help a broke college kid out...

Diagrams contained in your other post.

http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?p=6734551#post6734551

See the wirng diagrams attached. Jumpering the small stud to the big battery power stud on the starter solenoid will get you going.

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: 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 (red wire) off the starter relay (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 .OR 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.

I keep a piece of wire in my car, for 2 reasons. ground out my fuel pump so I can set my fuel pressure so I don't have to do it with the engine running and 2 so in case I need to crank my motor over and theres no one else around, just run the wire from the + battery terminal to the little terminal on the solenoid where the red slip-on connector is. (turn the key to RUN if I want it to start).

Allforspeed said:

ok guys..... two questions:

when i push in the needle on that valve that looks like a bicycle tire valve that is on the fuel rail it should squirt fuel out right? nothing does now...


and when i turn the key and when i jump the terminals on the starter solenoid the motor turns over, but just barely even if i just hold the jumper wire on there, maybe like a quarter turn and then stops until i jump it again, which is the same thing that it does when i turn the key.

so whats next??

starter circuit (switches in steering column, ect...) is good or it wouldnt' turn over the motor right?


battery is new and all of the above happens when i use jumper cables, starter is less than three months old, alternator is new, new clutch switch,


you guys are my lifeline right now

Click to expand...

I'll help you out on these....

1. If it sat for a while and you went to press the valve there wont be much pressure left, it will all be bled off......if you have a fuel pressure gauge you can see how long the pressure stays and bleeds off. For some reason mine bleeds off pretty quickly even with a new fuel pump and regulator, but anyways

Turn the key to Run and you should hear a BUZZ which is the fuel pump turning on then will turn off in a second or two. Check it right after this, it should have pressure right after you do this.....

2. Sounds like your battery's weak to me, check it with a voltmeter

If it does the same when jumping the solenoid and with the key, then sounds like everything is good.

I assume you cleaned the battery terminals and connections when you put in the new battery right? Get a voltmeter on the battery and see how much volts it's got, if you know how to use a multimeter, you can ohm the battery cables and across all the connections, that would let you know if there's resistance or anything causing slow cranking or whatever. I would get a voltmeter, for under 20 bucks you can figure out whats wrong by measuring a few things instead of guessing at buying new parts.

Btw if you want to check the clutch switch and all that, check for 12volts at the little red wire that goes onto the little stud on top of the solenoid when you turn the key to the crank positions, if its battery voltage its good.

yeah, I would concentrate on the no cranking problem first. Whats the voltage at your battery? are you getting the same at the post of the solenoid that goes to the starter? battery voltage at the little red connector with the key turned to start?

Allforspeed said:

ok guys, you are all getting some good karma/good samaritan points for helping me out right now

pulled the starter and it was bad, so now it turns over but there is no fuel getting to the motor, i know this right after i turn it over i get no fuel coming out of that schrader valve on the fuel rail, i dont even hear the fuel pump click on and pressurize the system when i turn the key either.....

i have never really had to troubleshoot the fuel system on a fuel injected car and am a bit lost on where to start.

any tips would be greatly appreciated

Click to expand...

Check your inertia switch or your fuel pump relay.. While bumpstarting it you could have tripped the inertia switch..

Cranks OK, but No Start Checklist for Fuel Injected Mustangs

Revised 20-Jan-2007 to include TPS voltage out of range fault.
All text applies to all models unless stated otherwise.

Note: 94-95 specific changes are in red

1.) Remove push on connector from starter solenoid and turn ignition switch on. Place car in neutral or Park and set the parking brake. Remove the coil wire from distributor & and hold it 3/8” away from the engine block. Jumper the screw to the big bolt on the starter solenoid that has the battery wire connected to it. You should get a nice fat blue spark.
Most of the items are electrical in nature, so a test light, or even better, a voltmeter, is helpful to be sure they have power to them.
No spark, possible failed items in order of their probability:
A.) MSD or Crane ignition box if so equipped
B.) Coil
C.) TFI module
D.) PIP sensor in distributor. See paragraph 5A - a noid light will tell if the pip is working by flashing when the engine is cranking.
E.) No ECC or computer power - ECC or computer relay failure
86-93 models only: ECC relay next to computer - look for 12 volts at the fuel injector red wires
94-95 models only: EEC or PCM power relay in the constant control relay module. Look for 12 volts at the fuel injector red wires.
F.) No ECC or computer power - fuse or fuse link failure
86-93 models only: Fuse links in wiring harness - look for 12 volts at the fuel injector red wires. All the fuse links live in a bundle up near the starter solenoid.
94-95 models only: 20 amp EEC fuse in the engine compartment fuse box. Look for 12 volts at the fuel injector red wires.
G.) Ignition switch - look for 12 volts at the ignition coil red/lt green wire.
H.) Computer
J.) Engine fires briefly, but dies immediately when the key is released to the Run position. Crank the engine & when it fires off, pull the small push on connector (red wire) off the starter relay (Looks like it is stuck on a screw). Hold the switch in the crank position: if it continues to run there is a problem with either the ignition switch or TFI module. Check for 12 volts at the red/green wire on the coil with the switch in the Run position. Good 12 volts, then replace the TFI.

See the following links for wiring diagrams...

http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiB..._us/0900823d/80/16/71/3c/0900823d8016713c.jsp for 79-88 model cars
Computer/fuel pump/ignition wiring diagram, 86 model http://www.autozone.com/images/cds/gif/large/0900823d80167158.gif
Computer/fuel pump/ignition wiring diagram, 87 model http://www.autozone.com/images/cds/gif/large/0900823d8016715e.gif
Computer/fuel pump/ignition wiring diagram, 88 model http://www.autozone.com/images/cds/gif/large/0900823d80167162.gif

http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiB..._us/0900823d/80/19/59/5a/0900823d8019595a.jsp for 89-93 model cars
Computer/fuel pump/ignition wiring diagram, 89-90 cars http://www.autozone.com/images/cds/gif/large/0900823d8019595f.gif
Computer/fuel pump/ignition wiring diagram, 91-93 cars
http://www.autozone.com/images/cds/gif/large/0900823d80195960.gif

http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBroker?ForwardPage=/az/cds/en_us/0900823d/80/1d/db/3c/0900823d801ddb3c.jsp for 94-98 model cars

2.) Spark at coil wire, pull #1 plug wire off at the spark plug and check to see spark. No spark, possible failed items in order of their probability:
A.) Moisture inside distributor – remove cap, dry off & spray with WD40
B.) Distributor cap
C.) Rotor
D.) Spark Plug wires
E.) Coil weak or intermittent - you should see 3/8" fat blue spark with a good coil

3.) Spark at spark plug, but no start.
Next, get a can of starting fluid (ether) from your local auto parts store: costs a $1.30 or so. Then pull the air duct off at the throttle body elbow, open the throttle, and spray the ether in it. Reconnect the air duct and try to start the car. Do not try to start the car without reconnecting the air duct.

Two reasons:
1.) If it backfires, the chance for a serious fire is increased.
2.) On Mass Air cars, the computer needs to measure the MAF flow once the engine starts.
If it starts then, you have a fuel management issue. Continue the checklist with emphasis of fuel related items that follow. If it doesn’t, then it is a computer or timing issue: see Step 4.

Clue – listen for the fuel pump to prime when you first turn the ignition switch on. It should run for 5-20 seconds and shut off. To trick the fuel pump into running, find the ECC test connector and jump the connector in the Upper RH corner to ground.


If the relay & inertia switch are OK, you will have power to the pump. Check fuel pressure – remove the cap from the schrader valve behind the alternator and depress the core. Fuel should squirt out, catch it in a rag. Beware of fire hazard when you do this. In pinch you can use a tire pressure gauge to measure the fuel pressure. It may not be completely accurate, but you will have some clue as to how much pressure you have. If you have any doubts about having sufficient fuel flow/pressure, rent a fuel pressure test gauge from the auto parts store. That will tell you for sure if you have adequate fuel pressure.


4.) No fuel pressure, possible failed items in order of their probability:
A.) Tripped inertia switch – Coupe & hatch cars hide it under the plastic trim covering the driver's side taillight. Use the voltmeter or test light to make sure you have power to both sides of the switch
B.) Fuel pump power relay – located under the driver’s seat in most stangs built before 92. On 92 and later model cars it is located below the Mass Air Flow meter. Look for 12 volts at the Pink/Black wire on the fuel pump relay.
C.) Clogged fuel filter
D.) Failed fuel pump
E.) 86-93 models only: Blown fuse link in wiring harness. Look for 12 volts at the Orange/Lt Blue wire on the fuel pump relay. The fuse links live in the wiring harness near the starter solenoid.
94-95 models only: 20 amp fuel pump fuse in the engine compartment fuse box. Look for 12 volts at the Dark green/yellow wire on the constant control relay module.
F.) Fuel pressure regulator failed. Remove the vacuum line from the regulator and inspect for fuel escaping while the pump is running. If fuel is coming out the vacuum port, the regulator has failed.

5.) Fuel pressure OK, the injectors are not firing.
A.) A noid light available from any auto parts store, is one way to test the injector wiring.
The noid light plugs into the fuel injector harness in place of any easily accessible injector.
B.) I like to use an old injector with compressed air applied to the injector where the fuel rail would normally connect. I hook the whole thing up, apply compressed air to the injector and stick it in a paper cup of soapy water. When the engine cranks with the ignition switch on, if the injector fires, it makes bubbles. Cheap if you have the stuff laying around, and works good too.
D.) Pull an injector wire connector off and look for 12 volts on the red wire when the ignition switch is on.
E.) No power, then look for problems with the 10 pin connecter (salt & pepper shakers at the rear of the upper manifold).
F.) No power and the 10 pin connections are good: look for broken wiring between the orange/black wire on the ECC relay and the red wire for the 10 pin connectors.
G.) TPS voltage exceeds 3.7 volts with the throttle closed. This will shut off the injectors, since the computer uses this strategy to clear a flooded engine. Use a DVM, a pair of safety pins, and probe the black/white and green wires to measure the TPS voltage. It should be .5-.99 volts with the key on, engine not running. Note that if the black/white wire (signal ground) has a bad connection, you will get some strange readings. Make a second measurement using the battery post as the ground to eliminate any ground problems. If the readings are different by more than 5%, you may have a high resistance condition in the black/white signal ground circuit.

6.) Spark & fuel pressure OK.
A.) Failed IAB (no airflow to start engine). Press the throttle ¼ way down and try to start the car.
B.) Failed computer (not very likely)
C.) Engine ignition or cam timing off: only likely if the engine has been worked on recently).
D.) Firing order off: HO & 351 use a different firing order from the non HO engines.
HO & 351W 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8
Non HO 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8
E.) No start when hot - Press the throttle to the floor & try starting it if you get this far. If it starts, replace the ECT.

Allforspeed said:

ok guys, you are all getting some good karma/good samaritan points for helping me out right now

pulled the starter and it was bad, so now it turns over but there is no fuel getting to the motor, i know this right after i turn it over i get no fuel coming out of that schrader valve on the fuel rail, i dont even hear the fuel pump click on and pressurize the system when i turn the key either.....

i have never really had to troubleshoot the fuel system on a fuel injected car and am a bit lost on where to start.

any tips would be greatly appreciated

Click to expand...

When you say u have no fuel coming out of the schrader valve you are depressing the valve in there right, I seen some people take off the little rubber cap and think it was supposed to come out then

DEF. check the inertia switch in the trunk, it's under the panel where the latch is for the trunk (if u have a hatch anyway), had the same thing happen to a guy that just bought my friends gt, made it down the road to the gas station, went in to get some food, came out and fuel pump wouldnt turn, found out somehow the intertia switch tripped. pushed the button and it was good to go.

If still doesnt work, turn key to RUN, run a wire from the bottom port of your connector (widest portion is the bottom) to pull your codes from, and just run the end of the wire to any ground. Fuel pump SHOULD start buzzing away, if its stock it might be pretty quiet but you should be able to hear it at least if ur near the gas tank.

Allforspeed said:

thanks everyone


so i have spark, it must be a fuel issue....

so i pushed in the inertia switch and not fixed, i guess to check that thing i just put the key in RUN position and should get 12 volts when testing across the two wires that go in the bottom?

i want to try that fuel pump thing you are talking about but not quite sure where you are talking about getting power from? pardong my ignorance but, which connector are you talking about? and you're saying i just push a wire in there and ground out the other side and it should make the pump run right?

black1987 your tha man

Click to expand...

Go up to the Connector picture above that is in Jrichker's post, it shows 4 slots on the bottom of the connector and two on the top (if you're looking at it rotated 45 degrees clockwise). Go under ur hood, look under the Driver's side hood hinge bar? thingy(between firewall and strut tower). In that mess of wires most likely, you'll see a black connector that looks like the connector in that picture. Strip one end of a wire and stick it in the bottom right slot (the slot that says fuel pump test point in his picture) and just strip the other end of the wire and touch it to a chassis ground, with the key on, the pump should turn on as long as that circuit is grounded.

help a broke college kid out...

Broke college kid: everything you need to find a and fix a no start condiotion is in the checklist. It is sectionally arranged
to help troubleshoot the problem. Start at the top and work your way to the bottom, do not skip around. Do this and
you will find and fix the problem with a minimum amount of time and money.