Starting Problems '88 Corolla

[cayenne47]

i HAVE A 88 corolla wagon with 150k miles. No starting problems at all to this point. Went shopping all day, so the car was shut off and started several times. When i parked it at a friend's, he asked me to move it back a bit. NOTHING. No interior dash lights, no door ajar warning 'dings'--nothing. When you turn the key the only thing that lights up on the dash is the battery light. The headlights come on and work, the horn works. Its a brand new battery and cables. My friend tested all the fusible links and we pulled and replaced all the fuses in the drivers side kick panel fuse box. The only sound we get out of it is a click from a relay in the under-hood fuse box. He tested everything with his little volt meter(?) and there is power to and from everything that we can see. We are stumped. HELLLP!!!!

[Smokey4AGE]

hey man, i had the exact same problem once on my ae92... i found it was the power to the starter motor... the cable behind the starter had come undone because it was stretched fair tight and had come undone wif the stopping n starting n bouncing n shit... just a thought... i cud be 100% wrong...
jus i only got the bat light n horn n shit.. but no ignition at all...

IF it is this problem then as a fix i unscrewed the little fuse box thingy for the starter motor moved it closer to the starter n then screwed it bak down the fire wall... works everytime now.. u might need to bend the clip bak into shape as well...

[karugs]

If it's a click chances are the battery is gone. I would check your cables if the terminals are installed tightly. If they are then jump the car and idle it for 30 mins or more to charge the battery. If the battery remains dead, it's something else (starter, alternator, etc)

[fredk]

put the little wire back onto the starter