starter button

swapped · Post by **swapped** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 9:47 am

Call me a tart, if you like, but I'd love to add a big red starter button in place of the cigarette lighter (which is ugly and of no use to me).

I'm happy enough with the wiring of the button and relay, but can't make head-nor-tail of the wiring diagrams in Haynes - can anyone give me a short-cut by telling me the colours of the wires to the solenoid?

Failing (or perhaps as well as) that, a quick how-to on removing the steering column lower shield / ignition barrel, so that I can get better access and figure the wiring out myself.

Carl

Nige · Post by **Nige** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 9:55 am

might as well buy a Honda S2000 you tarty hairdresser you! You've still got to turn the key

What happens when you're trying to escape a psychotic axe murderer he won't wait while you fumble with the keys and then the starter button.

But then if it makes the car go faster, I say go for it

swapped · Post by **swapped** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 10:06 am

Nige wrote:might as well buy a Honda S2000 you tarty hairdresser you! You've still got to turn the key

Thank you for the speedy reply.

Nige wrote:What happens when you're trying to escape a psychotic axe murderer he won't wait while you fumble with the keys and then the starter button.

I'm not going to break the connection to the key switch, so it'll still start that way too, and the axe murderer can get me while I wait for the fuel pump to prime and decide whether to give it 2 pumps or 3 before turning it over...

Nige wrote:But then if it makes the car go faster, I say go for it

NOW you're catching on!

You'll be jealous when all the young mothers gather around me outside Halfords, asking 'what is it mate?' and 'did you know it's on fire?'

Any real answers, or is Nige my only saviour?

negawsklov · Post by **negawsklov** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 12:40 pm

sorry, I haven't got anything practical to add but funny thread!

abm914 · Post by **abm914** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 2:41 pm

Try the pelican parts website for more wiring info. Solenoid wire is normally the big fat red one!!!. Under the dash on my car (1971) is a bakelite type connector box which should have all the iginition wires going into it.

Ad.

swapped · Post by **swapped** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 3:02 pm

abm914 wrote:Try the pelican parts website for more wiring info. Solenoid wire is normally the big fat red one!!!. Under the dash on my car (1971) is a bakelite type connector box which should have all the iginition wires going into it.

Ad.

That's what I thought! - but there are 2 big fat red ones - one even biggerer and fatterer than the other - one will be direct from the battery, I suppose - so does the starter operate when the two of them are switched together (with the ignition on)?

A bakerlite connector box? - don't think I've spotted that one - where abouts?

Carl

swapped · Post by **swapped** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 11:32 am

Well, I've done it!

I know this would be helped by a picture, but you'll have to bear with me on that...

I wanted to take the steering wheel off on Saturday morning, to polish finger prints and general greasyness of it, and to remove the badge-that-has-been-annoying-me from the middle of the wheel, so I figured it was as good a time as any to have a look around in there.

I removed the knee-pad for easier access, and with the wheel off as well, things were very accessible. The wiring from the back of the key barrel was right there and play-with-able, so I spent some time with a multimeter and a short piece of wire, figuring which wire did / does what.

'Engine Start' button now sits where the none-functional cigarette lighter was, and works as an alternative to the key. It's a cheap plastic button presently, so I'll replace it with a nicer-to-push unit some time.

Bizarrely, I also spent some time under the steering wheel of the SAAB this weekend too, looking at very similar parts, as it's ignition switch failed, stranding the car at a friends house until I was able to prise a replacement part off a scrapper.

These jobs always seem to lead to discovering 'interesting' stuff, and in this case, I found that the reason that the 914's cigarette lighter didn't work was that the ignition-live lead to it was disconnected - tied off? - no. insulated? - no. flapping around under the dash, waiting to spark by touching an earth point? - oh yes!

As a bonus, having the knee pad off gave me chance to have a good look at it, and after clearing all of the bits and pieces of dead leaves 'n' stuff out of the vents and freeing up the flapper controls, I have a much more functional fresh air vent system, and I took the time to give the little chrome strip a clean and polish too.

It's all good.