Which starter wire is from the ignition switch?

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Which starter wire is from the ignition switch?

Postby olds70supreme » Sun Jul 03, 2011 5:56 pm

Hello,

I am wiring a new starter and didn't take good enough notes before I disconnected the old starter a few months ago. The service manual wiring diagram shows two wires with fusible links going to the starter, and it appears that one of the two is from the ignition switch. Can anybody confirm this for me? The new starter has a slightly different terminal configuration (1 post for the + battery cable, one spade terminal connection for the ignition switch wire, and one post for the other wires).

Thanks.

**EDIT** I wanted to mention that both of the posts are the same size and not labeled. The starter is an aftermarket mini starter.
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Re: Which starter wire is from the ignition switch?

Postby spencerforhire » Sun Jul 03, 2011 8:37 pm

double post; sorry see below.
Last edited by spencerforhire on Sun Jul 03, 2011 8:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The "fleet"-
72 Vega HB Drag Car -383/'Glide/9"(9.35@146.19)(5.94@117.28 1/8th)
77 Vega Estate wagon- project(someday)will have TPI305/T-5, S-10 spindles/axles
76 Vega GT- 400/4spd/9" retired from active duty(rusty)
06 Silverado 2WD ex.cab daily
03 Silverado 2WD ex.cab (retired)
06 Haulin' 20ft enclosed car transporter
06 GMC Canyon Shop truck
07 Colorado project( 5.3 4L60e swap)
99 Saturn SL1- wife's car
01 Saturn SC2- son's project
07 Saturn Ion Redline project
and 4 more Saturn "parts cars"
Note- the very act of listing all of these has made me realize I have some kind of problem.....

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Re: Which starter wire is from the ignition switch?

Postby spencerforhire » Sun Jul 03, 2011 8:39 pm

The wires with the fusible links go on the big post with battery cable and the purple wire should go on the "start" spade terminal(viewed from the front it's on the right). Unless you have a points ignition(which I doubt is the case) the 3rd terminal has no connection.
The "fleet"-
72 Vega HB Drag Car -383/'Glide/9"(9.35@146.19)(5.94@117.28 1/8th)
77 Vega Estate wagon- project(someday)will have TPI305/T-5, S-10 spindles/axles
76 Vega GT- 400/4spd/9" retired from active duty(rusty)
06 Silverado 2WD ex.cab daily
03 Silverado 2WD ex.cab (retired)
06 Haulin' 20ft enclosed car transporter
06 GMC Canyon Shop truck
07 Colorado project( 5.3 4L60e swap)
99 Saturn SL1- wife's car
01 Saturn SC2- son's project
07 Saturn Ion Redline project
and 4 more Saturn "parts cars"
Note- the very act of listing all of these has made me realize I have some kind of problem.....

Visit http://www.spencerforhire.ca
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1972 Chevrolet Vega Hatchback

Re: Which starter wire is from the ignition switch?

Postby olds70supreme » Mon Jul 04, 2011 8:56 pm

Thanks for the help. I got the wires hooked up to the starter but have no start. I pulled off the purple wire mentioned above to test it and am getting 0 volts in the "start" key position. I don't have my oil pressure switch hooked up as I don't believe that there is a location on the Olds 215 to install it. Looking at the wiring diagram it looks like the oil pressure switch is wired to a relay that allows/disallows the "start" circuit to be completed.

Am I seeing this correctly?
Will a missing oil pressure switch (or bad switch/low oil pressure) not allow the "start" circuit to be completed?
If so, can I jumper out the switch?
If not, what is the next troubleshooting step to determine why I have 0 volts at the end of the purple wire (where it would connect to the starter)?

Thanks. Any help appreciated as I have essentially wasted the last 3 hours chasing my tail.
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1975 Oldsmobile Starfire

Re: Which starter wire is from the ignition switch?

Postby olds70supreme » Mon Jul 04, 2011 10:30 pm

OR...

I just realized it could be the neutral safety switch, as this is not plugged into anything yet since I changed from an auto to a manual transmission. I'll give it a shot tomorrow.
olds70supreme
 
Posts: 391
Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2007 5:27 pm

1975 Oldsmobile Starfire

Re: Which starter wire is from the ignition switch?

Postby spencerforhire » Tue Jul 05, 2011 5:50 am

Oil pressure switch enables the fuel pump, not the starter.
Stick a jumper wire in the neutral safety connector; you need to join the purple and purple/white to make it work. There is a plastic switch that goes on the clutch pedal that you can plug the former neutral safety plug into. Also left over from the auto shifter is the reverse light plug(pink and green); it will need to be extended to under the car and hooked to the transmission.
The "fleet"-
72 Vega HB Drag Car -383/'Glide/9"(9.35@146.19)(5.94@117.28 1/8th)
77 Vega Estate wagon- project(someday)will have TPI305/T-5, S-10 spindles/axles
76 Vega GT- 400/4spd/9" retired from active duty(rusty)
06 Silverado 2WD ex.cab daily
03 Silverado 2WD ex.cab (retired)
06 Haulin' 20ft enclosed car transporter
06 GMC Canyon Shop truck
07 Colorado project( 5.3 4L60e swap)
99 Saturn SL1- wife's car
01 Saturn SC2- son's project
07 Saturn Ion Redline project
and 4 more Saturn "parts cars"
Note- the very act of listing all of these has made me realize I have some kind of problem.....

Visit http://www.spencerforhire.ca
User avatar
spencerforhire
 
Posts: 2442
Joined: Mon Jul 03, 2006 9:02 pm
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia

1972 Chevrolet Vega Hatchback

Re: Which starter wire is from the ignition switch?

Postby olds70supreme » Tue Jul 05, 2011 9:11 am

Thanks again for the help. I actually have a neutral safety switch but hadn't installed it yet as I was only planning on testing the starting circuit - as mentioned below I wasted quite a bit of time chasing my tail before I thought of the disconnected neutral safety. No wonder everything takes me so long :oops: . On the plus side I know a lot more about the wiring on the car than I did before.
olds70supreme
 
Posts: 391
Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2007 5:27 pm

1975 Oldsmobile Starfire


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