Topic: 67Starting woes

[67foxgt390]

  Hi I have a 1967 390 GT 4sp car. The car will not start or even turn over. I turn the key and just get a buzzing or popping sound from the solenoid. I have put three different solenoids in the car, two brand new batteries and had the starter professionally serviced., all the cables are new and tight. I can start it when I jump it from another car but that is not a viable option! I am a complete loss as what to do next or what the issue is. Can any one help? getting desperate over here. By the way the car is for sale due to health issues.     Thank You, Chuck

[CharlesTurner]

Can you get the starter to engage when jumping the positive battery cable to the first plug on the front of the solenoid?  If so, then you have a downstream issue like an ignition switch.

[67foxgt390]

  Hi I tried that this after noon and it yielded the same noise from the solenoid. Could it be the ignition switch? This has me baffled, my mechanic buddies are confused too. Thanks Chuck

[67gtasanjose]

Can you get the starter to engage when jumping the positive battery cable to the first plug on the front of the solenoid?  If so, then you have a downstream issue like an ignition switch.

THIS test indicates that the ignition switch is NOT the problem.

After rereading this again today, you either have a bad battery/both are bad, or bad connections. If everything is as you say "new", then there is a defect. The solenoid only connects the two large posts that the cables connect onto together when powered with the ignition switch with first little post push-on connector. The test above bypasses the vehicle wiring harnesses and switches

HAVE THE BATTERY TESTED. If it starts with jumpers, then maybe you have a defective one or two. It really isn't rocket science so don't overthink it.

Insanity (you called it "woes") is doing the same thing over and over again the same way and getting the same results. It seems that a defect exists if everything is new.

[jwc66k]

Can you turn the engine crank by hand? Remove the spark plugs to make it easy and then use a socket wrench on the bolt on the damper. If you can't turn the engine, remove the starter and try again. If you still can't turn the engine with no plugs and no starter in place, the problem is internal.
Jim

[67foxgt390]

  Hi the engine doe run, but I need to jump start the car to do so. Defiantly elctrical

[67foxgt390]

  A new thing s going on, when I try the ignition key, the sound till comes from the starter solenoid and then I lose electrical power for a few seconds. The power does come back on. The under dash wiring has been professionally done and every thing works in the car, lights signals etc. Could I have damaged the voltage regulator or ignition switch? Not sure where to look next. Thanks for all the responses!

[hopeto]

+1 on 67gtasanjose
If it starts right up via the normal ignition switch when you jump it then all you're doing is adding more or the correct power/voltage to it via the jump. If your battery in the vehicle tests good with a load on it then it's logical that it's a bad cable or connection. What you're describing is screaming bad battery/dead cell/low voltage.

[suskeenwiske]

Any chance that the Starter is insulated to some degree from the Engine? A poorly grounded Starter, due to excessive paint or powder coat for example, could be the issue and may explain why it takes the Current from 2 Batteries to start the Engine.

The simplest test that you can perform is to disconnect both Battery Cables from the Battery as well as the Positive Cable from the Starter.

With a GOOD set of Jumper Cables, attach the Red Lead to the Starters Hot Post and the Black Lead to the Starter Housing; a Mounting Bolt should do nicely.

Now attach the other ends of the Jumper Cable to the Battery; first the Black Lead to Negative Terminal and then touch the Red Lead to the Positive Battery Terminal; the Starter should function normally. Keep in mind that this directly connects the Battery to the Starter without any Fusible Links. If still nothing, then it has to be the Starter or Battery.

If the Starter does turn normally however, then make sure that the Starter is not insulated in some way and also check that the Negative Battery Cable End is making good contact with the Block. Or if the Negative Cable is not attached to the Block, maybe to a Bracket for example, make sure that wherever it's attached as well as any subsequent connections that may be part of the Ground Path are also not insulated from good metal-to-metal contact.

Hope this helps and all the best.

Ray

[67foxgt390]

  Hi thanks to all who read and responded! I put another battery in the car, the same one I thought was bad and the car cranked over!! This car does some strange things in the time Ive owned it

[67gtasanjose]

  Hi thanks to all who read and responded! I put another battery in the car, the same one I thought was bad and the car cranked over!! This car does some strange things in the time Ive owned it

Buah-ha-ha-ha! last post made me LOL!  Glad you figured it out though.

Been turning wrenches since I was 3 (so my mom says) Taking apart light sockets and wall wiring and all (to figure out what makes them "tick")

[dave6768]

It could be a bad connection at your battery posts.  Make sure both posts are clean as well as the insides of your cables.

When you jumped the car, did you ground to the battery post or somewhere else on the car?  You could have a bad connection on the engine block.