starter issues

[funky technician]

Hay guys, ive been getting my little red car (89 1.3FI festiva) on the road, and i ran into a problem that i cant seem to fix, its an automatic also. Ever since i got it, every now and then, the starter would not ingage all the way and it would make that stripping sound, you would let it stop spinning, then the next start it would start fine, then finally, you would turn the key, and there was nothing, no click no nothin, so i figured the starter went, so i spent all day putting a spare starter in, and of course, theres a littel edge on the flywheel form the starter missing all the time, so when i put in the new starter, and starter it up , the starter gear hung up on the flywheel and it start spinning the starter too, so i shut it off, and disconnected the coil so i could run the starter for a while and try to where it in a bit before running the engine, but now it doesn't even click, it clicked once i heard, but now it does nothing, the e-brake light just comes on when you turn the key to start. i checked my wireing harness and connectors on top of the tranny next to the starter, i did find a broken wire on one of the three plugs, so i soldered it, but it didn't seem to affect anything. So i was wondering, is ther a starer relay somewhere that may be shot?
thanks

[funky technician]

i switched back the original starter, same issue, it doesn`t make a sound, but the parking light comes on....weird.. the battery is fully charger too, its on trickle moniter

[funky technician]

ok, it just started working, i didn`t do anything, i don`t really like that though, what if that happens in the middle of nowwhere

[funky technician]

its doing it again..........:-(

[funky technician]

don't want to sound impatient, but i need this car to get to work tomorrow, so any help would be great, i lost my hayns manual so i'm kinda lost, i just need to know where the auto tranny park/neutral switch is, i'm sure that's the culprit. i get all the lights, and they dim a slight amount, like the switch is tring to make, but doesn't have enough current to do it, if i find the switch, or the cannon plug for it, i'm just going to bypass it all together
thanks again, sorry for the frantic post also :-(

[georgeb]

An emergency rig for starter issues is to get a piece of 12 ga wire and put a female terminal on it and hook it to the pull-off terminal on the starter and zip-tie the other end near the battery. Touch it to the battery pos and it will crank. MAKE SURE IT'S IN PARK!

[funky technician]

this is what i'm talkin about!!!! no issues about it being in park, i gust need it to start!! so what teriminal off the started does the wire come off? off one of the solonoid lugs?

[georgeb]

Don't mess with the lugs. It's the pull-off terminal. If you had a manual you could jump it with a screwdriver across the top lug and the spade. An auto starter is underneath so you have to run a wire.

[funky technician]

oh, so its the small spade style connector that gets jumped to positive, i think i can recall taht one from memory, i'll take a look in a bit after the kids slow down with the trick or treating lol, so that small spade is just a signal for the starter is it?

[funky technician]

so to double check, is this the spade connector in question you can see on this image of the solonoid?

[roadkyll]

that would be it

[funky technician]

nice!, so i'll probibly set up a high current momentary switch under the hood run from that contact to the positive on the battery that i can use to start it by leaving the ignition key forward, and going out and flipping the switch to start the engine......god people are gonna laugh at me now !!LOL

[georgeb]

I would find the park switch and fix or replace it before I did the above.

[funky technician]

i will once i can locate it, but for now i don't have a clue where it is, and i don't want to start fishing around for it untill i'm sure where it is, if this will get her started, thats what i'll use till then, i know its getto, but it will get me to work..............i can't thank you enough for the help also........thumbs up man!!!

[Flyin4stroke]

The park safety switch is in the shifter column you can adjust the cable down there too did u try starting the car in neutral? Did u try slamming it into park? I have a buddy and his auto's tranny mount broke so when u put it into gear the motor shifts and pulls the cable and stalls it. It's the weirdest thing but those park neutral safety switches are finicky.