Engine / ECU loom clean up - now wont start?

[jmabw]

Started the resoration of Pat the 4.2 Cerbie today, thought I would have a look at the electrics first - wrong!

Just removed my battery to get at the Engine / ECU loom connector under the coolant header tank, then unplugged from the ECU, signs of some oxidation on a few of the pins.

Cleaned everything then refitted, now car wont start, sounds like the starter is engaging and then releases straight away?

Thought the battery might be flat, so tried boost starting from another vehicle - just the same!

Starter looks fairly new (Tilton) and was working perfectly earlyier in the week?

Anyone got any ideas?

[GreenV8S]

Sounds rather like the supply voltage to the solenoid is dropping so far when you start cranking, that the solenoid drops out. This would happen if you have a flat battery, but can also happen if you have a poor connection to the battery. A poor earth is a classic cause. Given that you've disturbed the wiring, that would be a good thing to check. If you're feeling like investigating this yourself, the first thing I'd do would be stick a volt meter on the battery and see what happens when you try to start the car. If the voltage goes through the floor, you have a battery problem. If it hardly moves, you have a connection problem.