Pontiac starting problem

[bearphoto]

I've got an 89 Formula Firebird 5.7. The engine/starter was not starting when the engine was hot. Felt I had a bad starter/solenoid. When i put the car up on the rack, i notice all the wires appear to be melted probably by the heat of the headers. After disconnecting the battery to take a look at it, now nothing will start or turn over and there is what appears to be an alarm light flashing on the dash. So there may be some type of alarm on the car from the prior owner that i dont know about. Suggestions on replacing the wiring harness to the starter? Does someone make a harness for this? Suggestions on how to bypass this hidden alarm?

[HillbillySailor]

Re: Pontiac starting problem

I'd go pull a harness from a Firebird or Camaro at the junkyard, and then I would add a Ford Solenoid to your starting circuit. That will get the harness away from the headers. Here's a link that shows you how to do it...

http://www.maliburacing.com/starter_solenoid.html

As far as the alarm system goes (if you have one), your going to have to locate the controller box. My guess is it's either under the dash somewhere or maybe under one of the front seats. Look at the color of the wires coming into and out of the controller box. If it's like most of the alarm systems out there, you should see the same colored wires coming in and out of it. If that's the case, it's just a matter of taking the contoller box our of the circuit and reconnecting the wires. But before you do all of that, make sure you didn't blow a fusible link. It could've blown when the wires melted against the headers.

[Jesse N.]

Re: Pontiac starting problem

Look under the dash above the brake pedal. Usually security systems are wired in there. The system probably has a starter disable relay in it. Look for a yellow (I think) wire coming out of the ignition harness and see if it has been cut and had a relay installed inline. If it does that is why it won't crank, just remove the relay and solder the wire back together and it should crank again.

That Ford solenoid work pretty well. I like the idea of the wire going to the starter only being hot during crank. You don't have to deal with disconnecting the battery every time your working around the starter then.

[bearphoto]

Re: Pontiac starting problem

Thanks for the info guys. The car did in fact have an alarm installed under the dash. I have removed all of it and the car starts and runs like a champ. The only problem was one wire I had accidently cut under the hood that powered the two fans for the radiator. That engine hit 260 real fast without them. I'm glad I had royal purple synthetic oil in it.