Issue with starting LS and remote solenoid

[csouth]

So I'm having an issue where all of a sudden my starter will not turn the motor over, LS2 with LSA conversion.

I'll describe my setup: Battery in trunk, remote solenoid, battery wire under carpet to stud on toe board then from firewall to starter. When the key is turned to crank, I here a click at the starter like its trying to engage, but will not spin the motor over.
I have changed the solenoid in the trunk, I have also run a wire straight from the trunk to the starter and the result is the same. I have even used another OEM starter thinking my Duralast starter was the culprit. I have also rotated the motor with a breaker bar wondering if it was just a bad spot on the flywheel, no avail... The cranking was sometimes slow before this, but it never just did't turn over. Could it be gounds?

Any thoughts are appreciated....

[joeko23]

Usually when there is a click at the starter your battery is too weak to turn the engine over. Have you tried with jumper cables/box?

[blitzer454]

Yes, it most likely is a bad ground. The ground wire from the engine block to frame and battery to body needs to be the same wire gauge or better as the battery crank wire which for a trunk mounted battery should be around 1/0 AWG. Make sure the subframe also has a good ground to the body.

[csouth]

Usually when there is a click at the starter your battery is too weak to turn the engine over. Have you tried with jumper cables/box?

Battery was showing 100% on my optima charger. I can try to jump it from my truck since the battery is in the rear of the car


Yes, it most likely is a bad ground. The ground wire from the engine block to frame and battery to body needs to be the same wire gauge or better as the battery crank wire which for a trunk mounted battery should be around 1/0 AWG. Make sure the subframe also has a good ground to the body.

The wire to the battery is 1ga, but the grounds are not. They are the braided straps. I will look at making some new ground wires.

Thanks for the feedback guys

[andrewb70]

Chris,

Run the same gauge wire, as the positive lead, from the battery ground directly to the engine block.

Andrew

[csouth]

Chris,

Run the same gauge wire, as the positive lead, from the battery ground directly to the engine block.

Andrew

Andrew,

I don't have a long enough run of 1ga now, but I do have enough to make some grounds for the block to the chassis. I ordered some more 1ga, but in the meantime I'm going to start there.
Next I'm going to make sure the "out" stud from the Ford solenoid is sending 12v end to end after that I'm going to verify the jumper wire on the actual starter.

[csouth]

Well I changed one of the grounds to a 1ga and it fired right up. It looked like it may have been a little frayed near the ring terminal. I need to pull the header to do the drivers side from where i have it bolted to the block, but success nonetheless....

Thanks everyone...