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1969 Javelin Starter Motor Problems |
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MaroDad/JavelinSon
AMC Fan Joined: Sep/04/2018 Location: North Texas Status: Offline Points: 25 |
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Posted: Jan/01/2019 at 3:22pm |
Hello all,
Working on getting my AMC Javelin running again, and just purchased a new starter motor as the original one was shot. I am having issues getting it to work when installed on the vehicle, yet it works fine on the bench. I am simply jumping 12V directly from my battery to the cable running down to the starter motor to bypass the starter solenoid, just to test the starter motor and I'm getting nothing. This makes me think this is a grounding issue, but I am unsure how I am supposed to ground the starter motor. Currently my battery is grounded to my block where I found the old ground cable when i purchased the car, and its grounded through the alternator bracket and AC compressor. Thanks for any help!
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304-dude
AMC Addicted Joined: Sep/29/2008 Location: Central Illinoi Status: Offline Points: 9082 |
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Your starter solenoid has a provision to activate when transmission is in park or neutral. If your neutral safety switch is bad, the solenoid won't engage when started.
Also if the S terminal of the solenoid has a broken wire on the harness, it will not receive power from the ignition switch to engage. Your starter seems to get proper ground as jumping to the starter cable cranks the engine. So no ground issues I forsee with your starter grounding to the engine block and trannie. Though, some forget to add the wee ground cable that connects at the cross member and to the engine block at the mounting bracket above the motor mount, it should be installed as it can lead to many issues with various electricals. |
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71 Javelin SST body
390 69 crank, 70 block & heads NASCAR SB2 rods & pistons 78 Jeep TH400 w/ 2.76 Low 50/50 Ford-AMC Suspension 79 F150 rear & 8.8 axles Ford Racing 3.25 gears & 9" /w Detroit locker |
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MaroDad/JavelinSon
AMC Fan Joined: Sep/04/2018 Location: North Texas Status: Offline Points: 25 |
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304-dude right now jumping to the starter cable does not crank my engine. Mayhe that small grounding wire could be the problem...
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tufcj
Supporter of TheAMCForum Supporter of TheAMCForum Joined: Jul/10/2007 Location: Watkins, CO Status: Offline Points: 4097 |
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The starter housing should ground to the engine block. Does the negative battery cable have a good connection at the block? It should attach to the block somewhere. There should be a strap on the passenger side motor mount that runs from the block to the body to ground everything else. The solenoid on the fender needs a good ground to the body to function. Bob tufcj
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69 AMX
74 Javelin AMX 67 Rogue If you need a tool and don't buy it... you'll eventually pay for it... and not have it. Henry Ford |
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MaroDad/JavelinSon
AMC Fan Joined: Sep/04/2018 Location: North Texas Status: Offline Points: 25 |
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tufcj, I have my negative cable running to my block, but I will check to make sure the connection is solid tomorrow. That is probably my problem, thanks!
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1970390amx
AMC Addicted Joined: Jul/11/2008 Location: colorado Status: Offline Points: 3314 |
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Looking at your connections will tell you nothing. You should google vpltage drop test. In short it sounds like you have a problem on the ground side of the circuit. With out testing anything you can use jumper cables and bypass the ground side by hooking one side to the starter housing and the other end to the negative cable at the battery. Starter should work now if problem is on ground side unless the problem is on the connection from battery cable to post. If you want to check the integrity of connections you can turn headlights on. Then using a DVOM probe the negative post of battery one probe the terminal of cable end. with DVOM on DC volt scale. If DVOM reads more than .02 of volt connection is not good, the higher the reading the worse the connection. This can be done at each connection, post to terminal, terminal to cable, cable to terminal at block, terminal to block. The circuit you are looking at must have current flowing threw it to work, thats why the headlights are on. The problem you have will have way more than .02 volt drop to keep a starter to work but this should give you an idea.I had a customer at work yell at me for using this to check connections on his no start jeep. He had "checked" it already and knew it just needed a starter and I was just running up the bill. His batter cables had the replacement bolt on ends. His positive cable while being perfectly clean post to terminal had an 8 volt drop terminal to cable. After cleaning this connection it started and ran. Hope this makes sense.
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1970 390 4speed Bittersweet shadow mask AMX
1970 Amx missing most everything, or in a box |
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mc5fan1968
AMC Nut Joined: Oct/07/2012 Location: Michigan Status: Offline Points: 265 |
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Remove and clean EVERY connection, including starter RELAY connections. The Voltage Drop test previously mentioned my "1970390amx" at EVERY point will prove out the integrity of the system. It will also expose connections that "look good" yet are not. If this is a new concept to you do NOT ignore it. Do your research and learn something new!
Edited by mc5fan1968 - Jan/01/2019 at 8:10pm |
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mc5fan@msn.com
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401MATCOUPE
AMC Addicted Joined: May/20/2010 Location: Salisbury, MD Status: Offline Points: 5367 |
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I find that a lot of old cables have internal corrosion, if you bend them, they "crunch"........they will cause plenty of problems.
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Ross K. Peterson
68X,GoPac,343,AT,52A(1stCar) 68X,GoPac,390,4sp,52A 69X,GoPac,390,4sp,64A 70X,GoPac,390,4sp,87A,8 70X,GoPac,390,4sp,BBO,8 70 Jav SST,390,AT,BSO 74MatX,401,AT,Prototype 74MatX,401,AT |
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6PakBee
Supporter of TheAMCForum Charter Member Joined: Jul/01/2007 Location: North Dakota Status: Offline Points: 5458 |
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I agree with 1970390amx's approach. Kind of a crude troubleshooting method is to turn the lights on and then try cranking the motor. If the lights go out, the majority of the time it's a bad connection on at least one end of the two battery cables just as 1970390amx mentions.
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Roger Gazur
1969 'B' Scheme SC/Rambler 1970 RWB 4-spd Machine 1970 Sonic Silver auto AMX All project cars. Forum Cockroach |
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MaroDad/JavelinSon
AMC Fan Joined: Sep/04/2018 Location: North Texas Status: Offline Points: 25 |
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Thanks for all the help. The problem ended up being my negative battery cable not being properly grounded to my block.
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