Hello Everyone from a new member!
Boy, do I have a DOOZIE of a problem for you to solve...
This problem is almost FIVE YEARS OLD now, with no end in sight. I call this problem the “CLICK CLICK” problem.
THE PROBLEM: My 1996 Mustang GT has a PERSISTENT cranking problem. You turn the key, and all you hear is a loud "CLICK" coming from the starter. You keep turning the key, and you keep hearing the "CLICK"...just when you are about to decide that the battery is bad, the car will start...but the starter turns somewhat slowly...just fast enough to start the car.
Here’s the weird part: This problem has almost NO PATTERN AT ALL. Sometimes the car can go for months with NO starting issues at all...and then, without warning, the car has problems EVERY TIME you try to start it...the engine can be COLD...the engine can be HOT...it doesn't matter.
POSSIBLE PATTERN #1: I said that the problem has "ALMOST" no pattern...after literally YEARS of suffering with this problem, I have finally managed to detect a pattern...the problem is MUCH WORSE when the weather is COLD. When the weather is warm (spring/summer), the problem is better, but does NOT go away completely. The past two days in my area have seen temperatures in the high 30's/low 40's...car absolutely WOULD NOT start, even after turning the key literally hundreds of times. I got nothing but “CLICK”. I had to resort to push-starting it. Then we had a day where the temperature climbed into the 60's, and the car started the first time I turned the key ALMOST EVERY TIME...
POSSIBLE PATTERN #2: If I start the car and drive it for 30 minutes or more, shut it off, and then start it up again IMMEDIATELY without waiting for more than just a few minutes, it will start right up. However, if I only drive it for 5 or 10 minutes and shut it off, it gives me “CLICK CLICK”. Also, if the car is allowed to sit overnight, it will always give me “CLICK CLICK” in the mornings…and on cold mornings, the car must be push-started…my hand simply gets too tired to turn the key that many times!!!
I HAVE REPLACED THE FOLLOWING:
1 -- Battery. I just put a brand new Sears DieHard battery in the car a week ago (590 cold cranking amps)...I got CLICK the very first time I tried the new battery!!!!!
2 -- Starter (MULTIPLE TIMES)
3 -- Ignition switch
4 -- Starter relay
5 -- Negative battery cable (this cable connects negative battery terminal to engine block)
ALTERNATOR HAS BEEN TESTED MULTIPLE TIMES....ALWAYS TESTS GOOD
CLUTCH SAFETY SWITCH HAS BEEN EXAMINED....NO PROBLEMS ARE APPARENT
I am ready to conclude that enough VOLTAGE is getting to the starter, but NOT enough CURRENT. Something (and I don't know what) seems to be preventing enough CURRENT from getting to the starter. When you repeatedly turn the key and hear the CLICK, I think that the starter is gradually rotating to a spot that the weak CURRENT can finally make the starter spin. Keep in mind, when the starter DOES spin, it doesn't sound like it is really getting the jolt that it needs...especially when you consider a BRAND NEW Sears battery with 590 cold cranking amps is powering it.
I NEED EXPERT ELECTRICAL HELP HERE, and I am willing to go to a local shop, but I want to be armed with good solid information before I go!
Any...and I mean ANY...tips/information/solutions/prayers will be MUCH appreciated!!!!!!!!
Boy, do I have a DOOZIE of a problem for you to solve...
This problem is almost FIVE YEARS OLD now, with no end in sight. I call this problem the “CLICK CLICK” problem.
THE PROBLEM: My 1996 Mustang GT has a PERSISTENT cranking problem. You turn the key, and all you hear is a loud "CLICK" coming from the starter. You keep turning the key, and you keep hearing the "CLICK"...just when you are about to decide that the battery is bad, the car will start...but the starter turns somewhat slowly...just fast enough to start the car.
Here’s the weird part: This problem has almost NO PATTERN AT ALL. Sometimes the car can go for months with NO starting issues at all...and then, without warning, the car has problems EVERY TIME you try to start it...the engine can be COLD...the engine can be HOT...it doesn't matter.
POSSIBLE PATTERN #1: I said that the problem has "ALMOST" no pattern...after literally YEARS of suffering with this problem, I have finally managed to detect a pattern...the problem is MUCH WORSE when the weather is COLD. When the weather is warm (spring/summer), the problem is better, but does NOT go away completely. The past two days in my area have seen temperatures in the high 30's/low 40's...car absolutely WOULD NOT start, even after turning the key literally hundreds of times. I got nothing but “CLICK”. I had to resort to push-starting it. Then we had a day where the temperature climbed into the 60's, and the car started the first time I turned the key ALMOST EVERY TIME...
POSSIBLE PATTERN #2: If I start the car and drive it for 30 minutes or more, shut it off, and then start it up again IMMEDIATELY without waiting for more than just a few minutes, it will start right up. However, if I only drive it for 5 or 10 minutes and shut it off, it gives me “CLICK CLICK”. Also, if the car is allowed to sit overnight, it will always give me “CLICK CLICK” in the mornings…and on cold mornings, the car must be push-started…my hand simply gets too tired to turn the key that many times!!!
I HAVE REPLACED THE FOLLOWING:
1 -- Battery. I just put a brand new Sears DieHard battery in the car a week ago (590 cold cranking amps)...I got CLICK the very first time I tried the new battery!!!!!
2 -- Starter (MULTIPLE TIMES)
3 -- Ignition switch
4 -- Starter relay
5 -- Negative battery cable (this cable connects negative battery terminal to engine block)
ALTERNATOR HAS BEEN TESTED MULTIPLE TIMES....ALWAYS TESTS GOOD
CLUTCH SAFETY SWITCH HAS BEEN EXAMINED....NO PROBLEMS ARE APPARENT
I am ready to conclude that enough VOLTAGE is getting to the starter, but NOT enough CURRENT. Something (and I don't know what) seems to be preventing enough CURRENT from getting to the starter. When you repeatedly turn the key and hear the CLICK, I think that the starter is gradually rotating to a spot that the weak CURRENT can finally make the starter spin. Keep in mind, when the starter DOES spin, it doesn't sound like it is really getting the jolt that it needs...especially when you consider a BRAND NEW Sears battery with 590 cold cranking amps is powering it.
I NEED EXPERT ELECTRICAL HELP HERE, and I am willing to go to a local shop, but I want to be armed with good solid information before I go!
Any...and I mean ANY...tips/information/solutions/prayers will be MUCH appreciated!!!!!!!!