I'm having intermittent problem starting my 97 Max (auto).

I would like to eliminate the ignition switch from the diagnosis. In other words, I would like to start (or at least attempt to start) by making connection between two or more contact points on the male adapter harness (for the female ignition switch adapter harness.)

Do you have a pinout for that male adapter harness?

Many thanks.

 

Cant help you at the ign switch harness. I do plug my remote starter switch into the inhibitor relay plug and the battery positive. Dont have a wire diagram on me, bur there is one printed on the relay body. Plug into a switch contact terminal, you have a 50/50 of getting the right one, try the other if it doesn't work.

That will take care of the stater cicuit, I cant help you on the engine management though.

 

The wire you want to use is the black with white stripe coming out of pin 5 of the ignition switch. BUT this wire does not go directly to the starter. The wire goes to the inhibitor relay whose activation is controlled by both the park/neutral safety switch mounted on the shift lever in the console and by theft warning relay.

If you look at your starter, there are two wires going to it. A thick cable from the battery and a thin wire. The thin wire is from the ignition switch after it goes through the inhibitor relay. If you jumper 12 volts to this wire, the engine will crank if the starter is good.

If you are having starting problems, get a voltmeter and check for 12 volts on the black/ white stripe wire from the ignition switch when the key is turned in the start position. If you have it, then check for 12 volts at the thin wire on the starter. If you have 12 volts at the starter, you have a starter problem. If no voltage, then your problem is elsewhere. Try putting the transmission lever in neutral and see if the car starts. If it does, this would mean the park/neutral safety switch is the problem.

 

 

Thank you guys. I am digesting the info. Will come back to report progress.

 

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/acc...ier=476887_0_0_

hook one end to (+) terminal and the other one to the smaller starter terminal

 

I'm back with some data points:

1) Ignition switch connector/wire:
Green/Black and Yellow/Black are always non-active (ZERO volt)
Red/White is always active (12 volt)
When key is in ACC position, Blue wire is active
When key is in ON position, Red, Blue, and White/Black are active
When key is in START position, Red and White/Black are active (Blue is non-active)

2) Confirm that the starter solenoid is functioning by connecting the small (starter control) connector to the positive battery post.

3) The small connector (starter control) is always non-active EVEN when the key is in START position.

Questions:

- Regarding 1) above: are they supposed to be that way? How come G/B and Y/B are not used at all?

- In regard to 3) above: How do I bypass the sensors (one at a time) so I can get 12V to the starter control connector?

Thanks.

 

I don't know myself, I'd have to do some research.

Refer to schematic in post # 4 by JagerBlunt.

Pull out the theft warning relay (black relay in the box by the power steering oil reservoir) and put a jumper across pins 3 & 4. This would rule out the anti-theft system if you still have a starting problem.

Remove the inhibitor relay (gray relay in the box in front of the battery) and put a jumper across pins 6 & 7. This jumper wire needs to be a heavier gauge wire like the ones on the ignition switch. This bypasses the anti-theft stuff. If still no start, the starter has a problem.

If the car starts, the inhibitor relay could be bad or the the cruise control (ASCD) (inhibitor relay pins 3 & 4) is stopping you.

 

Would it hurt if you spliced into the number 5 pin in the ignition to the starter?

 

As long as the splice is done properly, there won't be any problem.

 

Thanks for your reply this is my only car and it seems like something happens with the starting system every day. I plan to replace everything eventually.

 

So i went and got everything from the switch to the starter this morning. Just got finished changing everything and it crunk like a dream!😄😃😃😃😃