2006 Malibu Starter Wire Hookup

[dave54]

Hi: guys I'm new to the site please help if you can, my car has been sitting up for 18 months needing a new engine, some time back i took the starter off to have it tested and now I can't remember where all the wires go, I'm showing, a small wire, then I have the thick red wire from the battery, now there is a third wire hanging down with a fusible link, do this wire also goes on my starter. it's a 2006 malibu LT 3.5. my email address is [email protected] if anyone can come up with an answer pretty soon, my emails go directly to my phone, probably won't be back on this site for a few days. Thank You

[Tech II]

Does the fuseable link have an eyelet as big as the one on the big red wire.....the smaller purple wire goes to the "S" terminal of the solenoid...

[dave54]

Ok I have the small wire on the s terminal, and yes the fused wire has a hole about the same diameter as the battery wire. may i add that the starter has three terminals, the S terminal, then the Battery terminal on top, and the third terminal sits next to the starter housing, this is what is confusing me, does that fused wire go on the same terminal as the wire from the battery or does it go on the bottom terminal next to the starter housing.

[Tech II]

The fuseable link goes on the top terminal where the battery cable goes...

[dave54]

Man I sure appreciate the help, I have everything hooked up as it should be, I just wanted to make sure before I burn up a good starter, however when I start the car, the starter just runs until i swithc it off, any ideals on what going on with that? Again thank you for your assistance and help on this problem.

[Tech II]

Are you saying, that you turn key to on, the dash lights up, and car doesn't crank....but when you turn key to crank position, and release the key, the starter continues to crank?

If yes, remove the purple wire from the "S" terminal.....some starters have terminals on both sides of the solenoid.....facing the solenoid, the "S" terminal is at 3 o'clock....

Attach a test light to the eyelet of the purple wire, turn key to on...light should be off...turn key to crank and hold...light should be on...release key light should be off...if these are all correct, you either have a bad starter solenoid(hold in coil contact not releasing) or the starter to flexplate clearance is non existant and the gears are meshed and not releasing ....

[dave54]

Originally Posted by Tech II

Are you saying, that you turn key to on, the dash lights up, and car doesn't crank....but when you turn key to crank position, and release the key, the starter continues to crank?

If yes, remove the purple wire from the "S" terminal.....some starters have terminals on both sides of the solenoid.....facing the solenoid, the "S" terminal is at 3 o'clock....

Attach a test light to the eyelet of the purple wire, turn key to on...light should be off...turn key to crank and hold...light should be on...release key light should be off...if these are all correct, you either have a bad starter solenoid(hold in coil contact not releasing) or the starter to flexplate clearance is non existant and the gears are meshed and not releasing ....

No I have the starter hooked up right, what I'm saying is when i turn the key, the car acts like it wants to start but it won't, all it does is spit and studder all the while the starter keeps running. think the starter may be bad cause it sat on the ground under the car port for over a year before i noticed it was standing in a puddle of water one day when we got a good rain. but that was months ago, maybe condensation could have ruined it? I tried the light test a few weeks ago and I'm getting fire at the S terminal, not sure what flexplate clearence is, I just installed this motor and it's a dead ringer to my old motor. the only problem i noticed was the starter wires were taken off a long time ago, yes i marked them but the markings faded making it hard to see what i had written. that's where the starter problem came from, now she won't start, I will take the starter off and have it benched tested, i will let you know the results, thanks for everything, may God bless you.