Electrical troubleshooting ideas??

[Monark192]

Here we go - I put the key, turn it and nothing - except that the fuel gauge moves. No fuel pump, no starter motor. Lights work, cleaned the connections at the fuse block, and the voltage at the battery is good. Where do I go from here?? I am sure it is something simple as the car started, ran for a minute in place. When I went to restart 10 minutes later - nothing! This is serious - the wife said lets go for a ride in the Midget and I had to tell her the bad news.

 

[spritenut]

Loose wire at the solenoid, jammed starter, or bum key switch.
Try jumping across the solenoid with an old screwdriver (key OFF) and see if it spins the starter. If not, the starter is jammed. Put the car in 4th gear, brake off and rock it. You will hear it pop out. Or use a small wrench on the square nub of the starter armature. It is exposed.
If it still has troubles, I bet the key switch is bad which would be the most logical since the fuel pump isn't working.
Try a hot wire from the + of the battery to the + of the coil and see if the pump works and you have an ignition light.

 

[Diamroyal]

hey, we just got through taking the engine out, and put everything back together, (sometimes I wanna have a heart to heart with whoever decided you have to take the whole engine out to get to the clutch, but /I/ can't come up with a better design, soo..) anyway, everything goes, but there's no spark, and the coil's not getting any power..any ideas? I have a master electrician looking it over, but, yanno, there's nothing like getting a jump on it...

 

[fmichaels]

if you are replacing the clutch, don't forget to check the pilot bushing for wear. it's alot easier to replace it now then hear it squeal later. sometimes it's better to put both in together to reduce the potential for the pilot bushing to cock. i have done it both ways and at least once had to remove the engine to realign/replace the bushing after the car kept squealing.

 

[Diamroyal]

:: nods :: oh, yeah, I checked and double-checked everything, 'cause I can't take that thing out on my own! (or I could, but not in one day, yanno?) help is few and far between!

 

[Monark192]

Okay - I have an ignition lightand the fuel pump runs. Jumping across the solenoid spins the starter - does this mean the solenoid is bad or??

 

[Monark192]

Okay - I removed the small wire that runs from the solenoid to a small thingy (note to self - buy a shop manual) mounted up under the fender and she runs!!!

Thanks spritenut!