Redneck in training
Elite Member
The ground wire to chassis or engine is often overlooked. My car wouldn't start reliably sometime even though all voltages at the start switch and the solenoid were OK. One time the car wouldn't start at all as I held the key in start position I smelled burning plastic smell. When I opened the hood the choke cable was smoking and the plastic covering it was all melted. The cable was apparently single connection from the chassis to the engine so all the starting current passed trough it. The strap connecting the engine to chassis was loose and didn't provide sufficient connection to engine. After I tightened it started right away.
Measure voltage between the started body and the minus pole of the battery while a helper tries to start the engine. There should be small voltage drop. If there is not voltage drop at all then there is not power on the starter. If the voltage drop is large then the you have bad ground connection.
Do as somebody already suggested connect the body of the starter to the minus (the pole connected to the chassis) of the battery.
Measure voltage between the started body and the minus pole of the battery while a helper tries to start the engine. There should be small voltage drop. If there is not voltage drop at all then there is not power on the starter. If the voltage drop is large then the you have bad ground connection.
Do as somebody already suggested connect the body of the starter to the minus (the pole connected to the chassis) of the battery.