Car won't start Options

[aylanco]

Greetings!

Car won't turn over, not even a click.
Thought I needed a new battery (it's old) so I replaced it with a red top optima (good to have anyway) and it still won't turn over. Funny thing is, the headlights come on when I pull the switch, but they don't raise up (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/confused24.gif)
Everything else works, all other lights signals come on.

Any suggestions?

Sebastian
'73 2.0

[grasshopper]

check all wire connections, fuses, and relays. check the headlight relay, in the front trunk. hope that helped

[Rand]

Sounds like the ignition switch to me.

When I bought my car, the headlights would come on but not pop up. After getting it home, next time I tried to start it was dead.

I ruled out a ton of stuff (including all the bad connection possibilities, solenoid, etc.) in an instant with the screwdriver trick at the starter (if you are comfortable jumping the main power to the solenoid tab at the starter as a test, do it... if not, ask).

Problem was a cracked ignition switch, which seems to be fairly common in these old teeners.

It's not likely to be a fuse or a relay (unless a PO installed a hot-start relay). The combination of the headlight pop-up problem makes me say ignition switch instead of dirty connection, but definitely do plan on cleaning up your connections (particularly at ground strap and starter). It needs that anyway.

[9144guy]

#1 on a 914 is to check ALL GROUNDS! have to be cleeeean. i have seen it way to maky times,transmision strap, and battery ground strap. then check to see if power is transfering through the big yellow wire at ign. switch to through the relay board in eng, comp. to the starter( quick teat is to use a set of jumper cables connected to the trans then to battery (-) cable end, if in a pinch on side of road.