V1 Ignition Challenge with 05 Cobalt SS/SC

[andyseavers]

Can’t seem to get my Goblin to start. When I turn the key, I get power, but when I turn the ignition to start I get a click and then nothing. It seems as if I’m not getting all lights on my panel. I’m getting full power to the OBDII. When I run a line to this relay, I get all lights.

The starter wants to turn when I start it like this, but barely turns. Any ideas?

 

[MeltedSolid]

Sounds like a dead battery to me.

 

[Rttoys]

Check load on the battery, then connections at the starter, grounds and such.

 

[MeltedSolid]

This is a lazy response. The battery is good. We tried it with two good batteries.

??? ok. I don't know your experience level, just trying to help... Maybe would have helped to post that with such an obvious set of symptoms then. Maybe a bad ground to the starter then? The symptoms line up with a large voltage drop when you try to crank.

 

[Gtstorey]

This is a lazy response. The battery is good. We tried it with two good batteries.

And this is an A$$hole response. Your description of what you have done is very limited and from the limited info you gave, a dead battery was high on the list.

 

[Joebob]

Is everything plugged in? These cars run on computers, with your cluster zipped tied, it looks like you are not fully assembled. Power steering, BCM, and ECU all need to be plugged in as well as ALL grounds for the sensors. Skip a step and it will not work. there are forum posts of people trying to bench start the car and spent weeks where they could have built the car and gotten to the same step.

 

[Markm]

Double check the grounds. The fuse block ground could be suspect

 

[ah.b.normal]

My personal favorite is engine poorly or not grounded. -----A real clue is when some smaller ground wires get real hot or even melt off their insulation, then let the "special Lucas smoke" out and then catch fire while the starter turns over very slowly.---------Back in the dealership days we got them from the body shop after front end repair and No Start(surprise!) Usually the body man had missed hooking up the engine ground up under the driver's side headlight.(so many times!) On a Goblin engine ground is usually from a bellhousing bolt or bolt near the starter to a stud under the fuse block. Logic says if the starter turns you have some sort of ground(nice to know), if it turns slow = Dirty battery terminals, High resistance in + or - cable(corrosion inside the insulation? usually the - cable), insufficient ground or bad starter.

 

[comegetjoe]

This is a lazy response. The battery is good. We tried it with two good batteries.

Maybe it's just my TC car, but is there supposed to be two positive cables on the positive post in your picture?

 

[ah.b.normal]

Maybe it's just my TC car, but is there supposed to be two positive cables on the positive post in your picture?

Joe, there WERE 2 wires on the jump + pole on the fuse box in the original Cobalt install. The fuse box is in the middle of the batt to starter circuit. Most Goblins run the Batt+ wire directly from the battery+ pole to the starter stud and the original "jump wire" still runs from the starter stud to the fuse box(it just flows electrons backwards?). ------- It is certainly possible to run your primary battery+ wire to the jump post and then to the starter, as it was in the Cobalt, but I believe the Goblin instructions direct builders to run it directly to the starter stud. (I've been told shorter high amp cables are always "more betterer", ask any electrician.)

 

[comegetjoe]

So, Batt+ to Post and then Post to Starter. Probably one of many things I didn't follow directions for.

 

[Robinjo]

Maybe it's just my TC car, but is there supposed to be two positive cables on the positive post in your picture?

I only have one lug on my B+ post as in the photo. I have two (or 3) coming off the starter. Battery to starter and starter to B+ terminal.

Grounds would be my best guess but the information is very limited. Are all the grounding studs clean of paint and rust? When my grounds weren't great under the fuse block it would light up and work the throttle but would just click when trying to fire. If you alligator clip to the negative battery and touch all the ground points are you getting continuity? This is not a tell-all but just getting an idea if all the grounds are connecting back.

Is the turn signal switch plugged in? Power Steering unit plugged in? Are all your fuses in good condition? I also had an issue where a 2-amp fuse on slot #8 for IGN SW/PK3+ Fuse in the BCM wouldn't allow the vehicle to start unless I turn the lights on the off.

Keep in mind that the group is trying to troubleshoot based off the information you provide as we are not there in person to look at the car.

 

[Rauq]

Does the throttle body move with the key on and engine off?

 

[ah.b.normal]

So, Batt+ to Post and then Post to Starter. Probably one of many things I didn't follow directions for.

I am confident it would be a difference without a distinction. It worked that way in the donor it should work on the Goblin!

 

[andyseavers]

Newest updates for more context:
Here is a video of us activating the Run/Crank relay and we get the fuel pump, throttle body, and a very weak crank (could be us messing with the battery all day).

here is a video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KYP1Z9iGJ0JH5w-0DFjkbmUmMWH4qYBe/view?usp=drivesdk

The relay coil isn’t being commanded on by the ignition switch / control circuit. Any ideas?

 

[Gtstorey]

You’ll have to check the wiring diagrams to determine where the signal for the starter relay comes from. It’s probably from an ECM/pcm pin. If you have a signal it’s wiring between the relay and the pcm or a ground issue. If no signal that’s a much longer list of what to look for.

 

[andyseavers]

The ground pin for the run crank relay isn’t grounding. I’m going to run a new ground to that. Once the battery charges will see if we have enough power.