Car starts when it wants

Next time the car won't start, use a rubber handle screw driver and bypass the starter solenoid. Turn the key on and hold the clutch in with the e-brake on and the car OUT of gear, have someone take the screw driver and touch across the two posts on the starter solenoid and see if the car cranks. If it does, then you need to replace the solenoid.

Another thing to try FIRST is, when the car won't start tap the solenoid and then try again. When solenoids start to go bad, they can get stuck and not allow power to the starter. Tapping it sometimes releases it and allows the car to start. Bypassing it with a screw driver, or other metal object with a rubber handle will put juice straight to the starter.

That way you can rule out the solenoid as a problem.

An alternative is [when it acts up] to simply see if the little wire on the solenoid shows 12 volts while cranking.

I would also check your battery connections and solenoid connections. Clean and/or snug them up.

Good luck.

I would definately check your battery connections, especially your ground. I've seen people replace all kinds of parts when it was a ground that was loose and occasionally didn't make any connection.

No Crank checklist for 5.0 Mustangs

Since some of the tests will bypass the safety interlocks, make sure that the car is in neutral and the parking brake is set. Becoming a pancake isn’t part of the repair process…

Check battery, terminal connections, ground, starter relay switch (also known as solenoid) and starter in that order. The clamp on with 2 bolts battery terminal ends are a know problem causer.

A voltmeter is handy if you are familiar with how to use it to find bad connections. Measure the voltage drop across a connection while trying to start the car: more than .5 volts across a connection indicates a problem.
See http://www.fluke.com/application_notes/automotive/circuit.asp?AGID=1&SID=103 for help for help troubleshooting voltage drops across grounds.


1.) Will the car start if it is jumped? Then clean battery terminals and check battery.

2.) Check the battery to engine block ground, and the ground behind the engine to the firewall.

3.) Jump the big terminals on the starter relay next to the battery with a screwdriver - watch out for the sparks! If the engine cranks, the starter and power wiring is good. The starter relay is also known as a starter solenoid.

4.) Then pull the small push on connector (small red/blue wire) off the starter solenoid (Looks like it is stuck on a screw). Then jump between the screw and the terminal that is connected to the battery. If it starts, the relay is good and your problem is in the rest of the circuit.

5.) Remember to check the ignition switch, neutral safety switch on auto trans and the clutch safety switch on manual trans cars. If they are good, then you have wiring problems.
Typical start circuit...
Diagram courtesy of Tmoss & Stang&2birds


See http://www.autozone.com/images/cds/gif/large/0900823d80195963.gif for 88-90 year cars
See http://www.autozone.com/images/cds/gif/large/0900823d80195964.gif for 91-93 year cars.
See http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiB..._us/0900823d/80/1d/db/3c/0900823d801ddb3c.jsp for 94-95 model cars.

6.) The starter may be hung, loosen up the bolts that hold it on, and give it a good whack with a big hammer. Tighten up the bolts and try again.

7.) If that doesn't work, use a jumper cable from the positive lead on the battery direct to the starter post where the big wire from the relay connects. If it cranks then, it is the power wire from the relay gone bad. This will be hard to do, since there isn't much room to do it.

8.) Pull the starter and take it to Autozone or Pep Boys and have them test it. Starter fails test, then replace it. If you got this far, the starter is probably bad.

savegoodautonfg said:

Also to add, when it did'nt start i tried tapping the starter solenoid and it did'nt do anything and when i tried to turn the key to start the engine the little red wire hissin told me to check did'nt show any volts. but when the car did start the volts showed 9.?? when it was cranking. so i replaced the solenoid back to the old one while it was'nt starting and it didnt do anything so i know the starter solenoid is good then.

Click to expand...

If this is so, that suggests an issue with the trigger wiring leading to the solenoid. With intermittant cranking signals, the clutch switch's adjustment is the place to check first IMHO.

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If you could not get it to start with jumping across those two big lugs (per the post above this one. I forgot to multiquote), the battery, battery cables, solenoid connections, motor grounds, etc are also likely the issue. The screwdriver across the big lugs test basically connects the battery to the starter.

next time try the batery term's...My car did this alot and I would have to play with the groubd connection on the batery....I ended up tightening the terminals

savegoodautonfg said:

The wires leading to the solenoid is the battery positive terminal and what else? So i could check those wires cause thats what you saying it should be. right?

The clutch safety switch is what your talking about? the gray connection under the dash with the two wires?

Click to expand...

YOu would seem to have two issues occurring. The first is that sometimes your starter interlock circuit isn't receiving 12 volts while cranking. This is one issue. I'd trace the starter interlock circuit here.

You noted that jumping the large lugs on the solenoid doesnt always make the car crank. That's a separate issue.
Check the battery terminal connections, the solenoid connections, the cables leaving the battery, the grounds and consider the battery itself.

Check the obvious first - make sure your clutch pedal is engaging the safety switch.