You can buy a remote starter switch for $10 with alligator clips you can use for testing. No lightshow. Once I had one hooked up permanently on this old heap that wouldn't crank with the key. Steak

PS: I just reread a thread where someone says to hook up the lead to the negative (ground). You don't want to do that. You want to use either the pos terminal of the batt OR the nut on the starter that holds the positive cable AND the purple wire terminal (not the other large nut near the starter). I'm assuming these are the only terminals on the starter. I've never seen a Reatta starter, only older GM units. This accomplishes the same thing as jumping a screwdriver across the batt and purple terminals but with no sparks. Steak

When the ignition key is turned to the run position do the red and yellow brake warning lights come on? Does the ABS pump run and the lights go off after about a minute? If not fusible link "C" could be burned out or not making a good connection. It supplies power to the ignition switch.

Assuming the fusible link "C" is good the next step should be to check the Tranaxle Position Switch. It is not easy to get to and may take a little time. (See photo 1 below.)

Remove the connector from the Transaxle Position Switch.

(See photo 2 below.)
Be CERTAIN the car is in Park. Connect your jumper wire from the positive battery terminal to terminal "G" of the connector, NOT the switch) in the same manner you did before at the starter. Did the starter turn the engine?

Next have a friend turn the key all the way to the "start" position and hold it there. Connect a voltmeter between terminal "F" of the connector and the negative post on the battery (or any other good ground). Did the voltmeter read 12 volts?

Let me know the results of the tests.

I am sorry for confusion on my part. I have done what Ronnie recommends.
I talked about testing circuits by putting the test lead on the negative side for a good ground. I did not mean for him to jump the car with the lead on the negative post.
I should have been more clear.

Ronnie,

I had the same symptom (I had just finished working on some other Unrelated item to starting) after working on my 90 coupe.... went to start the car and nothing. I checked everything I could do without any success, and then enlisted the help of Two Seater (Hal). He attempted to help/diagnosis the situation (checking the starter and solenoid, etc), but the problem remained. Then had the coupe towed to a GM Dealership where I knew the Shop Foreman. The problem turned out to be the ignition switch itself. There were two very small wires that exit the switch and run down the column Between the Switch and the column....one of the wires was shorted against the column from years/times of turning the key to start. I have no idea what the shop foreman did to diagnosis the problem....I did have a close to $400.00 bill though (included towing, shop expense, taxes, etc.)........hope this helps.

Nic

Ronnie, I completed the test. Wow, was that a job to get that connector off. Anyway, I hope you made an error in typing when you said G was yellow and F was purple. On mine G is purple and turned the engine, F is yellow and did nothing, dead as a door nail. Please advise. Hopefully, we have gotten some where now that we know the yellow wire is dead.

Yes, I did have the colors switched. I got in hurry. Sorry.

I assume the yellow wire G did NOT have 12 volts when the key is turned to the "start" position while checking the Transaxle Position Switch connector. Were you able to check that? You said it was dead. Did you mean it did not have 12 volts?


The next thing to test is the Starter Interrupt Relay. The relay is located behind the instrument panel, left of the steering column mounting bracket. The panel will need to be removed to get at it (See photo below). I have not removed the instrument panel so I hope Dave or someone who has will give you instructions on how to remove it.

Once the panel is removed, find the starter interrupt relay and remove the connector. Terminals 1 and 3 should have yellow wires connected to them. (See photo below)

Have a friend turn the ignition key to the "start" position and hold it there. Check terminal "3" of the connector for 12 volts with a voltmeter. Does it read 12 volts. If you have twelve volts on terminal "3", use a wire to jump between terminal "1" and "3" while the key is turned to the "start" position. (Be certain the car is in PARK and the Transaxle Position Switch" is connected.)

Did the starter turn the engine?

No, actually I didn't have the key on when I did either of the tests. Should the key have been turned on? If so I will rerun the test. How I tested it was I had my wife hold the 12 gauge wire on the positive terminal of the battery and I held the other end of the 12 gauge wire and inserted it into the opening in the connector of F and G.

To test terminlal "F" (yellow wire) you must have the key turned all the way to the "Start" position and held there while you test for 12 volts with a voltmeter. Do you have a voltmeter? Just turning the key to the "On" position will not be good enough. The key must be turned to "Start and held there while you check for 12 volts between terminal "F" and ground (negative battery post is best).

Ronnie, on the above illustration having to do with the starter interrupt relay, You said it is to the left of the steering column behind the instrument panel. Do you mean under the panel by the emergency brake and near the floor or do you mean you have to take the top of the dash off, or do you mean the panel just to the left of the speedometer? Sorry, if I am acting dense but I want to make sure. Thanks again for your help!

The Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) I refer to is the Panel that contains the speedometer, fuel gauge and all the other lights. It has a trim plate around it that must be removed and is held in place with a few screws. It just plugs into a connector in the rear of the panel.

Behind the IPC is where the Field Service Manual says the Starter Interrupt Relay and Theft Deterrent Module are located. (see photo). You might be able to access it without removing the IPC. I don't know. A relay near Item # 1 in the photo is what you are looking for.

If you can't get to it you could test the ignition switch next instead of the Starter Interrupt Relay.

Ronnie, I purchased a volt meter and tested the yellow wire just as you gave directions, I am talking about the transaxle postion switch, and it registered 0. I then took the entire left side of the dash apart. From the left side where the vent is, then the light switch and then the crt. There is nothing behind it except the two connections for the crt and all the wires for the light switch. How would I test the ignition switch? I tested what I think is fusable C and got 10 volts, I also tested the positive terminal on the battery and it test and 10.2 volts.
Again thanks for helping me! I am very frutstrated.

Your battery is not fully charged. It should read 12 volts with your voltmeter.

The CRT is in the center of the car above the console that looks like a small TV screen that allows you to operate the radio and AC controls. The IPC (Instrument Panel Cluster) displays the speedometer and gas gauge. Which did you have out? I can't understand why you can't find the Starter Interrupt Relay. I thought all '89 models came with the Theft Deterrent System.

The ignition switch is located on the lower part of the steering column on the top side. (see photo) Remove the connector. Connect the black lead of your voltmeter to a good metal ground on the car and the other lead to the terminal in the connector with the red wire going to it. Does the voltmeter read 12 volts?

Be sure the transmission is in park and the Transaxle Position Switch is connected properly.

Next run a jumper wire from the positive post on the battery and carefully make contact with the terminal with the yellow wire. DO NOT touch anything else with the jumper wire including any other terminals. Did the starter turn the engine?
Let me know the results.

Ronnie, I have the IPC out, the one with the speedometer. I keep a battery charger near me because I like to keep the battery up, especially when I am working on it with the doors open and testing the lights. I will put the charger on it tomorrow first thing and see if the volts come up. I just checked my 91 with the same volt meter and got a reading of 12.7. Could the positive battery cable be bad? I will also check the ignition switch as you have explained above. I know what you mean about the starter interrupt switch. I had been looking for it under the dash for a day. I took the bottom panel off and I just don't see anything that looks like what the picture illustrates.

I don't believe the battery cable is the problem because you said the starter would turn the engine when you jumped the terminal with the purple wire on the solenoid.

The problem may end up being the Theft Deterrent System. I was trying to eliminate all the normal components that are in the starting circuit before trying to troubleshoot the Theft Deterrent System. The Ignition Switch is the last thing before the Theft Deterrent System.

About the Theft Deterrent System. Do you know if it works correctly?
To test it try this:
Put the car in park and roll down a window.
Turn the ignition to the lock position and remove the key.
With the door open lock the doors with the electric lock switch on the door panel. (not the manual lock) and close the door.

The security light on the dash should glow for about 6 seconds and then go out.
Open a door from the inside through the window with the inside door handle.
The alarm should sound. Did it?

Now close the door and unlock it with the key ( not the remote.) The alarm should stop.

Now try to start the car. Did it start?

Ronnie, I just completed reinstalling the dash and the transaxle position wiring. I run the test for the theft deterrent system and it failed so bad I decided to wait for more advise from you instead of testing the ignition switch. I followed your directions and this is what happened. I put the car in park, rolled a window down and took the key out of the ignition. My door was open and I locked the doors with the electric lock switch on the door, and then closed the door. The yellow security light flashed for a second and went out. I reached in to open the door but the door wouldn't open. I tried the same procedure on the passenger side with the same results. Please advise. Like I had mentioned earlier when I purchased the car it didn't have a remote with it so I bought one and programmed it and it worked fine for an hour and then my problems started. I mean the car would no longer start.

I left out the critical step of unlocking the door from the inside with the manual lever before opening the door. Sorry.

When you open the door the horn should start to blow and the headlights should flash. Does that happen?

I would go ahead and test the ignition switch to find out if it tests properly.

Ronnie, I checked out the theft detterent system, I had to do it from the passenger side because for some reason I can lock the car with the manual switch on the drivers side but when you try to open it, it slides as though it is not attatched to the rod within the door. Anyway, that worked as it should. I followed your directions and all went just the way you said it should again from the passenger side. I then tested the red wire on the ignition switch and there was 12.7 volts. I then ran a wire from the positive of the battery to the yellow terminal and got nothing at all. It did not turn the starter. One more thing on the test of the theft deterent, Everything was like you said except the yellow light did not flash for about six seconds. it barely flashed but did once or so.

If the alarm sounded on the car when you armed the system and the alarm stopped when you unlocked the door with the key, the Theft Deterrent System is working properly. That does not mean the Starter Interrupt Relay is working properly. I suspect that relay has failed.

One more test to the ignition switch to verify it is in working order.

Plug the connector onto the ignition switch. Have a friend turn the ignition key and hold it in the "Start" position. With the black lead of your voltmeter connected to ground take the other lead and carefully "back probe" (stick the tip of the lead against the back of terminal) of the ignition switch terminal in the connector that has the yellow wire coming out of it.

(If you cannot get the tip of the lead into the hole where the terminal is you can stick a straight pin (or needle) into the yellow insulation of the wire until it makes contact with the copper wire inside. Then touch your voltmeter lead to that) DO NOT let the straight pin touch anything but the tip of the voltmeter lead!! If it comes in contact with ground or another wire it could cause damage.

There should be 12 volts on the terminal with the yellow wire coming out of it. Did the voltmeter read 12 volts?

I have attached a photo below that clearly shows the circuit we have been testing. The path the circuit takes is highlighted in yellow. As you can see, if the ignition switch passes the above test there is nothing left but the "Starter Interrupt Relay" to prevent the circuit from being completed and the starter from turning the engine.

Obviously there is a Theft Deterrent System that is working on the car and connected to it is going to be a Starter Interrupt Relay, probably mounted nearby. Someway you are going to have to find that relay so we can test it. I have never had my dash apart so I can't help you find it other than showing you photos from the Field Service Manual.

After you do the final test on the ignition switch let me know how it turned out.

Good job, Ronnie! Not only did you walk him through the circuit, you provided the electrical diagram! Excellent! - Dave Dare

Ronnie,

Not trying to confuse, but I might have with my "ignition switch" post/reply above. When I was refering to the ignition switch I actually meant the ignition key switch or maybe better described as "lock" at the top of the steering column, and not the ignition switch at the bottom of the column. The lock has two very thin wires that run down the column to the "ignition switch". These wires run between the lock and the column on their way down the column and can fray from the movement of the key turning in the "lock" and short out.

Ronnie, I should have come clean before but I guess I was embarrassed to ask. This thing about fusable link C. I am just not getting it. Because it is called fusable I guess I am looking for a fuse, when in fact it must not be. There is a rectangle red box next to the battery that has a lot of wires on top of each other, is that where fusable C is? If so how do I distinguish fusable link C from the other fusable links? Are they color coded or do they say A, B, C etc? Sorry I thought I would like to clear that portion of the electrical diagram. Thank you for your help and patience.

Nic, on the 89s, there is no electrical connection between the ignition lock and the ignition switch. There is a metal interface called a 'rack' that activates the ignition switch when the ignition key is turned to the start position. I know, mine split in half, and the only way mine would start, was to have the steering wheel in the full down position. Once it started, I could adjust the steering wheel to any position.( Great anti-theft device)

A fusible link is a section of wire that is designed to burn out before the rest of the wire. About the same thing as a regular fuse except it is not expected to burn out unless something out of the ordinary happens and therefore is not designed to be easily changed.

Fusible link "C" is in the red wire that goes to the ignition switch from the red box you refer to. You tested the red wire at the ignition switch and you determined it to have 12 volts. If fusible link C was bad you would not have 12 volts on the red wire of the ignition switch. One quick test for a fusible link is to try to bend it. It should be a little flexable. If it is stiff and hard feeling it could have a problem.

Hang in there. I think we will get to the bottom of this problem.

Nic,
I don't see the two small wires in the circuit that activates the starter. Could those two small wires are be used to power a bulb that illuminates the ignition lock mechanism at night to make it easy to insert the key? I have not looked into it.