They are grounded I double quad checked. And the fuel pump is priming.

Never mind.

The starter spins when bench tested but not in the car when connected directly to the battery? That's not right...
Have you checked the surface the starter has to ground through? Corrosion on the starter body itself where it mates to the engine block, or corrosion on that part of the engine block can prevent the starter from grounding.

Check and cleaned both surfaces. I can actually touch my starter with my multimeter and it says its grounded.

Okay so I'm following your story and it sounds like the starter was working up until you took it out to bench test. After that you put it in and it's not working anymore?

You have the thick cable from the battery with +12v bolted to the starter and the small wire for the solenoid connected to the wiring harness where it belongs? Or are you giving this solenoid wire +12v directly from the battery was well (as a test)?

Correct. I have the small wire connected directly to 12v just like I did outside of the car, Only differenrce, it worked outside of the car. As soon as I put it IN the car it doesnt even click.

so ur saying the starter dosent crank when its on the car? even with direct power supplied?

What happens if you take some jumper cables and attach one end to the negative battery terminal and the other end to the starter body to ground it directly? That would make sure you get a good ground and rule out a few problems.

It's starting to sound like the solenoid died for some reason...