Frustrated with starter...help!

I'll try to have a go at this again today and get some pics.

Mike

 

Here is a pic.

So in all there is a wire from the battery to the "batt" on switch, a wire to the coil from the "I" position on the switch, a wire from the coil to the distributor and the large cable from the + battery to the starter as shown in the picture. The red wire in the pic goes to the "S" terminal on the switch and the green wire is not connected. What am I missing?





Mike

 

Can you take a "macro" shot of the back of the switch so we can see the designations? Is there any ambiguity in the labels -- that is, maybe you're misreading which terminal is which?

Can you see anything which might tell who made the switch? Maybe there's a pinout available online.

I believe I see a test probe in the background -- apparently you have a meter? Can you pull the wires off the switch (label them first) and check it with an ohmmeter? In the OFF position, none of the terminals should be connected together. In the ACC position, two terminals ("BAT" and "ACC") should be connected together. In the ON position, three terminals ("BAT", "ACC", and "IGN") should be connected together. In the START position, three terminals ("BAT", "IGN", and "START") should be connected together.

Alternatively, if you can tell for certain which terminal is the BAT terminal on the switch, you could leave the wires hooked up and use a voltmeter to see which terminal corresponds to each position. Probably disconnect the wire from the starter while you do this, just for safety.

 

It looks like the battery termanal might be touching the terminal on the right.

Andrew

 

I just found this picture on NAPA's website:


This is part number ECH KS6180. It looks a lot like your switch. It's still not 100% clear in this picture, but the terminal markings look pretty unambiguous. I believe the terminal in the back is the BAT terminal, and the one in the center is the "S" terminal.

Comparing to your picture, it appears that you probably have it connected correctly. I ran across some discussion about similar problems with switches like this. Either the engine would start when the key is switched ON, or the starter would continue running after releasing the key. Seems it's not an uncommon defect.

 

One last thought -- in your picture, it looks like all the wires are red with blue terminals. Probably wouldn't hurt to double-check that they are really connected the way you say they are.

 

I have triple checked the conenctions. When my father in law and I test the switch without anything connected it seems to work fine. I have continuity between battery and start terminals when turned all the way to start. I have continuity between batt and ignition when turned to run and none when off. When I hook up the switch the engine still cranks on run and not on start. I even swapped switches. Still no idea what is going on. Might try a toggle and push button setup soon just to see if that makes it easier to get working right.

Mike

 

Well, as a quick check, you could just use jumper wires. With the switch off, a jumper from BAT to IGN should give you power to the ignition coil. Then just momentarily shorting from BAT to to the S terminal should crank the engine. Removing this short should make the starter stop spinning. If the engine starts, it should continue running until you remove the jumper from the IGN terminal.

This would be the same as a toggle and PB, but without having to buy and wire in the toggle and PB.

One poster on another forum observed that his marginal switch would work as long as it was not mounted in the dash, but mounting it apparently distorted it just enough to make it fail. Hard to imagine that making a reliable switch is rocket science.

 

We installed a push button and toggle switch and voila. Works perfect. Starter doesn't drag on and it work like a charm. All the same wires in the same places. Any ideas why the universal switch didn't work?

mike

 

China prison labor.....? Try another one

 

Thanks -- I was trying to resist that one . . .

 

I did try 2. Must have been built by the same people.

Thanks to all who responded and helped out.

Mike

 

I must agree with the China labor. I run the same switch set up. And had the same issue. Works fine in my hand. Place it in the dash and the starter engages. Found I could not over tighten the dash nut. Well then the switch turned in the dash. Finally gave up on the cheap $10 switch from the local so called part house. (if it ain't in the computer it doesn't exisit, parts house) Forked over the dough ($25) and it hasn't failed yet.

 

I'd be tempted to leave it in that configuration. It might confuse the thieves...