Help! car wont start!!

XenSpidey · Sep 3, 2008

Ok, so i've got an 89 GT and today i went to the pet store and when i got back in my car... nothing. no noises no clicking no nothing. when i turned the ignition i heard nothing. so i thought bad battery. had a friend drive out and try and jump it. when i tried to turn her over i heard a loud clicking / grinding noise. it was coming from the drivers side behind the battery. and sounded exactly like impulse001's problem. here however mine only sounds like that when it's being "jumped" as soon as i disconnect the jumper cables there are no noises what so ever. Also a few other pieces of information: when i put the ignition in ACC the door's will lock / unlock but my windows will not roll down, my radio will not turn on and my headlights will not turn on but my ceiling light is on. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, I don't want to have to fork out a million dollars for something i can replace in my drive way.

LiquidGT · Sep 3, 2008

Sounds like it could be a bad starter solenoid.

jrichker · Sep 4, 2008

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. Corrosion gets in the clamped joint and works its way up the wire under the insulation. Avoid them like the plague...

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 Automotive Test Tools 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 </title></head>"); newWindow.document.writeln("<body><div align='center'><img " + getWidth("yes") + "src='/images/cds/" + tpe + "/" + sze + "/" + pc + "." + tpe + "'></img></div>"); newWindow.document.writeln("<div align='center'><table><tr><td><FORM 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.) 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.

Starter solenoid wiring for 86-91 Mustang

Starter solenoid wiring 92-93 Mustang or upgraded high torque mini starter.

XenSpidey · Sep 4, 2008

Has anyone had a similar issue that has been able to push start it? i would really hate to have to have her towed. especially for "hopefully" a relatively cheap fix. i just need to get her in my driveway

jrichker · Sep 4, 2008

XenSpidey said:
Has anyone had a similar issue that has been able to push start it? i would really hate to have to have her towed. especially for "hopefully" a relatively cheap fix. i just need to get her in my driveway

Go through the checklist. In 15 minutes or less, you will have found the problem. Bridging the two large terminals on the starter solenoid (step 3 in the checklist) is a quick test for a working starter, power wiring, ground and battery. You can start the engine when you do this if you turn the ignition key to Run.

XenSpidey · Sep 5, 2008

Found Problem... I hope

Ok... so i went to autozone and bought a new battery which i figured i needed one anyways, it was pretty old and i had some problems before with it. I put it in and she started right up.

The question is, should i be worried that there might be a short somewhere thats draining my battery or something? the only reason i ask is because of the aweful sound it was making when i tried to jump it. i'd hate to have the same problem in a few days. are there any test that you guys would do?

BTW my horn and cruise control do not work (different fuses) which happend recently (2 weeks ago) i replaced the burnt out fuse for my horn and tried it and nothing. i'll check it tonight to see if it's burnt out again, i actually forgot about it till now.

Thanks,

jrichker · Sep 5, 2008

Troubleshooting battery drains:

Typically it is something draining the battery. Small things like glove box or courtesy lights are often the culprits. If you have an aftermarket stereo or alarm system, it is also suspect.

The ideal method is to disconnect the negative terminal, and connect a Digital Multimeter (DVM) between the negative terminal on the battery and the negative cable. Set the DVM on a low current scale of 2-5 amps if it doesn't auto range. Watch the current draw, and then start pulling out fuses. When you see a sudden drop in the current, that circuit is the likely culprit. Note that the computer, radio & clock will draw less than 1/10 amp to keep the settings alive.

See http://assets.fluke.com/appnotes/automotive/beatbook.pdf. You will need the Adobe Acrobat viewer which is also a free download – Adobe - Adobe Reader Download - All versions

Help! car wont start!!

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