HELP. No start

[Ozruss90]

1990 #1948. Went to take it to cars and coffee last weekend and engine wouldn’t crank over. Jumped in the ‘61 and took it instead. Just assumed it was a flat battery. Put the charger on and checked it a couple of days later. Still no start or crank, thought that was odd so connected a jump starter and still nothing. I have full full dash lights when key is first turned but once turned to the cranking position, dash lights go out and nothing happens. Not even a click from the starter solenoid.
Today l took the panel off under the steering wheel to access the clutch switch to test (wanted to change the footwell globe to an led anyway). Took the connector off the switch and bridged it . Still no cranking. HELP......
When lifting the hood to connect the jump starter, l noticed mice droppings scattered around the engine compartment. Thoroughly checked all visible wiring and nothing chewed but obviously can’t see if any damage under the plenum.
Would like to exhaust all other checks before resorting to pulling the plenum.
Any advise appreciated. Ps. Only done 11k

Cheers from down under 🇦🇺
Russell

[TX '90 ZR1]

Go to the "Sticky" by Dynomite. Lots of info on the "no start".
I would start with the thread labeled "Dreaded No Start".
:cheers:

[lfalzarano]

If your battery is older than 30 months, ditch it. You need a fresh battery that can crank a minimum of 690 CCA.

JMHO


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[RussMcB]

Maybe a candidate for the Purple wire relay mod? That seemed to be the fix for my no-start problem on my '91.

[Ozruss90]

If your battery is older than 30 months, ditch it. You need a fresh battery that can crank a minimum of 690 CCA.

JMHO


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Thanks for the tip. Thought the battery was younger than what it is. Decided to pull it out to have tested. Seller engraved purchase date on it, to my surprise it was Nov.2016. Will take it in tomorrow and have it tested properly. Any doubt and I’ll just purchase a new one.
Having said that, the battery had enough charge to power up all dash lights and with a fully charged jump starter still no crank or solenoid click.

[Ozruss90]

Maybe a candidate for the Purple wire relay mod? That seemed to be the fix for my no-start problem on my '91.

Yeah, probably a job l should do anyway. Will read up on the procedure and see if it’s a job l can do myself.
Thought l might borrow an inspection camera and see if l can gain access to under the plenum with it to check out if any mice damage.

[JFFerner]

Depending on the type of "Jump starter" you used, it may have to at least partially recharge a dead battery before cranking the engine. Put your jump starter on and leave it charge for an 1/2 hour or more, then with the Jump starter still in place try cranking the Z.

[Paul Workman]

Before we start changing batteries, or even installing the auxiliary relay (never a bad idea, tho), Some basic troubleshooting is called for.

Check battery voltage. Fully charged it should read ~ 12.6 VDC at rest (14.7 when being charged).

The two most common "NO START" issues on the 90-92s are either the clutch safety switch or the solenoid contacts within the starter itself. And, a third relay is commonly known as the VATS relay (but unless your security light is flashing when you turn the ignition switch to START, that is not likely the issue).

Use the schematic provided that was published by Marc Haibeck that provides common voltages along the circuit WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH IS IN THE START position.

IF the purple wire between the clutch safety switch and the starter has voltage on it when the ignition switch is in the START position, then chances are the starter solenoid contacts need replacement (will cost you about $10-15 for the Denso Starter Solenoid kit (See Jerry's Gaskets (https://www.jerrysgaskets.com/) for that or whatever else your LT5 needs, including plenum gaskets you will need when you pull the plenum - a "rite of passage" for all ZR-1 owners!). Also, Most auto parts stores have the kits. Many domestic and foreign cars use that Denso starter(s).

Well, I don't want to jump ahead too far. But, refer to the schematic and use your VOM and trace the voltage from the battery to the point where you loose it. That will be the location of the fault.

The BIGGER POINT I'm trying to make is, before you start changing parts, VERIFY that the fault FIRST! Otherwise you'll be headed for a lot of frustration AND expense TOO!

[KFoster]

I have fought a lot of that. VATS bypass was first. That seemed to fix one problem. Then it would randomly no start. Hose came off the fuel pump. They use crap little plastic clamps. Replaced all those with stainless hose clamps. Next issue was the rod on the clutch had come off. Checked the starter and it seemed fine. Just did the purple wire bypass for the starter circuit. Cranks great, but haven’t driven it enough to know if that’s fixed or not.


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[Ccmano]

Before we start changing batteries, or even installing the auxiliary relay (never a bad idea, tho), Some basic troubleshooting is called for.

Check battery voltage. Fully charged it should read ~ 12.6 VDC at rest (!14.7 when being charged).

The two most common "NO START" issues on the 90-92s are either the clutch safety switch or the solenoid contacts within the starter itself. And, a third relay is commonly known as the VATS relay (but unless your security light is flashing when you turn the ignition switch to START, that is not likely the issue).

Use the schematic provided that was published by Marc Haibeck that provides common voltages along the circuit WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH IS IN THE START position.

IF the purple wire between the clutch safety switch and the starter has voltage on it when the ignition switch is in the START position, then chances are the starter solenoid contacts need replacement (will cost you about $10-15 for the Denso Starter Solenoid kit (See Jerry's Gaskets (https://www.jerrysgaskets.com/) for that or whatever else your LT5 needs, including plenum gaskets you will need when you pull the plenum - a "rite of passage" for all ZR-1 owners!). Also, Most auto parts stores have the kits. Many domestic and foreign cars use that Denso starter(s).

Well, I don't want to jump ahead too far. But, refer to the schematic and use your VOM and trace the voltage from the battery to the point where you loose it. That will be the location of the fault.

The BIGGER POINT I'm trying to make is, before you start changing parts, VERIFY that the fault FIRST! Otherwise you'll be headed for a lot of frustration AND expense TOO!

Thank you Paul, you beat me to it....
:happy1:
H

[Ozruss90]

Before we start changing batteries, or even installing the auxiliary relay (never a bad idea, tho), Some basic troubleshooting is called for.

Check battery voltage. Fully charged it should read ~ 12.6 VDC at rest (!14.7 when being charged).

The two most common "NO START" issues on the 90-92s are either the clutch safety switch or the solenoid contacts within the starter itself. And, a third relay is commonly known as the VATS relay (but unless your security light is flashing when you turn the ignition switch to START, that is not likely the issue).

Use the schematic provided that was published by Marc Haibeck that provides common voltages along the circuit WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH IS IN THE START position.

IF the purple wire between the clutch safety switch and the starter has voltage on it when the ignition switch is in the START position, then chances are the starter solenoid contacts need replacement (will cost you about $10-15 for the Denso Starter Solenoid kit (See Jerry's Gaskets (https://www.jerrysgaskets.com/) for that or whatever else your LT5 needs, including plenum gaskets you will need when you pull the plenum - a "rite of passage" for all ZR-1 owners!). Also, Most auto parts stores have the kits. Many domestic and foreign cars use that Denso starter(s).

Well, I don't want to jump ahead too far. But, refer to the schematic and use your VOM and trace the voltage from the battery to the point where you loose it. That will be the location of the fault.

The BIGGER POINT I'm trying to make is, before you start changing parts, VERIFY that the fault FIRST! Otherwise you'll be headed for a lot of frustration AND expense TOO!

Thanks Paul for your input and advise, much appreciated and will follow if not the battery. I had already pulled the battery out (as it’s only a 5 min job) to take to battery shop to be tested,, AC Delco 650cca measured 24 cca when the load tester was applied. I’m going to put a new battery in tomorrow to hopefully solve the issue. My worst fear was mice damage under the plenum. I’ll be happy to part with $ for a new battery if that fixes it.

[Paul Workman]

Did the shop FIRST fully charge that AC Delco battery before load testing it? A couple or three years on a battery is unusually short.

In my experiences (I used to maintain dozens of lead-acid batteries, among other things, at remote microwave radio repeater sites (think mountain tops) and now have 7 lead-acid batteries of my own in various vehicles and equipment.) The average age is 10 years...and counting! So, unless you have an excessive parasitic draw that exceeds ~25 to a max of 50mA, your battery expiring so soon is unusual to say the least, OR it isn't charging as well as it should. (Corroded battery terminal connections??)

A cold battery should read 13.8 (hot) to 14.7 volts (cold) across the terminals with the motor running (w/o the lights or AC running) IF the alternator is working properly.

Not implying YOU or anyone who is not "anal retentive" (like me) go out and buy a BATTERY LOAD TESTER, but they are cheap enough and take all the guess work out of testing your lead-acid batteries (including AGM batteries). Since I have so many 'round the ranch, I decided I needed to have my own, and AutoZone was more than happy to feed my obsession with tools!:o Anyway, doing a home load test is a subject for another day.

[lfalzarano]

The warranty on the AC Delco 75PS with 650 CCA is 30 months. The model 75VPG with 700 CCA is 48 months. It is rare to hear someone post a “NO Start” when the battery was new. Just my personal observation.

Extremely hot weather and overcharging are the two main reasons for shortened battery life, according to the Car Council. The battery contains liquid and heat causes it to evaporate. Low fluid levels will damage the internal structure of the battery.

Always replace a battery with one that is of equal or higher quality than the one originally specified. A LT5 requires a minimum of 690 CCA according to the FSM.

I recently screwed up and bought the 650 CCA battery because I didn’t have the above information. I will be getting the 700 CCA next Summer for sure!

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[Ozruss90]

Did the shop FIRST fully charge that AC Delco battery before load testing it? A couple or three years on a battery is unusually short.

In my experiences (I used to maintain dozens of lead-acid batteries, among other things, at remote microwave radio repeater sites (think mountain tops) and now have 7 lead-acid batteries of my own in various vehicles and equipment.) The average age is 10 years...and counting! So, unless you have an excessive parasitic draw that exceeds ~25 to a max of 50mA, your battery expiring so soon is unusual to say the least, OR it isn't charging as well as it should. (Corroded battery terminal connections??)

A cold battery should read 13.8 (hot) to 14.7 volts (cold) across the terminals with the motor running (w/o the lights or AC running) IF the alternator is working properly.

Not implying YOU or anyone who is not "anal retentive" (like me) go out and buy a BATTERY LOAD TESTER, but they are cheap enough and take all the guess work out of testing your lead-acid batteries (including AGM batteries). Since I have so many 'round the ranch, I decided I needed to have my own, and AutoZone was more than happy to feed my obsession with tools!:o Anyway, doing a home load test is a subject for another day.

Been on the charger over night. will go in this morning and observe whilst they do the load test

[Ozruss90]

The warranty on the AC Delco 75PS with 650 CCA is 30 months. The model 75VPG with 700 CCA is 48 months. It is rare to hear someone post a “NO Start” when the battery was new. Just my personal observation.

Extremely hot weather and overcharging are the two main reasons for shortened battery life, according to the Car Council. The battery contains liquid and heat causes it to evaporate. Low fluid levels will damage the internal structure of the battery.

Always replace a battery with one that is of equal or higher quality than the one originally specified. A LT5 requires a minimum of 690 CCA according to the FSM.

I recently screwed up and bought the 650 CCA battery because I didn’t have the above information. I will be getting the 700 CCA next Summer for sure!

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The battery that l purchased 32 months ago is a S75-6MF It’s the only battery with the correct dimensions and side terminals in the AC Delco range according to the Aus./ NZ online catalogue. Rated at only 650 CCA. Only went for the AC Delco battery to keep the original look . They do list it as having a 36 month warranty, so I will follow that up. BUT l don’t want another 650 CCA if it’s not enough. Might have to look at other brands to get 700 or better CCA. Will know more after today. Will keep you posted

[TX '90 ZR1]

I put in a AC Delco Professional 75VPG. There is also a number on the tag that might be a part number. This might help you locate the correct one in case the listing criteria is different where you are.
Number is 88861746.
Here's the specs as listed by Delco.
Applications: Passenger Car / Light Truck / Commercial Batteries
BCI Group Size: 75
Volts: 12
Reserve Capacity: 95
AH@20: 52
Cold Cranking Amps: 700
Cranking Amps: 875
Length: 8.7
Width: 6.8
Height: 7.2
Weight: 33.7 Lbs
Hope this helps. :cheers:

[lfalzarano]

Kenny has it right on!


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[Ozruss90]

I put in a AC Delco Professional 75VPG. There is also a number on the tag that might be a part number. This might help you locate the correct one in case the listing criteria is different where you are.
Number is 88861746.
Here's the specs as listed by Delco.
Applications: Passenger Car / Light Truck / Commercial Batteries
BCI Group Size: 75
Volts: 12
Reserve Capacity: 95
AH@20: 52
Cold Cranking Amps: 700
Cranking Amps: 875
Length: 8.7
Width: 6.8
Height: 7.2
Weight: 33.7 Lbs
Hope this helps. :cheers:

Thanks Kenny for that info, interesting.
I’m assuming the AC Delco range here in Australia 🇦🇺 is different to what is available to you over there. Only ‘2’ batteries available with side mount terminals.
S75-6MF, correct physical dimensions for the car but only 650cca
And a S78-6MF for later corvette and others l guess, at 770cca, BUT physical dimensions to big for the Z
I’ve looked at other brands and can only come up with the larger version for the later US cars with side mount terms. For now I’m stuck with a 650cca battery.
As it turned out, the faulty battery was 32 months into a 36 month warranty. They are replacing it free of charge. Hopefully will have a better run out of the replacement battery. Pick it up today and will put in and test tonight🤞