HELP? engine wont crank.

my engine wont crank. the nuetral saftey switch is fine. the ignition switch is fine. My battery is fine. But i can start it if i short the two posts on the starter solinoid. Does that mean my starter solinoid is bad or my starter? or is the problem somewhere else?

Its a 97, 4.0 auto

The starter solenoid is probably fine--if it wasn't the Bendix gear wouldn't run forward and engage the teeth of the ring gear.

Ok, starter relay could be bad, the ignition switch could be bad, or the wiring in between the two. Start with the starter relay in the PDC--verify that it is getting a ground from the NSS, then verify if it is getting power from the ignition switch.

Ok if i turn the ignition switch to on then short the two posts on the solinoid it will run. so shouldnt that mean that the ignition switch is fine? But anyways ill try that and see if the wiring is good and the relay is good.
thanks

Have you put it in neutral to start it? You may have dirt in it the NSS..My wifes does this from time to time..I installed a push button switch in hers..Only used it twice in 7 months..

i rebuilt the nss so its fine.

what relay is the starter relay? i assume its one of the 4 big ones in the fuse box?

x2 on the big fuse

So i went to autozone to pick up some stuff and the guy their seemed positive that it was my starter soliniod. Is there anyway to test your soliniod for sure. i dont want to run out and buy a new starter and find out thats not what is wrong with it?

It 'could be' a million things. Well maybe not a million, but several. Now if you actually want to diagnose the problem instead of throwing parts at it, here's where you start.

Get a test light. Put the clip on battery negative. Put the pointy end on the small terminal on the starter solenoid. Might be a green wire? Don't remember. Anyhow have someone turn the key to start. Does the test light come on? If it does it's a starter problem. If it does not then you need to look at the rest of the starting circuit.

BTW I would never trust anyone at AutoZone or any of those places with a diagnosis. Never. If they knew how to fix cars then why are they selling parts instead?

kaden. said:

So i went to autozone to pick up some stuff and the guy their seemed positive that it was my starter soliniod. Is there anyway to test your soliniod for sure. i dont want to run out and buy a new starter and find out thats not what is wrong with it?

Click to expand...

What a starter solenoid does: when energized by 12 volts from the starter relay it will run the Bendix gear in to mesh with the teeth of the ring gear around the flexplate/flywheel and crank the eninge. When the 12 volts is removed from the starter solenoid the spring will pull the Bendix gear back to its "rest" position so it isn't meshed with the ring gear.

AS YOU HAVE CRAWLED UNDER OR REACHED DOWN AND JUMPED THE SOLENOID, AND THE ENGINE CRANKED OVER, THERE IS NOTHING, REPEAT NOTHING, WRONG WITH THE STARTER AND THE SOLENOID.

You have just been "Parts Counter Dude screwed", and I'll be he didn't even give you flowers or buy you dinner, and NO, he won't call you again.

Key in lock cylinder. Turn key to START position. Ignition switch sends 12 volts to the starter relay. If the NSS provides a ground to the starter relay, then the starter relay sends 12 volts to the starter solenoid--it cranks!

Solve for why you aren't getting 12 volts from the starter relay to the solenoid--wire from relay to solenoid bad; no ground from NSS; no 12 volts from ignition switch?

Get R Done!