‘83 245

Battery and cables needed replacing. I disconnected everything and removed old and hooked up new. To test before going too far, I just connected the negative to the frame and the positive to the starter. I connected the positive to the battery and when I touch the negative cable to the battery, the engine cranks. The key is off and out. What the heck?

Thanks in advance.

I'd bet your engine wiring harness is bad - and the wire to the starter is touching something with 12v. Disconnect the small wire from the starter - see if the starter does not automatically engage as before. if so check if there is power going to that wire - if so find it in the multiconnector at the firewall at the back of the head and disconnect it there - then check if there is power on that wire coming from inside the car - if not the problem is in the harness - simply run a new wire from the firewall to the starter (or replace the harness)

Thanks. I’ve had everything disconnected and tested the solenoid with the continuity tests that the Bentley manual shows and it seems fine. I think I pulled the small wires from the solenoid and still had the problem but I am reassembling everything and starting over.

I hear you on the wiring harness. The ‘83 is known to be flaky in that regard.

Thanks again and will post an update when I get a solution.

OK, all is well. I put everything back together and everything works as it should. So, what was the issue? I tried testing when it was only halfway reconnected and for some reason it didn’t like that. Had I just removed the old battery and cables and reinstalled the new ones and believed that was all I needed to do I’d never taken this little side trip. I tend to overthink things.

Thanks.