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Have you tried jumping directly from the solenoid S terminal to the battery (+) terminal?
The shifter sequence working even though jumping the NSS doesn't make a difference makes me wonder about a bad winding on the starter motor, which may somehow get just the tiniest bump when you move other things just right.
- Eric
I haven't tried jumping directly to the ( + ) terminal.
The NSS is hooked up as normal. It isn't jumped. I jumped it earlier in this process, but it still wouldn't start.
Let's back up a little. What's the condition of the starter, specifically the solenoid? The contact disk in the solenoid arcs to the terminals in the end cap in normal operation. Eventually, this eats away these terminals and the disk. The disk rotates slightly every time you engage it, and sometimes it can make contact one time then no contact the next time. Usually, however, the solenoid will still click when this happens.
You might want to temporarily run a wire to the "S" terminal on the solenoid. Connect this wire to a pushbutton switch and then to +12V. This will completely bypass the car's wiring to the starter and allow you to see if this is a starter problem or a wiring problem.
I'm taking everything out to re-wire the car. With the console off, I noticed the metal piece connected from the NSS to the shifter bends when I shift through the gears...instead of sliding. I knew nothing of the NSS before this post, but it looks like it's supposed to slide in there. I'm going to get a new one. Find this particular NSS is no easy feat.
I attached a pic with all of my interior ripped out as I begin the rewired process. You can kind of see the NSS in it.
Yeah it's the bottom pic. Opgi sells them for $125, Fusick for over $80...that's crazy! You can't find one at the local parts store. I thought it'd be about $30 tops...this is where owning a classic adds up, but it's worth it!
You can temporarily jumper the 2 purple wires and the car will start, and place a parts wanted ad. Only problem is it will start in any shifter position. One of the guys on here probably has a used one.
Or you can take that NSS apart if not already broken, clean it and lubricate it. If that works you save money and time. At least for that part.
And after reading back, the position of the NSS is adjustable, it could be off just a little that the shifter position is keeping it from making contact. It may just be a nats a$$ off. Try loosening the NSS and move it fore and aft while attempting to start it, see if that helps. 50/50 chance?
Last edited by steverw; April 18th, 2016 at 08:45 PM.
Look, the starter circuit is not complex. Follow a logical troubleshooting flow and you will find the problem. Start with the starter. If the wires are in good shape and the starter brace is in place, the starter should turn the engine over if you apply +12v to the S terminal on the solenoid. Note that the brace is an important ground path for the starter.
If this works, then check the wire from the S terminal to the firewall connector. This is a high current line, and it is not unusual for the contacts in the connector to get dirty and burn up. If that's good, apply +12v to the wire in the connector to see if the starter turns. If yes, then remate the connector and do the same under the dash where this purple wire goes into the NSS connector (where the console harness plugs in under the dash). Continue to trace that back to the NSS itself, then back up under the dash and to the ignition switch. That's all there is to the circuit.
April 11th, 2016, 11:23 AM
