Faulty ignition or starter

5

Asked by whitr Sep 22, 2011 at 11:22 PM about the 1987 Pontiac Fiero

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

When I turn the ign key, the ampmeter pegs all the way to the high side and nothing happens. Is the starter shorted out or locked up? I just bought the car and haven't heard it run yet. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

4 Answers

75

what car is it a grand prix trans am ? v8 or v6 mabey just the silonoid is not working or not properly grounded that could affect the amp meter in my opinion it is rare that a starter is locked up usualy it is not getting electricity could be a short too ground making a high resistance in the amp meter circuti hop this help

5

It is an '87 Fiero 4 cyl. I said that the gauge was the amp meter, but it is the temp gauge that is pegging out when I turn the ign key. My bad, I just bought the car and saw the gauge pegging and assumed it was the amp; Does it sound like a loose connection or ground somewhere? I appreciate your input.

255

It could be a few things, 1. It could be your starter. If it makes a "click" when you turn the key, it means that the starter is trying, but either it is bad, or there isn't enough juice for it to crank completely. Note: it may not make a clicking sound if your battery doesn't even have enough power for that. 2. It could be your battery. If there is no "click" or any type of response from the starter, it could be your battery. I've worked on a Fiero with this problem before, and jump starting it didn't help. I had to physically replace the battery to make any headway. Note: With the option of the battery being dead, there is the underlying option that your alternator is shot. That was the case on the one that I worked on. The alternator was shot and so the car would fire up with a new battery, but it would only run until it ran out of juice. I hope my response isn't too late. Fieros are awesome cars. I love my '86 GT. If you get the starter to engage and crank but your engine won't fire up, just remember, there are three things that your engine needs to run: Fuel, Air, and Spark. Good luck!

200

is this a manual or auto transmission? There is a neutral start switch that has to be defeated to actually fire the solenoid on the starter motor. Need to look into that first.. give some more details on what you have found so far as clues.

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