2fast Posted December 27, 2004 Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 To start with I have a 90 lumina with a 2.5 4cyl. I keep having a problem with it not wanting to start, the starter is new(er), and the battery is new too, the weird thing is I can take a single extra piece of wire, and run a jumper from my battery to the starter and it fires, but won't unless I do so? I can't take the starter off to check it since it's in Kentucky, and I'm in ohio so I'm trying to figure it out so I can go down get whatever is wrong fixed, and drive it home. Like I said I can take a jumper wire touch it to the little post on the starter selonoid closes to the block(you know who there are 2 little post 8mm nut goes on) touch it to the + on the battery, and it fires right up? I have the single wire that goes on the little post closes to the front of the car, the place it was when I replaced the starter. Should I switch the wire from the front post(closest to the radiator) to the one closet to the block? anybody got any ideas? Any help would be appreciated! Thanks, Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPdriver1986 Posted December 27, 2004 Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 i'm not 100% sure about this but it sounds like your Park/Neutral or clutch switch isn't working Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2fast Posted December 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 My car is an auto so it's the park/neutral safety switch, but is there a way to override it, and or prove it is the problem by testing it? Heck I don't know where it is on the car, or what it looks like! My car also has randomly stalls on occassion would that switch cause that to happen as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiscoStudd Posted December 27, 2004 Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 Your battery cables could also be shot. When they reach the end of their usefullness, the car acts as if the Park/Neutral safety switch is shot (everything else works but the starter won't engage.) Also try tightening down on the auxillary positive terminal's nut while you're at it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted December 27, 2004 Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 the park / neutral switch i believe is also the range selector, and thats located on the top of the transmision caseing, its held on my 2 13mm bolts and a 15mm nut, i know they will prevent the car from starting and it will act like there is no starter at all when you turn the key. as for the random stalling, it could be the coil packs / icm on their way out, and for what its woth they are a pain in the neck to get to on the 2.5 luminas. (located on the back of the engine) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy Posted December 27, 2004 Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 does it start in neutral?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPdriver1986 Posted December 27, 2004 Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 A good way of testing the park/neutral switch is to put on the parking brake and shift through the gears while cranking. There should be 3 wires coming into the starter solenoid, 1 positive, 1 negative, and 1 for the parkneutral/ignition switch (same circuit) As for the stalling it could fuel pump, dirty throttle body, or IAC valve could be sticking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2fast Posted December 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 Now every great once in a while it will fire on it's own, but not in a long time has it done that. It won't start in any gear, I have tried that already. Gpdriver1986-You say there are 3 wires to the starter, are any of them suppose to connect to the little 8mm post closes to the block on the starter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 27, 2004 Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 The purple wire goes on the small post furthest from the block. Everything else goes on the big post I believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supreme_style21 Posted December 27, 2004 Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 Disconnecting the P/N safety switch should work if thats the problem. I had the same problem with my old 3.1.. pulling the plug fixed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPdriver1986 Posted December 27, 2004 Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 i'm sorry i'm not sure about the wires and how they are supposed to be connected to the starter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2fast Posted December 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 So unplugging it will tell me 100% if it's the problem? And you guys say it's located on top of the tranny? I wanna make sure I unplug the right connector! thanks for the info guys, I appreciate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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