won't turn over, ignition control unit?

[tedraortega]

i'll try and explain it better.

i unpluged the clutch engage switch and tested both prongs for an ohm reading and it tested zero. my husband pressed on the clutch and it still read zero.

i then used a no. 10 wire with connectors on the ends, slide one over each prong making a loop. tried to start it.. same result. no change on the starting. it still starts with the remote.

am i doing something wrong?

the other end of the switch goes up into the wire harness under the dash. i am testing the one hanging from the clutch switch.

[tedraortega]

i am getting this test from a manual. it says as follows.

unplug clutch engage switch from main harness. using an ohmmeter check for continuity across switch terminals. continuity should exist when switch plunger is pushed in and should not exist when switch plunger is released. if clutch engage switch does not operate as specified, replace switch.

[georgeb]

Whoever installed the remote switch might have unhooked the factory wire from the starter. Look behind and below the distributor and you will see the starter connections. The large one is the battery positive connection and the other is the wire coming from the ign sw. That is where the remote starter would be attached (the other end to a pos source). If you see the factory wire unattached then nothing will work except the remote. If you connected the ohmmeter to the switch (not the connector) you shouldn't have gotten continuity (0) with the clutch disengaged. You should get a 0 reading with the clutch engaged unless the switch is bad.

[tedraortega]

the orginial wires are still installed. the remote switch just clips on to the battery terminal and there is a bare spot on the starter wire because the mechanic before cut a splice in for the push button starter. we removed that push button because this didn't start until after that was installed.

Please explain (If you connected the ohmmeter to the switch (not the connector) you shouldn't have gotten continuity (0) with the clutch disengaged. You should get a 0 reading with the clutch engaged unless the switch is bad. ) switch? is this the one next to the clutch pedal? the prongs on the plug that we unplugged??

[georgeb]

Be advised I've never messed with that switch or heard of one failing. I don't know what it looks like but is is the only electrical device controlled by the clutch pedal. I assume it has a connector with 2 prongs. One of those prongs, the black/blue one, comes from the ignition switch. It will show 12v (other lead to ground) when the key is turned to start but only if the ign sw is good. If you don't have 12v then the ign sw is bad and that's your problem. If you do have 12v then with connector disconnected from switch check continuity (ohms) across sw terminals (not connector) with clutch disengaged. Should be open (1). With clutch engaged should have continuity (0). If no continuity, then that is your problem. you can jump the terminals of the connector (not the switch) to eliminate the switch from the circuit.

[tedraortega]

i think i did the clutch wrong. it works on the ohms setting when i push in the clutch.

i think i need to try the wires coming out of the ignition again but that will have to wait till tomorrow. i am out of daylight and the mosquito's are driving me nuts.

[georgeb]

I peeked at my '89 sw. It has a 2 inch pigtail coming out of the sw to the connector. When you test the sw, probe the pigtail pins. I use the 20K ohms setting for this stuff. It will read 0 if there's continuity and 1 if there's none (open). I use the 20 volt setting to check voltage. Make sure black lead is grounded and key is turned to start. I am assuming you have fixed the main link issue.

[tedraortega]

can someone tell me where the two wires are supposed to go on the radiator fan? they were cut and just stuck onto the pos/neg terminals on the battery. (ARGH)

i found a small plug on the festiva today at the junk yard and that one was going to a small plug with yellow/white and yellow/red. can you tell me if it makes a difference on which wire from the fan should go to which prong?

i also replaced the little brown box and reconnected all the wires to it and the ground (at least it looked like a ground).

it is so hard to tell what others have done. i am surprised it ran the way it is pieced together.

it still won't turn over with the new box. still waiting on ignition to come in

[georgeb]

If they were hooked to the battery the fan would run constantly even with key off. The wires are supposed to go to a nearby plug. The yellow wire goes to the fan fuse and the yellow/red wire goes to the fan relay. The fuse link box is not grounded.

[tedraortega]

oh well. there is a screw with a cable that goes onto a little metal ring on the bottom of the brown box. this was how it was on the junk yard one and on this one when i took the broken box off. i just reattached that cable, whatever it is.

now my head lights don't work! ARGH!

[tedraortega]

the yellow/white goes to either blue/red on the fan?
or yellow white goes to the black/blue on the fan?

the yellow/red goes to either the black/red on the fan?
or the yellow/red goes to the black/blue on the fan?

i didn't mess with the yellow/white and yellow red wires. they are as they were.

as for the headlights, i checked the fuse. it worked last night... i think.

[tedraortega]

i just don't understand it unless that new brown box that i put in is bad. i have no head lights, no dash lights, no park lights but the battery is ok. i can't start it with the remote. the main fuse is ok, the small fuses in the dash is ok.

i rechecked and triple checked the wiring it is right. i have followed every line i have done..

i feel like i am missing something but i don't know what it is.

[FestYboy]

main fuse doesn't feed the headlights (on the brown box as you look at it) the fuse on the right is your headlight fuse. all other lights are fead via the main fuse.

[tedraortega]

thanks festyboy but i have already checked both the new pink and green fuses. they are good.

[FestYboy]

that's what i'm getting at: you have two seperate circuit faults that share a common switch, therefore, it's the switch (or harness to the switch) that's your problem.