So I'm finishing the rebuild on my 64 Cutlass. I filled it up with fluids and went to hook the battery back up. When I hooked up the battery, the car tried to start. I checked the ignition switch and it was off. I plan on rewiring the whole car but was holding off because the car started before the rebuild and I wanted to get one thing done at a time. Should I check just the wires that connect to the starter or is there someplace else this could be coming from?

Thanks,
-Mike

 

I would start at the starter and see if the S terminal is shorted to the battery cable.

 

If you didn't have this problem before removing the engine for the rebuild, and only the engine wiring was disconnected and reconnected after install, as previously stated, it sounds like the problem may be at the starter connections...

 

I didn't remember having this problem before but my buddy who helped tear it down said it sounded familiar. What else coild it be if it was a previous issue?

 

Something is shorting the "S" terminal on the starter to +12V. Since you had the starter out, the most likely cause is that the ring terminal on the purple wire that goes to the "S" post on the solenoid got twisted and is touching the terminal for the main battery cable. If that is not the case, then trace that purple wire back through the circuit until you do find the short to power.

The only other possible cause is an internal problem with the starter solenoid.

You DID correctly connect the PURPLE wire to the "S" terminal, not the other one, right?

 

I believe I wired it correctly, but the thing was not stock and the guy who wired it before used whatever was around. What if it was wired backwards? Does that mean the starter or battery is now fried?

 

It means you have to drop the starter and see what's wrong.

 

Yup, thats the plan I'm going to pull the starter and the wires. Check the length of the wires, bring the starter to Auto Zone, and if it isn't either of those check the ignition switch.

Thanks for the replies!

 

It should not be a major problem, don't make it more complicated than it is by speculating. Apparently the starter is good because it works, just not when its supposed to.

 

The starter is not "good" if the solenoid is shorted internally. I agree that is a low probability failure, but not impossible.

You can very easily test the starter yourself once it's out of the car. Simply use jumper cables to the battery. Ground to the starter case and hot to the threaded battery post on the starter. If nothing happens, that's good. Now short from the starter post to the "S" post. The starter should spin and kick out the drive. If it does, the starter is good. No need to drive to the parts store to do this.

 

I changed out the solenoid, connected the purple wire to the S, the black wire to the R, and the main power to the main bolt now it doesn't start...I can connect the battery without it starting on its own but it only made a quiet noise the first time I turned the key and then nothing. The lights still work so there is some juice in it.

 

Turns out it is most likely the ignition switch because i hot wired it and it turned over.

 

Did you check the neutral safety switch? Pull the plug with the two purple wires off the switch and jumper them together. See if it starts now. It's FAR more likely that the NSS is out of adjustment. Check the easy/free things first, before blowing money and time changing parts that may not be bad.

 

What did you hotwire? There are many definitions of this statement.