Jrichker this question is for you.

[Georgia306]

I am following your NO crank checklist and have one or two questions.
My car is a 92 GT with a manual trans. I tucked my wires in the finder wells. Everything worked fine before I started and now when I turn the key all interior power works but no start. And by no start I mean my starter doesn’t even turn over. I just hear a faint signal click when I turn the key. And I did not have to cut any wires to reroute them.

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

1.) NO. The battery is good and the terminals clean.

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

2.) All the grounds test good.

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.

3.) Yes the car will start like this.

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.

4.) When you say jump the screw to the terminal are you talking about the + terminal on the starter solenoid? Mine dose not start like this

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.

5.) Can you elaborate on how to check ignition switch and the clutch safety switch?

Thanks, Chris

 

[jrichker]

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.

4.) When you say jump the screw to the terminal are you talking about the + terminal on the starter solenoid? Mine dose not start like this

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.

5.) Can you elaborate on how to check ignition switch and the clutch safety switch?

Thanks, Chris

Electrical checks for the switches and starter solenoid

Remove the small red/blue wire from the starter solenoid. Use a screwdriver to bridge the connection
from the battery positive connection on the starter solenoid to the small screw where the red/blue wire
was connected. The starter should crank the engine. If it does not, the starter solenoid is defective.

If the starter does crank the engine, the problem is in the clutch safety circuit (5 speed) or Netural Sense
Switch (auto trans) or ignition switch.

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

Typical start circuit...
Diagram courtesy of Tmoss & Stang&2birds

You will need a voltmeter or test lamp for the rest of the checks. Connect one lead of the voltmeter or
test lamp to ground. The other lead will connect to the item under test.
Look for 12 volts on the white/pink wire when the ignition switch is turned to the Start position.
Check the ignition switch first.
No 12 volts, replace the ignition switch.

The next step will require you to push the clutch pedal to the floor (5 speed) or put the transmission in
neutral (auto trans) while the ignition switch is turned to the Start position.
Good 12 volts, check the clutch safety switch (5 speed) or Neutral Sense Switch (auto trans) for good
12 volts on both sides of the switches. No 12 volts on both sides of the switch and the switches are
defective or out of adjustment. Check the wiring for bad connections while you are at it.

 

[Georgia306]

Thanks for the fast reply. I will test in the morning and post results.

 

[Georgia306]

I have tried three different start solenoids and can’t get any of them to jump from the red/blue wire post to the positive post. And I get 12 volts all the way to the end of the red/blue wire.

 

[liquid_02]

I know you didn't ask for my help, but I'll help you out anyways. Made up a quick little picture for you, just cross power from one terminal to the other where you see the yellow lines. This is the solenoid beside the battery of course, not the one on the starter.

In the first one, as long as you have battery power at the + terminal, which you will since you have power to everything else in your car, you're going through the Solenoid, see if that cranks it.

If not, the second one by-passes the solenoid, and goes directly to the starter solenoid. Goes right from battery + to the starter solenoid wire.

If the second doesn't work, the starter solenoid wire is broken/burnt (remember, it can still have voltage if it's broken/burnt, just no amperage) or your starter is no good, but since you said if you cross it over at the starter, it turns it over, most likely not the starter.

One more thing, do you still have that spade on your starter? That could be the culprit as well if you do. If you have a newer solenoid on your starter (by that I mean has been replaced at one point or another, not factory) you should have a stud as well, cut the spade off and put a ring terminal on it, they tell you in the instructions of every starter on any Ford to cut that spade off, for this reason. If you still have the factory, you can always put a new spade on it.

 

[Georgia306]

I appreciate any help I can get. Iwill give that a try. Thanks

 

[Georgia306]

Dose the start solenoid need to be grounded or something? I can’t get the top post with the red/blue wire to do anything and that’s on all three of them. I’m pulling out my dang hair trying to think of what the deal is with that post. and what do you mean by the spade?

 

[jrichker]

The solenoid grounds to the body by the mounting bolts.

Here is an expanded view of the jumper to make the starter crank the engine without using the ignition swich.
If the starter won't crank when you add the hot pink jumper, the solenoid is defective.

 

[liquid_02]

Dose the start solenoid need to be grounded or something? I can’t get the top post with the red/blue wire to do anything and that’s on all three of them. I’m pulling out my dang hair trying to think of what the deal is with that post. and what do you mean by the spade?

The bolts you use to mount the solenoid is the ground for it. Did you do the cross-over in the second image I showed you? As doing that will by-pass the solenoid all-together, meaning it doesn't matter if it's grounded or not, it's just like taking the wire from the starter solenoid, and connecting it directly to the battery +.

A spade is a type of electrical connector, aftermarket speakers use them, if you've ever installed any, you would have had to use a couple spade connectors to connect the wiring to the speakers. Can't really decribe it :\ if you can just pull the starter wire off your starter without taking off a nut, you have a spade on it.

 

[Georgia306]

It’s alive!!! Ok the car is up and running. Turned out to be something simple, when I mounted the solenoid in the fender well the old paint /grime wasn’t letting it ground to the body. That’s why everything was checking good and still no start. I feel kind of stupid but at least I learned a lot more about my car this week.

Thanks for all the help, Chris