I had just purchased and coded a remote for my 69 yesterday, all seems fine. I also installed a hazard/signal light module today. After I finished I started the car and it started right up as usual. I shut it off and decided to put a battery charger on it because I had the trunk and door lights on for quite awhile. I then opened the trunk with the remote. I got in after the battery charge and when I turn the key the dash lights light, I have head lights, a horn etc, but nothing from the ignition. I don't get a sound. I have retraced the installation of the turn signal module, took the battery cables off and cleaned and still nothing. Any help would be appreciated!! Thanks in advance!

Sorry, I meant 89.

Your ignition circuit goes through a lot of safety switches before it actually starts the motor.

At the expense of sounding stupid, is it in PARK with the key switch in START? If it's a stick, is the clutch pedal depressed? If you look in the electrical diagram, it will show your starting circuit with all the switches and relays. Ring it out, and you will find the answer.

Sounds like the ignition switch or starter solenoid might have gone out.

Are you sure this answer is relavent to reattas?????

I had a relay go bad. It is located just under the dash, about 5 inches or so above the parking brake release handle. There are 2 relays there, can't remember if it was the Right or Left of the two.
Glad it was the problem, the neutral safety switch looks like a PITA to replace. Good luck... Jim

I don't know if this will help or if it has anything to do with a reatta. I had a 89 camaro that i left the ignition on on for a weekend, jumped it, it cranked but would not start, waited about two hours later and started up and never had a problem after. I was thinking it had some kind of safety that shut off ignition.

This baby won't even crank. I have worked on it all day trying to figure it out and I am dead in the water. All my electrical is working ie lights, radio, etc.
When I turn the key over to the start position the system even does the diagnostic check. Then comes back and states "all systems ok". I am trying to make sense out of the big manual but mostly it is over my head. One thing I thought of that I didn't remember at the time I wrote the original thread is: My alternator went out, so I went to Napa and changed the old for a remanufactured in there parking lot. I forgot to disconnect the battery and when I put my socket on the electrical portion of the alternator I got a fire storm, sparks flew and I could smell like something had burned, electrically.
After I changed the alternator, the car started right up but ran very poorly for 5 minutes or so and slowly come out of it so by the time I had 20 miles on it, it ran just like new. That incident happened about 120 miles before she decided not to crank at all.

Did you check the wires around the starter itself? Go under there with a volt meeter and have some one turn key that will at least tell you were the problem is starter or car.

I once had this same problem, I cleaned the battery connections and then jumped the starter solenoid. The reatta started and the problem never came back.

Could you please explain jumping the starter solenoid?

Any luck on the 89 yet?

No, I am afraid not. I have been working on it for 3 days now. I am about to give up on it and hand it over to a mechanic. The problem with that is I know he will just throw parts at it. If I could only find and disconnect the theft deterrent or anything to do with the remote I believe I would be in business. I have the picture out of the manual but I can not find it under the dash. I have looked all over the left side of under the dash. I just can't find what the picture shows. I don't know what to do next. Thank You for asking!!!

I will try to help.

The first thing you need to do is to determine if the problem is with the solenoid/starter assembly or if you have a starting circuit problem with the wiring, ignition switch or some safety feature like the park/neutral switch.

To check the solenoid/starter you need to supply 12 volts to the terminal on the solenoid (mounted on the starter) that normally energizes the starter motor. I would connect a jumper wire to the positive battery post and carefully touch the other end to the screw terminal on the solenoid. You can jump from the large battery cable terminal on the solenoid to the small terminal and accomplish the same thing but if you short the large terminal to ground you can have a big light show that you don't want. Referring to the FSM the terminal the energizes the starter has a purple wire connected to it. At least on my '88 model. I would assume other models are the same.

DO NOT turn the ignition on while performing this test! You don't want the engine to start now. ONLY TOUCH THE WIRE TO THE TERMINAL MOMENTARILY. BE PREPARED FOR THE STARTER TO ENGAGE AND THE ENGINE TO TURN. IF the starter engages and the engine turns the problem is not the solenoid or the starter.

WARNING!!! WARNING!!!WARNING!!! This can be a dangerous procedure if not done properly. I don't know you level of expertise in working on your car. DO NOT short the large terminal with the battery cable connected to it to ground. The result could vary from a shower of sparks to the battery exploding and covering you and the car with battery acid. IF you don't feel you can do the test safely take it to a reliable mechanic.

If you perform the test above report back here with the results and we will continue to troubleshoot your problem.

Thank you Ronnie!! I do appreciate your help very much!! If I understand correctly I take a long enough wire to reach from the positive terminal on the battery down to the solenoid and then briefly touch the terminal on the solenoid that has a screw to hold the wires in place. This terminal will have a purple wire attached to it. Is that correct? Would a coated speaker wire work? That way I would have control of the wire so it doesn't ground. Thanks!

That sounds a bit reckless.
Why don't you go to a hardware store or automotive parts house and buy a 25 foot length of 12 gage primary wire. then attach an alligator clip to either end. This way you have a test lead that will handle any automotive current.
Speaker wire is way too light.
When I test circuits I atach one end of the aforementioned lead to the negative side of the battery. This way I know I have a "good" ground when using a circuit tester.

Better to use jumper cables.

In not sure but i think the reason no one said any think about this earlier, there maybe sparks involved. This is a test most of us have tried at home.

back in the olden days when i had a solenoid problem and had to start the car , i just used an old screwdriver to short the terminals. lotsa sparks but it worked.

There is a right way and a wrong way. Just remember that what makes the Reatta different is all the elecronics.
Doing it the wrong way could short stuff out and then you have a big can of worms, and a whole lot more requests for help from this forum.
Be careful

You should check the ground and positive battery cables. This is where your the problem is. The cables are the first place to test.

You are correct in how you need to connect the jumper wire. Speaker wire is much too light for using as a jumper wire. You need at least a 12 gauge wire with good insulation.

It appears from some of the posts that others seem to think they know more about how to do the test than I. I hope they can help you. Above all I hope you don't get in over your head and cause yourself more problems. If I were there I would troubleshoot the problem for you.

Okay, I ran the test and the starter kicked over. I tried it a second time just to be sure and again the starter clicked in. I took the battery terminals off and cleaned them and followed all the wires and made sure they were tight. The reason I think it has something to do with the remote access is before I programmed the remote all was fine. I did start it once after I had programmed it and it started right up, after that silence. The only thing I did in addition to programming the remote is afterwards I charged the battery. I wish there was a way I could test for the remote and see if that is the issue. In the manual it shows where the fuses are and the relay but like I said earlier I just can't find anything under the dash that looks like the picture.

Ronnie, thanks for your help. I will await your next suggestion to troubleshoot this issue. Thank you!

Have you checked the battery cables for internal damage?