While you are at the parts house you might pick up a remote starter switch and use it instead of that clumsy ***** drivwer.

Ok, DandyD, now you will havta tell him how to use that Remote Starter Switch! Won't he Gator?

Attach one gator(short for alligator)clip to the battery post on the solenoid and the other gator clip to the ignition post and firmely mash the button.
dandyd

Now, things could be perfect if I could get one of you guys to come over to my garage and watch me "fix" the problem :rolleyes: or burn myself, or get a shock, or weld myself to the truck or ???? Free beer

Don't let anyone watch. Have them show you.

FREE BEER !!!!

If it's Coors, I'd be willing to bet that Junkyard Dog is packing the car to get to your place, even as we speak !! -Bob

Already on the road!!!!

Cool deal, I'm waiting with a keg in a ice tub chilled ready to drink with frosted Chevy mugs sitting in the freezer ready to use.

We are some 3 weeks down the line on this thread and unless I overlooked it, what was the ultimate conclusion? Or, was this a rhetorical question?

Raymond, please fill me in on this. But didn't it have something to do with something electrical?

maybe a clue sould be the forum heading ELECTRIAL 12V.

Oh! I know it was about a starter solenoid! Seems that

Chevrolet said it well in his post on 11/24/03:

"a solenoid is nothing more than a wire wound around a piece of iron (core) to make an electromagnet...a magnet stays magnetic all the time...an electromagnet is magnetized only when electricity is applied...(look at those nice pictures mrmack posted...most of them show just two wires emerging...)

the earth is a big magnet with a north & south pole, because it has an (molten) iron core...many planetary bodies & sattelites are not, because they lack an iron core...

anyway, when one applies a current to the wire, it creates a magentic field...if one designs this device correctly, the iron core is either attracted or repelled, dependent upon the orientation of the poles...reverse to "polarity" of the wiring, that is, switch which wire is connected to positive & negative terminals of the baterry, and the magnetic orientation reverses, too...

so, the solenoid type electric door locks use this principal...push the conrol switch one way and the solenoid pulls the door lock linkage to "lock," push the switch the other way and it provides a reversed wiring connection so the solenoid "unlocks"...

solenoids are cool because they can operate things from a remote location, like your auto's door or trunk locks, or your home's doorbell chime...

in a vehicle with an electric key start, the key switch applies current to the engine's starter solenoid...this way, one doesn't have to step on the starter switch, like those of us with the foot starters...

with a relatively small amount of electrical energy (small wire), two things occur: 1) the solenoid pulls a linkage to engage the pinion gear of the starter motor to the ring gear on the flywheel and 2) connects the starter motor contacts to the battery (big cable) to start the cranking of the engine...

since nothing happens when you turn your key switch, your switch may not be supply any or enough power to the solenoid...to see if the solenoid/starter/battery cable part of the system is working, you can jump the solenoid terminal with the starter terminal (battery) to see if the solenoid engages and starter motor turns...if so, then you know to look for trouble back towards the keyswitch circuit...


hope this helps,


kepi"

This is a quote from an earlier post by Gator:
Unless I have missed it, the question still remains:

Has the problem been diagnosed and repaired?

Some answers could be way back on page 1 of this thread.

So I read that as a, NO the problem still exists.

Ray, I don't know what else could be said about a solenoid, Do You? Except if the one for the 350 is questionable go to the Chevrolet house or Battery and electrical repair shop and pluck down some money for a newly rebuilt starter Asmbly / with solenoid, and heck while you are there behind the tow truck hold on tightly and enjoy the ride!

Boy am I glad I came back to this thread and read all the posts, here I thought it was all about Beer!

No, No, glyn, first the guys give you their expert opinions and answers and then and only then do we turn to beer

Ahhh! now the grasshopper understands!