I've been "Hot wiring" with my pocket knife across the two solenoid terminals on my 1990 745 for 3 months. It's an automatic. I took apart and checked the nuetral/park starter safety switch - It's good. I have juice to and from ign sw for run and for start. Juice all the way thru every segment of wire going out thru the fire wall, to the connector on the LF wheel well, to the solenoid sw. When I turn the key to "Start" the dash instrument lights dim slightly, but no engagement or spin at starter and solenoid. If I connect a hot wire from battery + terminal and touch it to smaller solenoid contact it goes! Working backwards, it goes/starts w hot wire touching at LF ww connector. When I touch it to the Bl/Y wire coming out of the shifter safety sw it doesnt give enough power to engage solenoid or spin starter. I tried connecting to the remote starter connector on firewall. Is that supposed to be connected to ground or connected to 12+ to activate starter? I will check that spade and it's wire for corrosion or disconnection. I bought a push button starter sw to dash-mount and to wire more directly, but held off installing it - I want the real answer.
Someone posted on the 700 forum that he found an abraded cable under front of engine from the alternater was shorting, w enough volt drop to be inadequate for starter & solenoid. I'll check that too.
My car sat for a year after I bought it, and prev owner had a new eng put in, starter would turn it over but she couldn't get it to run. it's a Regina. I went thru checking stuff, put in a new battery and it ran fine for a week working out kinks like frozen calipers from being parked in the barnyard for that year. Then while driving and overheating brakes I lost all dash lights and guages and maybe headlights - it was daytime. After that the key would'nt start the engine and I've been lifting the hood and can find the hotwire terminals in the dark. Later guages and dash lights returned to functioning, but not always. Temp ga stays on cold, hi beam blue light indicator is sometimes accurate and sometime opposite of what the headlights are doing. When blue lt is wrong it makes the gas guage go towards empty. Alternator charges fine, engine runs smooth and steady, passed emissions inspection.
Any other suggestions of what to check?
Thanks,
Steve