I'm having problems with my 1992 Silverado. I turn the key to "Start" and everything seems normal except the solenoid does not engage, and therefore it doesn't start. The first time this happened I replaced the Park/Neutral switch and that seemed to fix it. The next time was a few weeks later. I left it over night and the next day it started fine. I drove it a couple more times before it failed again. Since then I've checked battery, checked the solenoid, checked the wiring from the solenoid to the crank fuse, checked the wiring from the ignition switch to the park/neutral switch, and checked the wiring from the park/neutral switch to the crank fuse. This is where I seem to have a problem, but I can't find the answer. The wiring diagram in my Haynes manual doesn't agree with reality, and is not detailed enough.
The wire from the park/neutral switch to the crank fuse shows a short (0.03 ohms) to the chassis: this is with the fuse pulled and the plug disconnected from the p/n switch. The wire leaving the p/n switch is not the same as the wire arriving at the crank fuse, making me think it goes somewhere before getting to the fuse. Without a good wiring diagram I seem to be forced to tracing the wire thru the bundles and looking for a short to chassis that might not be there, or that disappears when I get close. I hope someone has a suggestion. I'm trying to get on the lib.alldata site but think I need to update my library card. Meanwhile I'll be grateful for any help.

 

I have a Chilton version of the manual and the schematic for a 94 truck shows a crank fuse. It shows the wire from the ign sw to the P/N sw (PPL wire) and from the P/N sw to the starter solenoid (PPL wire) with a spliced wire (no wire color) to the crank fuse and from the fuse (PPL/WHT wire) to the engine control module. I think what you are reading is the starter solenoid coil resistance at 0.03 ohms. With everything connected have someone try starting it while you measure the voltage at the starter solenoid. It could be just a bad connection or corrosion in a connector.

 

Thanks for the reply, TMW. I hope I ruled out the coil resistance of the solenoid when I pulled the crank fuse and still measured a relative short to ground (chassis) on the wire from the p/n switch to the fuse block. I check voltage at the solenoid and it was 0V. I have good continuity from the fuse block to the solenoid. I've checked for starting voltage at the p/n switch with everything hooked up - pull the plug and get 12V to the p/n switch, replace the plug and get 0V. However, while the wire from the p/n switch heading towards the crank fuse is blk/wht, the wire from the fuse block going back to the p/n switch is "ppl/wht". The Haynes manual does not show the ppl/wht wire going anywhere else for the '92, but it obviously does. I'll have to check the manual to see where the ECM fits in for this '92, as far as voltage to the solenoid. I'm about ready to straight wire from the p/n switch to the crank fuse and see what doesn't function (or what smokes).

 

Well, I ran a wire from the ignition switch to the fuse block and the motor cranked. Put everything back to normal and it started. GriMlins?