STILL NO START !!!

[Vette73]

Battery is good......Tried running a wire from the thick purple one ( starter wire ) to the positive battery cable...All I got was a spark....Tried cranking while someone held wire - no good....
Lifted coil packs and banged on starter just to see if it would crank- no good...

Don't think it's VATS security light goes off when you turn key....Don't think its clutch switch either....

At this point I'm hoping its is the starter because everything is basically apart..

Are there any other tests I can run to see if it is def. the starter?

[Dynomite]

Originally Posted by Vette73

Battery is good......Tried running a wire from the thick purple one ( starter wire ) to the positive battery cable...All I got was a spark....Tried cranking while someone held wire - no good....
Lifted coil packs and banged on starter just to see if it would crank- no good...

Don't think it's VATS security light goes off when you turn key....Don't think its clutch switch either....

At this point I'm hoping its is the starter because everything is basically apart..

Are there any other tests I can run to see if it is def. the starter?

If you really hot wired the purple wire and nothing.....then it is the starter Solenoid or Starter Grounding....remove the starter (simple if you already removed coil packs) and set it on the bench. Hot wire the starter (main battery cable connection and Solenoid connection with ground wire connected to starter housing) and see if starter gear spins. If the starter gear does not spin..... take starter apart and see what the issue is. If the starter does not click (Solenoid move) then the Solenoid circuit is the issue or stuck Solenoid. The Starter Solenoid is basically the electromagnetic switch which engages Battery direct power to the Starter Armature. The Starter Case is grounded to the Engine where the Starter is bolted to the rear of the Valley.

mgbrv8 Starter Disassembled Photos of LT5 Starter Parts (March 2013)


Starter, Starter Relay, Wiring Harness, Battery, and Plugs Tricks

The Starter Solenoid is shown in the left photo with slight burnt contacts in right photo.


The Solenoid contacts in left photo were wire brushed clean in right photo.
Also use a bit of emery cloth on the two fixed contacts.


Clean the Valley Drain at the bottom rear of the Valley if you remove the Starter.
Also....if you disassemble the Starter, check by spinning the two bearings at each end of the Starter Armature for smoothness (those two bearings are very easy to replace with new bearings) and obviously check the Armature Brushes for wear.

[RICHARD TILL]

Pull the end cap off the solenoid. Clean or replace the contacts and the brass washer. Worked twice for me.

[Paul Workman]

Originally Posted by RICHARD TILL

Pull the end cap off the solenoid. Clean or replace the contacts and the brass washer. Worked twice for me.

That's very true (in most cases) IF there is a "CLICK" sound from the starter when the key is turned. (Mine needed an R&R'ing at ~ 42k miles.)

However, Vette 73, for clarification when 12volts is applied (one way or another) to the purple (solenoid) wire and there is NO CLICK, then the solenoid armature is either stuck (not likely - but not impossible), OR there is an electrical fault associated with the internal solenoid circuit.

Again, all this is spelled out in Marc's paper on "Diagnosing Starter Problems". But, just for clarification, that auxiliary relay that is often mentioned is a mod that applies specifically to the 90-92 cars. After '92 the start circuit was changed to accomplish the same thing, namely remove the clutch switch from the relatively high current (solenoid) duties with the help of a relay (which was incorporated in the 93-95 car's starter circuit).

[Vette73]

Thanks everybody for your input on this .....Actually tried banging on the starter but still nothing, not even a click......I'm waiting for a friend today who has a test light investigate this further,I'm not good with electrical stuff......

I hear a lot of stories of starters getting wet but actually everything looks pretty clean on my car where the starter sits.....At this point in a way since I can get to everything,if it's the starter than I can just replace......While I'm down there I notice a decent amount of corrosion when I pull the boots from the cool packs.....I will get in there with some contact cleaner and freshen them up.....

[Paul Workman]

Originally Posted by Vette73

Thanks everybody for your input on this .....Actually tried banging on the starter but still nothing, not even a click......I'm waiting for a friend today who has a test light investigate this further,I'm not good with electrical stuff......

I hear a lot of stories of starters getting wet but actually everything looks pretty clean on my car where the starter sits.....At this point in a way since I can get to everything,if it's the starter than I can just replace......While I'm down there I notice a decent amount of corrosion when I pull the boots from the cool packs.....I will get in there with some contact cleaner and freshen them up.....

Corrosion... is always a possibility. And, the solenoid (purple wire) is attached underneath the starter, making it especially susceptible to corrosion. You might get lucky by just cleaning that connection!