Ignition circuit problem

  • Hi,

    I am looking for some help with debugging electrical problems...specifically ignition circuit.

    I have a 65 GT Fastback and have been driving the Kar often and it was running great. Then one day the ignition system just stopped working...no solenoid click, nothing. The battery is fully charged.

    I'm hoping someone has had similar problems and maybe shared some things to look for as the Kulprit!

    Pat

  • Hi,

    I am looking for some help with debugging electrical problems...specifically ignition circuit.

    I have a 65 GT Fastback and have been driving the Kar often and it was running great. Then one day the ignition system just stopped working...no solenoid click, nothing. The battery is fully charged.

    I'm hoping someone has had similar problems and maybe shared some things to look for as the Kulprit!

    Pat

    Have you verified that the ignition switch still has the plastic back side firmly attached? They can get loose and partially or fully separate.

    -Fred-

    65 Koupe early San Jose Phoenician Yellow 4 speed
    66 GT Koupe Dearborn Blue 4 speed
    66 KGT San Jose fastback pony interior Silver Frost 4 speed
    64 Falcon sedan delivery 289 4 speed
    65 Ranchero 289 4 speed
    66 Corvette roadster 427/425 4 speed

  • Jump the “S” terminal to the battery post on the solenoid to see if it cranks. If it does, the solenoid is ok, so check for power to the S terminal with the key in the crank position. If no power, you need to trace that circuit back to the switch. If it does not crank when jumping the terminals, make sure the solenoid is grounded, and the cable from battery to solenoid is transferring voltage. If all is good with grounds and wires, get a new solenoid. You can find wiring diagrams on the internet if you don’t have them in book form.

    If you had to get it running, with heavy wire, you could bypass the solenoid by jumping the two outer cables with the key on.

    MAKE SURE IT IS NEUTRAL! I am assuming it has not had an automatic transmission conversion, then you could have a neutral safety switch issue.

    As a side note, you are dealing with the starting system, not the ignition system. The ignition would be what gets the spark to the plugs in simple terms. The correct terms would help narrow things down if you want to google help.

    Edited 8 times, last by 289kford (May 1, 2020 at 3:47 AM).

  • Thanks everyone for all the good suggestions and advice. You're correct, 289kford, it's a starter issue not ignition...although I did buy a new ignition switch and spacer just to eliminate that as a possible source of the problem.

    I will start stepping through these tomorrow and post an update later.

    My Kar is a 4-speed.

  • UPDATE to my original post:

    The car is running again.

    In checking all the connections in the starter circuit, I found that the connectors on both the S and I terminals of the starter relay were just a bit loose, so I tightened them up, cleaned the battery terminals and she fired right up!

    Thanks for the help!

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