The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network - View Single Post - Having problems starting after replacing starter solenoid

ray_mcavoy · 01-11-2014, 06:30 PM

You most likely have a bad connection somewhere in the purple wire that goes to the solenoid "S" terminal. Use a test light or voltmeter to see if you're getting power on that wire with the key in the "start" position.

If there's no power on that purple wire, the first thing to check would be the neutral/clutch safety switch. Even if the switch has been bypassed, the jumper or splice that was used to bypass it might have come unhooked. Look under the dash near the steering column for two 12ga purple wires that go to the safety switch (or have been spliced together). One of the wires might be yellow instead of purple ... GM changed some of the color codes during '78.

If that switch (or the bypass) is good, but you still don't have power on those wires in the "start" position, it could be a bad ignition switch.

01-11-2014, 06:30 PM	#2
ray_mcavoy Registered User Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Sherman, ME Posts: 2,354	Re: Having problems starting after replacing starter solenoid You most likely have a bad connection somewhere in the purple wire that goes to the solenoid "S" terminal. Use a test light or voltmeter to see if you're getting power on that wire with the key in the "start" position. If there's no power on that purple wire, the first thing to check would be the neutral/clutch safety switch. Even if the switch has been bypassed, the jumper or splice that was used to bypass it might have come unhooked. Look under the dash near the steering column for two 12ga purple wires that go to the safety switch (or have been spliced together). One of the wires might be yellow instead of purple ... GM changed some of the color codes during '78. If that switch (or the bypass) is good, but you still don't have power on those wires in the "start" position, it could be a bad ignition switch.