Hello,

I have an issue with my 72 coupe where it won't start (won't even kick the solenoid) after the wipers have been run (but only sometimes). The local Vette shop here swears there is nothing electrical in the location of the wiperdoor etc. that has to do with starting the car. I'm convinced there is something to this, because when it won't start, all I have to do is lift the wiperdoor slightly by hand (reaching in between the windshield and the wiperdoor... Don't ask how I discovered this ) and it will then start right up.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks,
Walt

I can not answer your question but you left yourself wide open for one......how DID you discover lifting the door would help in starting the car? I am sure everyone would like to hear that answer !
Good luck withthe problem...hopefully someone will know the answer.

If your wiring has not been altered, the local 'Vette shop is correct. I would check the door and linkage to see if there is physical contact with a wire or if it's making a ground somewhere. Try removing the door and see if it still does it. That would narrow it down to the passenger side linkage.

O.K. Glenn, it actually wasn't all that bad... Unfortunately, it took me about 5 or 6 times of having to jump the solenoid with a screwdriver to start the car before I started realizing that I only had this starting problem after having to use the wipers. It wasn't consistent though, and didn't happen everytime I had to use them. Then one day I pulled back in the garage after getting caught in the rain. Shut the car off and tried to start it, but nothing. I opened the hood and was trying to look to see if I could see anything while standing beside the car and turning the key, and noticed a very light sparking bear the base of the windshield. Apparently it was the glass carrying the light, because there are no wires even close to where the spark was showing. I lifted the wiper door by hand to get a better look, and was amazed when I turned the key and it started (no spark showing in the glass).

btw, VERY NICE 69 Glenn!


JSB69,

Now for the bad news... This car had a 73 hood on it before the prior owner got it. He decided that it needed the wiper door / cowl restored etc. so he took it upon himself to "make it right". From what the local vette shop (where I bought the car from) said, he had installed all the mechanicals himself before selling it to them. That said, there is no telling what wires may be running where with regards to the wiper door assembly.

I think your idea of a ground is probably a very good one. Maybe the wire from the ignition switch to the soleniod is in this mess somewhere and getting pinched to a ground by the door intermittently. I'll have to remove the door and cowl vent to get a better look and see what's going on.

Now I'm wishing that the guy left the 73 hood in place instead... I wouldn't have this problem, and it most likely would be allowing some of the under hood heat to escape easier as well.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll try to keep this post updated with results. I'm wanting to fix this as I'm strongly considering selling this car and would feel awful selling it to someone without either letting them know about this or fixing it. Letting them know would probably scare off most people though.

Walt

Walt,
You're right, it's not that bad ! Hope you find the short ( or broken wire ). Thanks for the nice comment.