Ignition wiring problems

[bobt]

I need help with my 78 CJ5 ignition wiring. I install a painless wiring harness recently, a new battery, and new starter solenoid. Everything is properly grounded and battery cables are also new. It is a duraspark ignition system also.

My problem is nothing happens when i turn the key. If i jumper the solenoid it cranks over. I think my problem is with the blue wires on the "s" terminal of the solenoid. Its only showing 3.5 volts when turning the key. When i jumpered 12 volts to the "s" terminal it cranked over.

I wired it according to the painless schematics. One blue wire runs back to ignition switch and the other to the ignition module. On the "i" terminal i ran a wire back to the ballast resistor that then goes to the coil and ignition module.

Any ideas why i dont have 12v to the "s" terminal. Is this my whole problem. Any help is appreciated.

 

[CJ]

Can you post the painless part number so we can look at the wiring diagram?

 

[bobt]

its the painless 10150 kit. Id post a link if i knew how but my computer skills are worse than my wiring skills

 

[gert]

Wow the manual sure has changed since I bought my wiring harness.

"I think my problem is with the blue wires on the "s" terminal of the solenoid. Its only showing 3.5 volts when turning the key."

This makes me think you have the ballast resistor hooked up wrong some how. The job of the ballast resistor is to send a signal to the ignition module telling it that the motor is cranking, which in-turn the module changes the timing.. per Painless. On the older points ignitions it would drop the voltage going across the points in the distributor during cranking so the points wouldnt burn out. Also I was scrolling thru the manual and noticed the neutral starter safety switch section. Is that hooked up to the tranny? Its job is to stop you from cranking in gear which would cause your problem.

Start Signal
A light blue wire can be found in the “Starter Solenoid” section. This wire is the
start signal wire from the ignition switch, this wire also passes though a neutral safety
switch. This wire is:
Light Blue: 14 gauge wire, printed #919 START SIGNAL- "S", this wire carries a
switched ignition power source to the “S” terminal of the starter solenoid or starter relay.
This wire will only have power when the ignition switch is in the “START” position and
the Transmission is in park or neutral. This wire can be seen in the Starter Schematics
beginning on page 123.

 

[bobt]

Last night I double checked all my connections and wire routing. Everything is wired exactly as how painless shows and connections are tight. Could this be a symptom of a bad ignition switch?

Also I don't have a neutral safety switch. Painless provides a blue wire jumper connection that is installed for vehicles without the NSS. The ignition switch is original. I did have issues with the turn signal switch which i did replace.

 

[gert]

Well come to think about it... There is a rod that actuates the ignition switch it is possible that it is not pushing the switch far enough or it could be a bad switch as well


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[bobt]

Where is the rod located? I'm probably going to change the switch out and hope that's my problem

 

[gert]

If you have the gm steering column like I think you do, the rod comes from the key lock cylinder down the top of the column to the ignition switch you are able to adjust how much the rod pushes the contacts in the switch by the mounting screws of the switch


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[bobt]

Ok thanks. Ill check it out tonight

 

[bobt]

I finally was able to check out my ignition switch and gert was right. I loosened the switch and slid it up the steering column and tightened it back down. The motor cranked over. That saved me hours and hours of ripping things apart looking for the problem. Thanks again gert!

 

[gert]

I finally was able to check out my ignition switch and gert was right. I loosened the switch and slid it up the steering column and tightened it back down. The motor cranked over. That saved me hours and hours of ripping things apart looking for the problem. Thanks again gert!

sweet good to hear thanks for the feed back and glad we could help

 

[Hedgehog]

Okay, it did turn over, did it start? I assume it did, I'm always confused at exactly what the term "cranked" means. Sometimes it means the engine will turn over, sometimes it means the engine will start and run, sometimes it means that the engine will go really fast.

 

[bobt]

No it didn't start cause I don't have any gas in it. I just finished the wiring and wanted to just bump test it. At least now when I turn the key something more than silence happens. You're right though cranking and running are two very different things! Haha!

 

[Hedgehog]

To get a result is a very positive thing. Did you check for spark? That is probably the next move. If you've got spark, the thing will run when you are ready for that.