Ignition / starting problems
1--With a front mount battery the battery is grounded directly to the engine
Secondly, either or both, the engine is also grounded to the body, and the battery is grounded to the body. You need at least one of the body grounds
2--Bad coil will not prevent an engine from cranking
In your engine bay you have a starter relay similar to this:
This relay is tied into the neutral safety switch on the transmission
The two "push on" terminals are the coil of the relay. One terminal gets power "in start" from the ignition switch, goes through the coil, and must see a ground through the other terminal to the neutral safety switch in "park" or "neutral."
The large stud/ nut terminal is a battery junction point, and also one of the relay contacts
The large "square" terminal is the second contact and feeds down to the starter solenoid.
Very first thing to do is twist and hold the key to start with one hand, and with the other hand, "wiggle" the shifter through park, neutral and see if you get cranking or a click
If not, go out and find the relay under the hood
Identify the "push on" terminal that goes down to the transmission. Remove that wire, and use a clip lead to ground the terminal on the relay which you just unhooked
Try the key, being careful to stay in park, as it will now "crank in any gear."
If this does not work, you either are not getting power from the key, or the relay might be bad
use a screwdriver or other metal object such as a wrench to jumper across the two largest exposed terminals on the relay. The engine should crank. If it does, at least you know the battery main connections and starter is OK
If the starter cranks when jumpering the two large relay terminals, now you need to discover if this is a bad relay, or a "power from the key" problem
With the terminal you started with STILL jumpered to ground with a clip lead, remove the remaining "push on" terminal. Take a screwdriver or clip lead and jumper from the "big nut" (stud) terminal over to this small "push on" terminal.
If the engine cranks, you have no power from the ignition switch
If it does not crank, you have a bad relay
1--With a front mount battery the battery is grounded directly to the engine
Secondly, either or both, the engine is also grounded to the body, and the battery is grounded to the body. You need at least one of the body grounds
2--Bad coil will not prevent an engine from cranking
In your engine bay you have a starter relay similar to this:
This relay is tied into the neutral safety switch on the transmission
The two "push on" terminals are the coil of the relay. One terminal gets power "in start" from the ignition switch, goes through the coil, and must see a ground through the other terminal to the neutral safety switch in "park" or "neutral."
The large stud/ nut terminal is a battery junction point, and also one of the relay contacts
The large "square" terminal is the second contact and feeds down to the starter solenoid.
Very first thing to do is twist and hold the key to start with one hand, and with the other hand, "wiggle" the shifter through park, neutral and see if you get cranking or a click
If not, go out and find the relay under the hood
Identify the "push on" terminal that goes down to the transmission. Remove that wire, and use a clip lead to ground the terminal on the relay which you just unhooked
Try the key, being careful to stay in park, as it will now "crank in any gear."
If this does not work, you either are not getting power from the key, or the relay might be bad
use a screwdriver or other metal object such as a wrench to jumper across the two largest exposed terminals on the relay. The engine should crank. If it does, at least you know the battery main connections and starter is OK
If the starter cranks when jumpering the two large relay terminals, now you need to discover if this is a bad relay, or a "power from the key" problem
With the terminal you started with STILL jumpered to ground with a clip lead, remove the remaining "push on" terminal. Take a screwdriver or clip lead and jumper from the "big nut" (stud) terminal over to this small "push on" terminal.
If the engine cranks, you have no power from the ignition switch
If it does not crank, you have a bad relay
