78 gs 1000 wont start ..no spark ..starter button wont work..

start at the battery
remove the terminals and clean battery posts and inside of terminals to shiny cleam
check that the ground wire to frame/engine point is tight and rust free
have a load test done on the battery to check for internal plate bridge cracks
check terminals on starter are clean and tight
It is still a problem , remove the starter and have it bench tested , especially the contacts in the solenoid

Hi Ray:
I'd start by doing a power check from the battery to the starter,
- Battery - charged, connected, terminals good, wires good, ground cable connected to engine/frame?
- Heavy red wire connected to solenoid, and from solenoid to starter?
- Solenoid function check - small terminal to positive - if it works then check power source from ignition switch - if it doesn't, short across thick wire terminals. - if it works then solenoid is the problem.
Reply as a comment to this post to get back to me.
Cheers.

Sounds like start wire is touching ground with would be frame motor or metal

OK, this is going to reqire more info.. Do you smell gas?? Does the engine crank over? Do you know how to check for spark at the plug wires? If so check for spark there. If you don't smell gad try sqirting some into the throttle body after removing air cleaner. Run these checks first!! Make sure batt. cables are tight at the starter and the battery. Make sure the engine to ground frame strap is bolted into the engine and frame. Check for power at the starter on the batt. terminal, the one going to the battery. Check for power at the start wire terminal, the little one, this is done while someone turns the key to start position. Check that power is getting to the other big terminal on the solenoid. If you are getting power at all these places other than the start terminal, then the ignition switch may be bad. If you are getting power to the start terminal the switch is good. If all the above checks out then replace the starter. Note: A shorted starter will superheat the cables, so if they are getting really hot, the starter is probably shot. Hope this helps, please post solved on fixya.com. if it does, So I get credit .for a solved problem. If not, check back and give me more info.

Do a voltage drop test on the starter system.

First do a voltage reading on the battery and note what it is.

Using a voltmeter attach the red meter lead to the most positive part of the circuit, which would be the positive post of the battery and attach the black meter lead to the final destination or component in the circuit (if testing a starter circuit this would be the terminal on the starter, not the solenoid). THEN try to activate the starter and observe the meter reading. The meter will read the voltage dropped or the difference in potential between the source and the destination. An ideal circuit voltage drop reading would be 1 volt or less. If there is an open in the circuit (i.e. NO electricity is reaching the terminal) the voltmeter should read source voltage volts which means all the voltage was dropped. A normal good starter circuit should not show more than a one volt drop. If more than 1 volt is dropped there is a problem somewhere in the circuitry before the starter terminal. In this case leaving the red voltmeter lead on the battery positive post, move the negative voltmeter lead to the solenoid stud where the battery cable attaches and activate the starter circuit again. If the voltage reading is now 1 volt or less clean, repair, tighten the starter solenoid to starter terminal stud connections and test again and if no change clean/repair the internal solenoid contacts or replace the solenoid with a new/good one. If there is still a voltage drop greater than 1 volt move the negative voltmeter lead from the solenoid terminal stud to the actual battery cable terminal end at the solenoid terminal stud and again activate the starter circuit. If there is a 1 volt or less reading the battery cable terminal end and/or solenoid terminal stud and/or the connection between the two is faulty, loose, corroded or etc. Clean and tighten and retest. If there is still more than a 1 volt reading on the voltmeter the problem is a loose or corroded or otherwise bad connection between the battery cable terminal end and the battery positive post or the battery cable itself is bad. Clean and tighten the battery cable terminal and battery positive post and test again. If there is still more than a one volt reading on the voltmeter the battery cable is bad and will need to be replaced.

If there is less than a 1 volt reading when the test is done at the starter terminal the circuit up to that point is good so the next step will be to do a negative or ground circuit voltage drop test by connecting the negative or black voltmeter lead to the most negative point which is normally the negative battery post (or the closest thing thereto if, like some Sportsters, the battery post is hard or impossible to get to) and then connect the positive or red voltmeter lead to the starter mounting studs. Then activate the starter circuit again and if the voltage reading is greater than 1 volt clean the battery negative cable ends and battery post and negative cable to motorcycle frame or other grounding point, tighten same and similarly the starter mounting points and studs because there is a problem with the starter ground (could be looseness, corrosion, powder coat/paint problems etc). If the voltage reading is 1 volt or less than 1 volt in this test the ground circuit is okay and it will be necessary to perform a starter current draw test on the vehicle (and/or a starter current free draw test on the bench). If the results are within the specifications for the starter in these tests remove the spark plugs, raise the rear wheel so it can spin unimpeded, put the transmission in 5th gear and rotate the rear wheel to check for engine, transmission, primary and/or crankshaft resistance/bind. If the results are not within the amperage specifications for the particular starter replace or repair the starter motor to bring within the system amperage specifications.

I ha d a similar problem, so try the following. Screw out the spark plug and check its function. If it gives spark only BEFORE and AFTER eletrical starter works (when you push+relase the starter button) it means you have a weak battery. It doesn`t have enough energy to rotate the starter and give spark at the same time.

starter gets its ground from mount bolts the wire is probably starter connection to start solenoid. Posative from battery runs to start solenoid on the B side and the starter connects to S side.

I'm not familiar with this Toro Model, but that click sound probably is the starter solenoid engaging. Have you checked the wiring from the battery to the solenoid and from the solenoid to the starter? Also, check the ground connection on the mower frame.
You may have a bad starter motor. You can by-pass the solenoid by - placing a heavy gauge wire from the POSITIVE battery terminal directly to the STARTER terminal, where the heavy wire is attached. Be careful NOT to ground out the wire from the battery.
If the starter turns - it's a bad solenoid. If it does not turn - it probably is a bad starter motor.

Items of interest.

1.When a starter fails to start a vehicle, and the wiring has been found to be bad, and changed, one suspects the wiring first.

2.If a starter is suspected to be bad, one takes it out, and performs a benchtest, or takes it to an auto parts store, and see if they can do a benchtest. They need to load test it, not just see if it will Spin!

This test result should stop the needless buying, of starter after starter. If you get three bad starters in a row from an auto parts store, I suggest it's time to change auto parts stores! (Make sure, you are not twisting the S terminal on the Solenoid, when installing the ignition wires)

3.The frame of your vehicle should be the Ground.

Make sure that the motor home manufacturer, hasn't reversed the system for this motor home, and is using the frame for Positive.
This was done in the past for some older vehicles, because it was thought to reduce rusting, of the frame. However, you're dealing with a motor home. Hard to say what type of system they used.
Normal, would be using the frame as a Ground.

In the normal type of setup, of using the frame as ground, make sure where the starter contacts that 454 Chevy engine block, that this area of the starter has no paint on it. The starter grounds through the engine block, and where the starter contacts the engine block.

Make sure also, that this area of the engine block has no paint on it.

Be sure that there are flat braided ground straps going from the frame, to the engine block. If they are an insulated wire, and not braided flat straps, be sure they are about the thickness of your little finger. You'll notice I stated -> They. There should be TWO of them. ONE, will NOT Do!

The frame is the ground. The starter gets it's Ground source from the engine. The engine gets it's ground source from the frame. The only contact the engine has to the frame, is the motor mounts, and the transmission mount. They have
RUBBER in the middle!
There HAS to be -> ground straps! There MUST be TWO of them for the correct amount of grounding!

4.Power to start the starter turning comes from the ignition switch. The reason you have a solenoid on the starter, is so that there won't be a wire that is the thickness of your little finger, going up to the ignition switch!

Check the wire that comes from the ignition switch, for power, once the ignition switch is turned to the Start position.

Battery -> Negative terminal disconnected. Ignition wire from starter disconnected. Put electrical tape on the terminal end, of the ignition wire you removed from the starter solenoid. (Goes to the -> S <- on the solenoid)

Leave the other wires on, put the nut back on, and tighten. (Use caution in this area. The nut is only 5/16 inch, or 11/32. This means that threaded post is TINY. DON'T overtighten! IF, the threaded post starts to turn, STOP! Pull out on the post.

Inside the solenoid cap, that you can't see, there is a square boss, on inside end, of this tiny threaded terminal post. The solenoid cap, has a square hole that this boss fits into. Keeps that tiny threaded post from turning. Inside the cap, the tiny threaded post is connected to a one strand copper wire. If you twist the tiny threaded post, more than 90 degrees, the wire will twist off! Time for another solenoid!

Wheels chocked. Transmission in neutral, and it's best to have the parking brake on, and someone in the drivers seat. Have this person hold their foot down on the brake pedal. This way you avoid any accidents happening to YOU, someone else, or property.

Reconnect the Negative battery terminal. (Order of connecting up a battery is ALWAYS, Positive terminal First, Negative terminal last)

Take a multimeter set it to DC, and to the 50 volt scale. Find a clean, non-painted surface on the frame, (Or scratch a little area), touch the Black lead, (Negative probe) of the multimeter to it. Touch the Red lead, (Positive probe), of the multimeter to the ignition wire, electrical tape partially removed. (Enough so you can make a good contact to that terminal. The tape is there, in case the wire slips out of your hand, and touches a ground. If it has no tape, you'll think it's the Fourth of July under there!)

No reading? Be sure the person inside, has the ignition switch in the starting position. Still no reading? Check that ignition switch out. See if it's getting power.

first check the condition of all circuit wiring for damage. Inspect all connection to the starter motor, solenoid, ignition switch, and battery, including all ground connections. Clean and tighten all connections as required
next
Check the voltage drop between the negative battery terminal and the vehicle frame by placing one lead of a voltmeter on the grounded battery post (not the cable clamp) and the other lead on the frame. Turn the ignition key to the START position and note the voltage drop.
Check the voltage drop between the positive battery terminal (not the cable clamp) and the starter terminal stud. Turn the ignition key to the START position and note the voltage drop.
Check the voltage drop between the starter housing and the frame. Turn the ignition key to the START position and note the voltage drop.
If the voltage drop in any of the above is more than 1 volt, there is excessive resistance in the circuit. Clean and retest all cables not within specification. Replace as necessary.
let me know what happens