Need help getting my Tiva going

[chadzeilenga]

I picked up a 1990 Festiva a while back that was in good shape but needed some mechanical work. It supposedly needed a clutch when I bought it. It also sat for a year in a garage. Over the winter I plan on going thru it and taking care of any issues it has.
First off, I can't get it started. I noticed there is a "jumper box" right by the battery. The wire that was in the center was completely corroded away and not connected. I rigged this up with a jumper wire. I put the battery on charge and when I try to start it, it doesn't even try to turn over. The lights come on in the dash, but there is no starting effort.

[Levitan]

Did you clean the battery cable ends? Pull that "fuse link" jumper wire and replace it with a square fuse.....hit the search button for the appropriate fuse. With a jumper you risk doing waaaaaaaaay more electrical damage.
I'm not telling you what to do, I'm telling you what I would do. I would take a screwdriver and arc it between two posts on your starter to see if that would turn it over. You don't even need your key on to do that, though it won't start. If a screwdriver won't turn the motor over then I would say the starter is toast and start there.

Of course I would pm FB71 because he is the man when it comes to helping me cyber-fix things.

At this point it is something probably simple.....and get a Haynes manual. If you need one, I'll send you a real used one for the cost of shipping. Nothing pretty, but it will work.

[mattswabb]

change all 3 fuse links.

[rcottle]

Check the wire on the starter mine falls off sometimes - single black little connector

[Ogrestiva]

the wires are called fuseable links here is a pic of what you should replace them with:

they are about $5 at autozone
I run a green 35amp? in the center and a pink 25amp? one on each side of it!
they don't look like they will fit from the picture, but they do. I would change them all before you do anything else, because the middle one (if I'm not mistaken) is the one for the starter, so if it is broke you will still get interior lights, but the car won't start.
btw, where are you at?

[chadzeilenga]

Fusible links...

What is the box that the fusible links plug into? I'd like to replace mine since it looks a little corroded on the center posts. Can I pick one up from AZ?

The center wire on mine was definitely broken, I thought it was corroded, but I'm guessing that it burned. What happens if it is not connected and I try to start the car?

Unfortunately I don't know much of the history about this car, but figured I'd rebuild it to be a reliable daily driver. It's rust free, so I can't complain about that.

I'm in Crete, IL 60417.

[blue*93]

could be a bad ground. i had that problem recently, head lights were the only thing working. turns out i had squished the ground on the starter with the clutch cable bracket. hehe, fried it pretty good. fixed the ground and viola, she starts.

[Ogrestiva]

The car won't start if the box is totally broken that's about all. The best option is to find one in a junkyard or put a [WTB] ad in the for sale/wanted area on this site. Your in Crete? I am right by midway...I know a few festiva owners along the il/in border that want to get together for a meet...you in? I'll post something up later in the Midwest section.

[elcamino1]

Pm sent!!!!