The small red cable on the positive side of the battery cable broke off. I reconnected it and drove it all day. Parked it for 30 minutes and now it won't start. The mechanic says the battery is fine, the cables are good. the starter ( after he replaced it) he found it is in good shape. The ignition switch is good. It acts as if the auto trans gearshift were not in park because there is no click at all. It won't even click when jumpped!
Help me please.
TKA

" The small red cable on the positive side of the battery cable broke off."

You might want to double-check your repair, because there should be two "small red cables" from Battery positive.

• One to the 25A fuse for the Fuel Injection

• One to the little junction box in the fender rail. This is where the +12 volts gets sent into the car circuits, including to the ignition switch and back out to the starter solenoid when cranking.

Of course you'd get no warning lights on the dash or anything if this 2nd circuit was bad. I just thought it was worth mentioning, since you had trouble in that area.

--
Bruce Young
'93 940-NA (current) — 240s (one V8) — 140s — 122s — since '63.

B.C. says, " Older models, and maybe yours, have an additional spade lug terminal. Use of it ended in 1982, I think."

It's called a "Service Socket", used by mechanics to "bump" the starter by using a jumper wire from the battery. It's shown in the '87-'88 factory diagrams, and exists on my '93 940, so I'm sure you have it too. Finding it is the trick.

Look around the upper firewall, a bit to the left of center, for a short (5"-6") Blue wire coming out of one of the horizontal wire bundles there, it will have a black plastic end insulating a female spade terminal. Also a red plastic sleeve with a wire ID # just behind the plastic end cap.

A jumper from Battery+ applied to this service terminal will cause a good starter to spin and engage -- as long as the battery is up and the main cable connections are good at each end.
--
Bruce Young
'93 940-NA (current) — 240s (one V8) — 140s — 122s — since '63.

I was actually thinking of the terminal that feeds power from the starter to by-pass the ballast resistor during startng.

I made the mistake of connecting the trigger wire to that other spade lug after working on the wiring harness. Not a click, nary a peep. Drove my hald-nuts trying to figure out what I had done. Fortunately I had the Volvo Service Manual Wiring Diagrams for the car - it was in my pre-Brickboard days.

The ballast resistor was used on the B21 cars, and maybe the B23, I don't remember.

Regards,

Bob

:>)

Thanks for not commenting on my blunder, Bob. I mist remember to wake up before posting.

I read only the 1st line of your post and flew off on the wings of assumption (that I knew where you were going). Jumping to conclusions is not the best brain exercise, I suppose.
--
Bruce Young
'93 940-NA (current) — 240s (one V8) — 140s — 122s — since '63.

The good Baron gives good advice. Try that large flat tip screwdriver test. Once the tip touches both the large stud terminal where the battery cable is connected and the small spade lug terminal where the trigger wire connects, the starter should kick right over.

Older models, and maybe yours, have an additional spade lug terminal. Use of it ended in 1982, I think. If the trigger wire is connected to that terminal, you get what you have - not even a click.

And, the flat tip test won't work because the tip can't reach that other terminal.

Another test: Holding the key in starting position, move the gear shift through P-R-N-D and watch the warining idiot lights for a drop in brightness. If the starter draws any current, the brightness will drop a little.

It is also possible that the Neutral/Park switch has failed.

Good Luck,

Bob

:>)

Where is the Nuetral/Park switch located and how would I test it?
TKA

It's part of the shift lever mechanism. Sometimes it will get "out of synch" or the contacts get corroded or fouled. First test is to try to start the car with a jumper to the solenoid -- did you try that? You can also test the switch by connecting a test light or voltmeter at the small wire going to the starter solenoid connection -- if you get voltage there when you turn the key to start, the switch is okay and it may be your solenoid that's dead (or the contact inside).

I was able to cure a no-start a few weeks ago with contact cleaner sprayed into the safety switch on our '83, but I think there is a more complicated setup in the '89. Others may be able to advise on that.

--
'81 GLT 245 @ 259K; '83 DL 175K

One interesting feature of that safety switch is both backup light function and neutral/park start interlock use the same contacts in the wiper, or movable part of the switch. So, if the contacts in the wiper, or the spring tension in it fails, either backup light or starting can be affected.

The wires in and out of that switch, which is the same 83 or 89 automatic, are blue and blue/yellow for the neutral safety function. In this link http://cleanflametrap.com/neutsw.html there is a picture of the insides, with the fix for a backup light problem explained.

I've heard replacement is not that expensive either. The harness connector is only a foot from the switch under the carpet.
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

If you canreach teh astarter without getting in the way of the fan, exhaust, or anything ele dangerous, try jumping the terminals together.

There is the big terinal, which is the cable from the battery. There should also be a smaller wire, which comes from the ignition switch and activates the starter.

Use a screwdriver, heavy wire, pliers, etc. to bridge the cable and wire terminals together. You should hear the starter click and start turning the engine over. There isn't enough voltage there to hurt you, although you may get a tingle if you're standing barefoot in water. :-)

If nothing happens, the battery cable may be loose at either end (battery or starter). Try gripping the cable and giving it a twist clockwise, which will tighten it a little and may cure your problem.

If the starter works, the small wire is the culprit. Check theterinal and make sure it's tight and the ere isn't any rust or corrosion inteh connection.

I'm sorry you're not here, Icould sort this out for you in a few minutes.

Good Luck!