[DeTomaso] Pantera won't start

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 10/25/08 10:55:19 AM, charlesmccall at gmail.com writes:


> 
> Symptoms - battery obvious fine - started the car just fine an hour earlier
> and just came back from driving around. Radiator fans come on when key
> turned to ACC. Lights and everything work. The only thing atypical is the
> complete lack of noise when turning the key - no click from the starter
> solonoid, no deflection of the amp meter. As though I hadn't turned the key.
> 

I had *exactly* the same thing happen to me in my GT350 about ten years ago.  
 Fired up just fine, went for a 45-mile drive, shut it off just for a minute, 
went to start, and nada.   Lights worked, but no startee.

The battery had simply fried.   Shorted out internally.   Still put out 12v 
so lights etc. worked, but had hardly any amperage, wouldn't come close to 
starting the car.

I can't remember if I could hear my solenoid clicking or not.   I would tend 
to believe that a bad battery like I'm describing would still actuate the 
solenoid.

Others with far more electrical smarts than me will weigh in pretty soon.   
This is going to be a two-man troubleshooting operation, as you'll need to be 
running around the car with a voltmeter or test light while your assistant 
turns the key.   I'd start looking for 12v at the solenoid coming from the wire 
coming from the ignition switch.   If yes, then the solenoid is probably bad 
(which is good).   If no, then the problem is upstream.   Hopefully a bad 
connection and not a bad switch.   

Roger Coates just had to replace his ignition switch (although I have a 
feeling his could have been fixed); he got his from Wilkinson (who has GT5-S 
switches in stock, different from regular Pantera switches).   

Expensive....:<(

In the short term, if the only part of your ignition switch that's bad is the 
spring-loaded start function, you can get away with rigging up a 
doorbell-type button in a discreet place.   Turn the car on, hit the hidden doorbell, 
VAROOM.

But really, you should try to find and fix the problem properly if able.

Okay, SOBills of the world, how about coming up with some more/better advice? 
:>)

Mike

P.S.   Charlie--if you haven't already downloaded and studied SOBills 
starting circuit diagram from the www.panteraplace.com website,   you're wrong....



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