Greg - I actually have a new OEM harness, so the wires are in pretty good shape.

Do you recall where the purple wire is routed to? I need to do some investigating.

Thanks, that's good info.

Scott

Thanks, good info.

Scott

Starter was unbolted and grounded externally. I checked to see if the starter would engage with just the external ground, but it didn't. Then I installed the jumper wire and the starter engaged.

Thanks

If I understand correctly, Greg's fix worked because his issue was in a wire and not in a switch or connector.

If your wires are all new, you might not have the same good fortune.. I know I'm never as lucky as Greg!

The wire should run from the S terminal on the starter to one pin on the neutral safety switch. It probably goes through the bulkhead connector on the firewall to get there. This is probably where Greg spliced in a replacement wire.

On my car, the NSS is mounted on the lower steering column where it is actuated by the lockout rod/mechanism.

A purple wire then goes from the other pin on the NSS to the Start pin on your ignition switch. As I recall, there is a big flat connector on the column with lots of wires (starter, run, turn signals, etc.), one of which is purple. This connector may be a RELATIVELY convenient access point if you have to start isolating a problem between the S terminal and the ignition switch.

You would probably be wise to see what happens with the starter bolted back in place and again comparing the car wiring to your jumper. If the motor cranks with the jumper, but not with the car wiring, you don't have an option but to start isolating.

Others have suggested bypassing the NSS. This would be the easiest first step to isolating the problem if it comes to that. You would do this by pulling the connector from the NSS and running a jumper between the two female connector pins that feed purple wires.

You'll get it figured out!

By "engaged", I assume you mean the solenoid was able to push the gear out and the motor spun, even though the starter was unbolted from the engine. Correct?

Mike

Sometimes when putting in a transmisson, you may have to readjust the shifter cable or if it has it the linkage that runs up to the steering column from the trans. Do the reverse lights work when put in reverse ? If not that would be a indication the nss is out of adj. Or you could put the shifter in neutral, hold the key in the crank position, and slowly move the shifter towards drive and the reverse and see if it cranks.

Scott, Shiny is correct in my case as I didn't have to get into the nss or anything except the short wire from the solenoid to the firewall. As noted, yours is new so unlikely. It doesn't mean your problem can't be in that circuit just not likely a 'baked wire' condition.

Mike - Correct, the solenoid was able to push the gear out and the motor spun, even though the starter was unbolted from the engine.

I'll try the NSS next. Hoping this is my issue!

Thanks!

Scott

Yeah, I'm wondering if the linkage is out of whack since I reinstalled the trans.

I'll see if anything happens while I'm manipulating the shifter.

Thanks,

Scott

Ok, back at it today.

First I jacked the car up in the rear and got it on jackstands.

Next, I turned the key to the start position and wiggled the shifter, like someone here recommended. No joy. But if I hadn't put it on jackstands, I'm sure it would have started in gear and then driven through the wall in my garage...

Then I removed the console so I could access the neutral safety switch.

Using a test light, I confirmed which purple wire brought power into the NSS. It's the bottom one. Then I confirmed that the power was transmitting to the output terminal on the NSS. While I was at it, I confirmed that no power made it to the output terminal when the trans wasn't in park.

So, from what I can tell, I don't have continuity in the wire that goes from the NSS to the starter.

Before I undo all the electrical tape, I should probably use a jumper wire from the positive terminal on the battery to the output wire from the NSS. If nothing happens, that would confirm my suspicions on the culprit. I guess I can also get out my multimeter to see how much voltage I'm getting, too, but that will mean the wife has to come to the garage and she and my daughter are baking Christmas cookies now.

Well, I'm glad I did a few extra checks, because I think I was heading in the wrong direction.

I checked the voltage at the NSS input terminal at 7.5 volts. That doesn't sound right.

Then I checked the voltage at the NSS output terminal at 7.4 volts.

And then I hooked a long jumper wire from the positive terminal on the battery to the output wire from the NSS to the starter solenoid. Contact! It spun over, and quick, too.

So, now I need to check the wire from the ignition switch to the NSS; that's where my problem should be.

The output of the nss just goes to the S terminal on the solenoid doesn't it? Didn't you already jump 12v to the solenoid earlier?
If I'm mistaken, you could jumper straight from the battery to the S terminal and bypass all of that stuff. If it starts you know it's somewhere between the nss and the S terminal because you've already checked everything else in the circuit.

Yes, I believe the output of the NSS goes directly to the S terminal on the starter. I jumped it before, but I went directly from the positive terminal on the battery to the S terminal on the solenoid. In other words, I didn't use the wire from the NSS to the starter, so I didn't know if that was good or bad.

Now that I've done that and confirmed the wire from the NSS to the S terminal is good, I need to check the wiring between the NSS and the key switch.

Is it also possible that I have a weak connection in the fuse box? Maybe corroded terminals? If so, which one should I check?

Thanks!

Ok, what's the trick to getting the ignition switch out? The bezel is turning, but can't get it to release. I'm using a paper clip in the little hole, but no joy. EDIT: Disregard. I got it out.

Disassembled the switch and cleaned up the contacts. They didn't look terrible but they weren't minty, either. Attached pic is after I cleaned them up.

Then I got the multimeter out and checked continuity on the purple wire from the ignition switch to the NSS. Got a reading of 008, so I have continuity. Guess it was the switch all along, but I won't be able to confirm until tomorrow; about to head out to dinner with the Long-Haired General and our daughter.

Thanks again for all the input!

Did it start when you jumped straight from the battery?

Yes it did.

Good progress!

You are getting it done, even if it's painful.

It sounds like you are almost there.

Sorry it wasn't easier.

Mike

Yes, you are narrowing it down. Electronic troubleshooting is like a crime investigation. You keep eliminating suspects until you get to the one you can't.

Have you tried starting it in Neutral instead of park? If the shifter is out of alignment and the neutral safety switch is not making a good connection, trying to start it in neutral might prove it. Foot on the brake and parking brake applied Put the car in neutral and if it doesn't start try wiggling the shifter and see if it starts. Also you might try a temporary jumper wire across the neutral safety switch connection.

Seems like he's already verified all of that stuff pretty well with what he's done so far Jim.