Wiring help...almost done

I am at the point of trying to start this beast after 6 years. New wiring is installed. Here is the problems that I am having when the ignition is "on"...any suggestions?

1. Trying to turn over the motor without the coil wire attached...not wanting it to actually "start" yet, but the starter motor doesn't do anything.
- Mostly concerned with this right now since I'm borrowing a timing light from someone...and had my exhaust just installed I really want to just hear it run if I can get it to crank.

2. Side marker lights and front parking lights do not work, although headlights and tail/brake lights do work, as do the dash lights.

3. Fuel gauge will not move, all other gauges appear to be fine (they at least jump a bit when the key is turned). Blade terminal at gas tank is ground while the ring terminal at tank is signal. All gauges are new aftermarket.

Here's what I have:
All wiring is new. Followed the 76+ wiring diagram due to GM column.
Battery is new and fully charged
Ignition switch is new
Starter solenoid is new
Headlight switch is new
Alternator AND starter motor are NOT new...but were working fine when this thing was parked, not used since
All grounds go to a central point via wiring...not just through frame/body, except for the tail lights and front parking lights which are grounded through the screw to the body.
Battery ground goes to engine...a 4 gauge ground goes from engine to frame, the ground wires are not attached at the same bolt.
MSD6 ignition/TFI coil/Duraspark distributor

 

#1 try jumping the solenoid to see if starter is indeed good. check that the solenoid is grounded at the mounting bolts
#2 sounds like ground issue try a dedicated ground wire to neg post on batt
#3 ground the tank to a known good ground then the ground wire(to gauge) at tank to that

 

Please tell me how to jump the starter solenoid to check the starter. I don't need to cause problems.

Is it as simple as taking the cable off of the solenoid and touching it directly to the positive battery post? Basically a direct cable from battery to starter?

Thanks for the other tips too I'll try those.

 

No much easier than that, using a large screwdriver arc it across the two big terminals on the starter, the one from the battery and the one on the solenoid. This will force the starter to spin, if it does not then I would say you have one of two problems, there is no power getting to the starter motor via the large battery cable or the solenoid is faulty. If it does spin then that would mean that the live wire from the switch to the solenoid is faulty.

I had a similar issue with my lights, they seem to need a good earth, make sure they have this and the end is attached to the steel (not paint)

Again same with the fuel sender, the tank is usually surpressed with rubber which act as an insulator, try a better ground wire.

 

If you have the new aftermarket speedo/gauge cluster, they usually fry the gauges on first use. They are faulty from the manufacturer.
As for the grounding, where are your lights grounded to? Did you do a pass-through at the grounding screw behind the pass.side headlight?
Did you ground the solenoid base?

 

The gauges are individual AutoMeter gauges, not the knock-off Jeep type aftermarket, so they are decent quality. I'm starting to think it's the sender now that the tank is grounded well and the sender is going to a known good ground.

I fixed the lights. It was a loose ground.

I did not have time to jump the starter though. The new solenoid is grounded well.

 

It also sounds like a bad ground to me.
When I grounded my chassis and engine, I first cleaned all the paint off for the cable lug to sit on bare metal.
I also took a 35mm cable directly from negative to the chassis, tub and engine.

For the fuel gauge, I soldered a negative wire to the sender unit itself to make sure of a good earth.

Good luck!

 

On your fuel gauge, if you ground the wire going to the sender then the gauge should swing to full. Don't hold it there too long tho (10 sec or so).

 

Still have starter issues.

I jumped from the + battery to the starter directly...I can hear the starter click like it's throwing out the starter gear to engage the engine. However it will not turn the motor over...but that might be because I only touch the cable for a second or two to hear if it moves and it does. I assume this means the starter motor is good.

The starter switch is brand new so I was doubting that is the problem, but I can not think of anything else at this point.

Oh...and when it first started doing this I replaced the starter solenoid, so it is also new, but it didn't help. I also grounded the solenoid with a wire back to the battery to ensure a good ground.

Thoughts?

 

sounds like the starter has schmeg in the brushes

 

So you're saying that the starter should have been a little more vigorous when I touched power to it?

The thing is, I don't even get that when it's hooked up normally.

Starter is ~$60
Starter switch is ~$20

I really don't want to just start throwing money at it though, it's already had plenty of that.

 

yup when you jump it it should spin the engine over . if you use a jumper wire to the terminal marked start on the solenoid the engine should turn over.you could take the starter out and juice it with jumper cables to see if it'll spin with no load.careful they tend to jump around while spinning i clamp it to the vice

 

Resolved.

I hate to admit this...but...the ignition wire was connected to the "I" terminal and not the "S" terminal on the solenoid. I swear that the old solenoid had the "S" on the other side.

Sometimes it's the simplest things.

Now I still need to troubleshoot the fuel gauge and now the wipers. Thanks for all the help.

Oh...this is the document that helped me get through this, I know it's basic to some, but maybe it will help someone else.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/PDFs/How_to_troubleshoot_starting_system.pdf