Technical Bring back a dead player. '55 Cadillac

Just brought home a '55 Cadillac Series 62 and I'm poking around trying to get the starter to turn the engine over. I took the ignition apart and cleaned it all up, pulled the plugs, got the engine to turn over by hand, etc.

For whatever reason I can't get the connection from the switch to the soleniod to work. I have power to the switch and at the soleniod when the key is turned but it won't kick over. I can use the screwdriver on the starter trick to kick the engine over, but not the ignition switch. Battery has 12.5 volts. Coil has power, points do as well. This thing should run if I'm able to figure this little hangup out.

Any thoughts? I would even use a "remote starter" for now if someone could walk me through it.

Pics of the new ride cuz we all love pics!
NAES


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Looks like a good solid car Congrats!!!

 

get a new solenoid. You have proven that the starter is good, and have power to it when the key is turned to start, so it has to be the solenoid.

 

Check the voltage at the solenoid when you turn the key. Sometimes resistance in the key start circuit lowers the voltage below that necessary to operate the solenoid. When you use 'the screwdriver trick' you are getting battery voltage from the battery post on the starter motor itself and, as you know, bypassing the starter switch circuit.

I am NOT saying it isn't the solenoid at fault, but until you test for voltage at the solenoid, you may not know for sure. Also wouldn't hurt to test the engine ground circuit for resistance. A car that old has plenty of opportunities for poor grounds. They may not affect the high amp draw components as much as low draw items.

Edit: if you do have low voltage at the starter solenoid through the key switch, one 'work around' is to put a relay near the solenoid. Trigger it with the starter switch wire (relay takes less current to trigger it) and supply the relay main circuit with a wire from the starter post or battery +. It treats the symptom, not the cause, but may/will work and is quicker in the short term than rewiring from the switch.

Ray

 

Old cars, never hurts to put a couple of new parts in them, just to rule them out and make it more reliable. A starter is one of the first things I'll do, find a local shop to rebuild the whole thing. Look at all the wiring and connections while you are there, connections will oxidize from sitting around.

 

It should have a neutral safety switch and that is where I would look first.

 

Nice caddy. Bone stock they just look right.

 

First thing I try to do is clean and/or fix all grounds. Grounds can make you go insane. Chased grounds on OT cars and heavy trucks and trailers. Makes you nuts
Anyway my 10cents
Andrew


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Check the voltage at the solenoid. If no voltage there in start check the neutral start switch.

 

obviously it has to be in Neutral to start

 

Thank you EVERYONE for the great advice!

I tracked down the neutral safety switch, clamped them together and she now turns over veeeeerrry slowly with the key. I cleaned the ignition terminals and the guts, cleaned the battery ground cable graounding surfaces as well as the hot leads going to the starter. Still turning over super slowly. Not fast enough for the ignition to catch I don't think.

The battery I'm using is on charge but its old and has been abused throughout the years with regular jumpstart duties along with being the battery for my VW bus. So cranking amps aren't really there anymore.

But I'm going to keep poking away at it today.

Thanks again everyone! Once I get it fired, that will decide the direction I'm going to go enginewise depending on its overall health.

NAES

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Time to buy a new battery before you burn up the starter.

 

Nice Coupe! Get the most cranking amps available.Good luck.

(Love the single cab, bus and bug too. Sweet rides)


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Nice car. Might be the trans has starter lock out on it and that’s bad. Remote starter goes from pos on battery to energized side of solenoid. If you have power on the energized side when you try to crank then it might be a bad lockout on the trans.

 

Yes they look great in that cream color!

 

Ok cool, a few more things to track down. Thanks everyone!

Definitely max cranking amps possible. The battery slides down behind the passenger front tire. My VW battery is too big to fit so space will be an issue. In the meantime I'll keep cleaning, degreasing and cleaning all the connections. Surprisingly there aren't an overwhelming number of them!

Overall I'm super stoked on this car. I was hoping to get her fired up this week but I don't see that happening. No big deal, there's plenty to do. Go the trunk popped open earlier. Used every socket extension I had to undo the lock latch. It worked! Nothing awesome besides an exhaust tip trumpet, spare wheel and part of an old oil can which was repurposed as a hole cover for trailer lights!



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have the battery load tested it is a must first.I had a 56 cdv same colour combo as with any caddy of the 50s rode smooth and comfy on couch seatno gymkhana car but I loved it and the back seat was shall we say very roomy

 

Does the starter spin the engine at full speed when using the "screwdriver key"?

 

Nice looking car,congratulations.

BTW, It looks like you have a few nice VW's in the background, HRP

 

Pull all the spark plugs, number the wires as you do,get some light oil trans or like wise and lube the cylinders they have been sitting dry for a long time make it a fun project.

 

That's a cool car. I want to hear it roar to life and smell the exhaust from my listening post in Manhattan Beach, CA.

 

Ok I finally scored a battery today (3EE) for the Cad. Its a long skinny sucker thats correct for the car. So I installed the battery with cleaned cables, I have power to the coil, the points will spark when opened with a screwdriver so I know I have power going to them, the 12v coil checks out with an ohm meter and I have new plugs in her.

Poured some gas in the car with it the throttle pinned about half open and.....nuthin'. She cranks like a champ but there's not even the slightest sign of life. I haven't moved the distributor around in fear of being even worse off than I am now.

Any suggestions on how to proceed? Cuz right now I'm stumped.

NAES

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And thanks for the complements guys. Poor thing is severely neglected but nothing a lot of time and love won't fix.

@HRP, I've been a VW guy since day #1 but the American cars are so much more driver friendly. I can just hop in and go without worrying about keeping up with traffic or feeling like I'm working overtime just to drive the thing! Lol

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Oh the money to bring back all that shinny stuff.

 

She lives! She lives! She lives!

The problem was the rotor. The little spring that makes contact with the distributor cap was smooshed down enough to not make contact.

The trans linkage is stuck in drive so she lurched forward when she fired scaring the shit out of me! But I chocked the front wheels and jacked up the rear end.

Plenty of vacuum leaks to chase down but she sounds strong, no abnormal clicks and clacks and no blooming clouds of awful smoke! Just a little white puffing burning off all the years of neglect.

Man I'm so stoked!

NAES




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Good to hear you got it fired up. Always nice to know that all is well without any bad noises or knocks.

 

Kewl....glad the old girl still has some life in her!

 

Nice series 62...had a yellow/white Coupe De Ville identical in 1966. College room mates resented it, (lowered 4", '56 caps with narrow whites, flat tips on dual exhausts)
They said I could trade it in on a VW... I traded them in on a curvaceous college coed named Sandy. Sandy's apartment had a 2 car garage, and Sandy drove an Austin Healy.
Good trade all over.

 

If I recall (my dad had a '55 just like yours only green) you could pull the solenoid apart, loosen the two main lugs and rotate them 180 degrees for fresh contact points. Scrape clean the copper disc that makes the connection between the lugs and off you go.

 

"They said I could trade it in on a VW... I traded them in on a curvaceous college coed named Sandy. Sandy's apartment had a 2 car garage, and Sandy drove an Austin Healy.
Good trade all over."

Yo' Moma didn't raise no dummy!!