Starting problem

dont know if this is the typical starter issue these cars seem to have. What is happening is, turn the key and i get nothing. I tried to run a jumper wire from the battery to the solenoid terminal and it made the yellow fuel pump relay buzz and then the dinger in the car dings. Its as if power is backfeeding?

with the constant lug bolted to the starter and the jumper to the terminal, it should get the starter to turn, shouldnt it?

If I understand correctly what you are doing, then yes the starter should turn.

Before I did the starter-relay-mod I unplugged the harness wire from the side of the starter solenoid. Then, with a short length of wire with an alligator clip on each end, I clipped one end to the terminal on the side of the starter solenoid. Then with the key turned to the ON position, I briefly touched the alligator clip on the other end of the wire to the (+) side of the battery and the car would start right up.

With the harness wire unplugged from the starter solenoid and taped so it can't touch anything, there is no way to back-feed power to the rest of the system.

So, if what you are doing is what I described, then yes at least the starter should kick in and turn the engine over.

i figured it out. turns out that it was a bad ground. once the ground was good, all my lights behaved and it started. with the harness in tack. I didnt have to do the relay mod.