Solenoid help

[cegrover]

Hi All:

My 280Z is back from the body shop and I'm working on getting it running.

1) At first, the starter was not engaging, but I could hear interior relays clicking and the fuel pump running. This had me thinking it could be the solenoid or starter, as I assume the ignition switch must be working to activate the pump, etc.

2) I took the solenoid off to inspect its connections (looking for +, -, etc) and reconnected it the same way it was before, as I didn't find any clues there.

I may not have reinstalled the solenoid correctly, as it now seems it be in an open loop, regardless of key position. In other words, the starter wants to turn each time I attempt to connect the battery (which also sparks, of course).

Any advice will be welcomed. The car came back from the body shop non-running, so I'm not 100% sure the connections were all put in correctly. Is the wiring in the attached photos correct (battery and one other cable to top large terminal, wire to starter motor to bottom large terminal and small ignition switch wire to spade connector)?

If that's all correct, is it possible I messed up the re-installation of the solenoid and associated spring, etc?

Edited July 19, 2010 by cegrover

[Walter Moore]

Try these threads:

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29022&highlight=starter+wiring

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36504&highlight=starter+wiring

One even has pictures.

But they look similar to yours...

[cegrover]

Thanks - I did search, but didn't happen upon the one with the photo.

It does appear that I have the wiring attached correctly. Of course, that's a 240 and I have a 280, but it appears that the starters were essentially the same, at least on manual cars up to '77.

This still doesn't explain my constantly closed loop (I accidentally typed open loop earlier)...so I'll keep digging.

[Walter Moore]

Oh, you took the solenoid off of the car and now it is stuck on all the time?

I bet that you don't have it back on properly. The small wire energizes the solenoid that pulls the starter gear out to engage the flywheel. When the solenoid "slug" is pulled in far enough it closes a switch to send current from the battery cable to the motor. If you have installed the starter wrong this switch may be closed all of the time.

[cegrover]

Thanks! Yes, it turns out I had it in the wrong 'rest' position, so it was completing the circuit all the time. Newbie mistake...I am a newbie with starters, anyway (oddly enough).

When reattaching the solenoid to the starter, should there be a LOT of spring tension? I'm referring to #12 in the attached diagram - it looks like the ends of the spring could insert into small holes on the solenoid body, but, so far I haven't been able to get it back together. If I insert those spring ends, the plunger won't come out far enough to engage the shift lever. If I don't engage the spring ends, I can't squeeze the parts together hard enough to get the screws into the solenoid...ugh.