Thread: Car won't start, oh joy

Thanks, but I finally got the car working. I took a drill to the inside of each of the "O" connectors that I could find to grind out any corrosion and expose fresh metal to the places they connect to bolts/posts. Now it is starting up every time right away! I hope that fixes it.



However, I still cannot find the two engine to chassis grounds referred to above. I looked all around the thermostat but could not find any wires running from around there to the body. Does somebody have a picture of its location? I could find the grounds for the head lights and for the alternator, but nothing from engine to chassis. Now I just have to figure out why my speedo is sitting at 10mph when I am stopped at a stoplight... I just need to drop in the VE and be done with this engine!
Thanks everybody for the help on this!

ditto on what dustin said. happened to me. check your fuses under the hood as well. one clutch fuse under the hood and two ignition fuses under the dash. courtesyparts.com has originals and the ONLY place i found a clutch safety switch online.

Nic, the negative battery cable (if I'm remembering right) goes from the battery terminal, to a connection on or near the metal battery tray, then over to a bolt on the thermostat housing. I think that's the ground everyone's advising you to check.

The T-stat housing is where radiator hose enters the engine on the driver's side. The longer of the two rad-hoses.

I think. I've been playing with 240s for too long.

The car has now been starting reliably and without stutter for two days now, so I guess one of the connections I attacked was the culprit. One more question: To get to the starter bolts, I unbolted a thick bracket with a cable attached to it, basically right below the distributor. What is that cable for? I looked through the FSM and couldn't find it.

Nic are you talking about the clutch cable bracket?

Yes, he is. That's the clutch cable and clutch actuator arm.

this thread was very useful to me right now, i had to mention that, slow starting issue is what i am having right now.