Tonyv__
Full Access Member
I’ve keyed doorknobs before so I’m kinda familiar with how it works. I just get nervous jumping into stuff with my van because I need it running daily
Rocket Man's 02 Denali Build Thread AKA "THE BEAST"
- Thread starter Rocket Man
- Start date
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OP
OP
I did s little troubleshooting today and it doesn’t look like the ignition switch is the problem. The “crank” fuse powers up when the key is turned to the start position like it’s supposed to. The starter relay isn’t getting that power though. The neutral safety switch is the only thing in between according to the schematic. That was replaced when I had the trans out 2 years ago with an OEM one but maybe it’s gone bad. I have the truck on jack stands, looked and I don’t see any wiring issues around the switch. I can’t access it much until I pull the front driveshaft and I’ll wait until I have the neutral switch, tomorrow or Tuesday.
OP
OP
I’m thinking about cutting the wires in the harness at the NSS and running them up to a momentary switch in the cab so that switch would have to be held down while I turn the key to the start position to start the truck. Sort of like a fuel pump cutoff switch, a method to avoid thievery of my truck. It would be pretty easy to do and it would be super stealth as well. 
OP
OP
It’s getting crank power at the neutral switch. I hooked a long test wire to the yellow and ran it into the cab so I could hit the starter while I looked at the test light. Its getting the voltage there so the switch is doing it’s thing but the crank voltage isn’t getting to the starter relay in the fuse box. I must have a broken wire between the NSS harness and the fuse box. Shit. Now I’m thinking about just running a wire from the relay to inside the truck and using a hidden momentary switch to start it. I have to run a wire from the neutral switch to the fuse box or one from the fuse box to inside the cab. Hmmm. I made this switch wire today so I could start it from inside the truck, it jumpers power to the starter relay, just a temporary thing but I could do something like that permanently.
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OP
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Got it. I found a place on the harness under the hood that was laying on a coil so I used a mirror to look up and saw a worn-off spot with exposed wiring. It was hard to see and even harder to access. There were 2 wires worn through- one was black and one was what looked like it might have been yellow at one point. They both tested as connected in the starter relay socket. According to the schematic the black was ground to the solenoid and one was the crank voltage. I have those wires repaired and it starts right up. Now to put everything back together, just taking a break because my back is killing me. I’ll add some extra protection on the harness as well as tie it back away from the coils.
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Awesome job in finding that break in the wiring. Not an easy thing to find.
OUTSTANDING detective work!!!!
WELL DONE, sir!
OP
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I was just thinking about that wiring repair. I really consider myself lucky that I found that spot. Most of that harness is inaccessible, it runs between the firewall and bell housing. I started with trying to go from the NSS on the transmission forward but I could only get barely past the plugs before it disappeared. So then I jumped ahead by pulling the wheel and inner fender liner but still could barely see it so I finally went from the fuse box backwards, lifting it up and just eyeballing the hell out of the small section I could see and voila. And then after I repaired the yellow wire which I knew went to the start relay because I had tested continuity I figured that black wire was for something else so I tried the starter, praying I had fixed it and nothing. I went from hopeful to bummed, thinking it was damaged somewhere else too. But then I tested continuity from that broken black wire to the relay socket and it definitely went to it so I realized, aha the ground for the relay. Which makes sense that I could still jump the socket with a hot wire to the terminal that goes to the starter solenoid and start the truck but the relay wouldn’t work even with the crank voltage because it needed it’s ground too. When I fixed that ground wire and it worked I literally jumped in the air and went “YES!!” My neighbor across the street was washing his car and looked over with a big thumbs up. What a relief. Thanks for the compliments guys, that was a big win for me today.
