So my miata has been sitting for a couple of years and I've just managed to restart the project. I got all the new drive line parts in. New clutch, flywheel, sixspeed swap, torsen... etc etc. I've put moisture remover in the tank. Have a new battery.

The car won't turn. I get a single click. The dash lights up like it should, but, whenever I depress the clutch the emergency brake light comes on and turns off when I release.

My first thought was grounds but I cleaned all the ones I could immediately see before installing them. Engine block to firewall, ground on starter, ground to PPF. There was a wire harness mount to tranny which I hooked up but It didn't look like a ground.

I wired the the reverse light switch with the plugs from the old switch and hooked it into the old harness.

I removed the cas to put a new oring on there so the timing would be off but I really don't think that's the problem. I should get it to turn before that showed any signs.

Any ideas?

edit: it has a shitty alarm system that the PO had installed but I remember partially disabling it. When I hook up the battery the alarm goes blaring but when I stick the key and turn to idle it chirp chirp offs.

 

I'm going to try cleaning the ignition switch tomorrow via a suggestion from this post: Cleaning the Ignition Switch (1990)
also check the clutch switch/terminals.

I can physically turn the crank so I don't think anything is "frozen".

I'll recheck the wiring to make sure there isn't anything I left unplugged. clean the battery terminal wires.

Then, I'm going to drop off the battery to make sure it's fully charged, It has actually been sitting 3-4 months.

Then I'm going to check the fuses/re-clean and install grounds/check wiring diagrams.

After that, I guess it's pull the alarm system and then start testing the starter itself.

from there, who knows- play hide and go seek with a tester/voltmeter.

 

Does that alarm system have an ignition interrupt? If so or if you are unsure I would remove it completely until you sort out the starting issue.

 

cut out that whole alarm. The one in my car when I bought it had all the wiring but has the module removed took about 15 minutes to cut it all out thoroughly. Then a bit more time to splice **** back together so that the car would work.

 

Thanks guys. I'll put the alarm higher on the list. I'll keep this updated.

edit: also found this pretty cool site for miata wiring diagrams from 90-00 http://www.madracki.com/miata/wiring.html

 

so I popped the steering column shield...



Fancy, Clean work guys. Fine butt-splicing

 

Ok making progress chopping through the foliage. Don't need this shitty black box, connections to siren, vibration sensor, switch, LED, or this length of speaker cable running back to the rear. -- thought it was fuel pump disable, not that clever, aux power? and trunk latch sensor.



There we are, little bit closer to stock now.



and... I'll just leave this here.

Ready to start?!! Click... !@#$$!@

lets run through harness in the engine bay.

Wait, whats this little guy without a home? *searchers starter with fingers for a moment*

That's where that goes.....

Apply negative battery cable

Turn the key, click click click VROOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM **** YEAH BABY!!!!!

Edit: Turns out my friend had a similar problem with his emergency brake light-tied to clutch and the starter not working on his ford. I'm thinking this a diagnostic indicator that something isn't right with the starter, ground, disconnected wire... good luck finding that on the internet easily.

 

Dear god. I thought my alarm was a catastrophe. Normally I dont recommend solder, but honestly that will clean up at lot getting rid of the crimps. Buy the spark fun brand soldering gun and their house blend solder. Maybe Joe or Jason know of a better solder for automotive, but that one ticks all my boxes, its fairly ductile and the flux core doesn't make a mess and works really well.

 

I only ended up doing 2 butt splices of my own to finish it. The whole series of ignition wires is completely taped now.

Is soldering considered more stable than butt splices? - if it is I may go back in some time and take out all the splices and solder them. I have a cheepo iron and some regular solder... I just felt splices would be easier and I could avoid my shitty soldering skills and burning carpet.

 

It depend on the execution of both. I would rather have OEM style crimp connectors rather than either. But if that's not possible a well executed butt splice is better than a shitty solder connection and vice versa. If those are the heat shrinkable type of butt connectors, IE have the heat shrink on them already I would hit them with the heat gun to clean it up.

 

Alright. I hit the reverse switch splices I put on with a heat gun. Maybe if I ever cut it open again I'll do the ignition switch wires. Thanks for the info.

Does anybody know what the 4-5 small gauge wires running from the back of the trunk on the passengers side and underneath the passenger door thresh-hold in the cabin do?

one of the wires from the alarm was tapped into one of them... I think it was just aux power from one of the lights but It would nice to be certain.