1939 Cadillac Starting Issue

[pasha]

My friends 39 cadillac does not do anything when the start button is pushed. The battery is good.  Headlights work. The car sat for a while with the battery corroded so I changed the cables, but no action.  Could the solenoid contacts be corroded?  

[certjeff1]

First check the 2 small wires on the solenoid. One goes to the push button, this is your power. The other goes to your regulator ARM or GEN terminal this is your ground. If you have power and ground then yes I would remove the starter and check it on a bench and repair as needed.

[Marty Roth]

To confirm any solenoid potential issue, you could just connect a TEMPORARY (large) jumper (MAYBE EVEN YOUR JUMPER CABLE?) between your battery NEGATIVE TERMINAL and the terminal on the starter itself, bypassing the solenoid - again, ONLY as a TEMPORARY TEST.

 

This will let you know if the starter is functioning properly.

Remember, check to see that your Cadillac is Positive Ground,

NOT Negative ground as in most modern cars !

 

Some folks forget this, and have it hooked up backward

Edited December 11, 2020 by Marty Roth (see edit history)

[pasha]

Thanks for the info John and Marty.  I finally got back to the Caddy today.  I found no power coming from the starter button.  I bypassed the button.  The car turns over nicely, but no spark.  I'm going to check the cap and rotor tomorrow.  Is it possible the ignition switch is bad?  Also, is there a fuse somewhere in the circuit?

[pasha]

I checked the connections from the ammeter and they are clean and tight.  The lights work, but no power to the starter button, heater, coil etc... when the ignition is on.  There is power to one side of the switch.  Unless there is a fuse somewhere can the switch be taken apart and cleaned? If not, does anyone know where one can be found?  Thanks for any info.