Ok guys I have 1990 Mustang 5.0 that I just put a used t5 in it. After I bolted everything together we started the car on jackstands and it cranked for a second then cut off. We had to jump the battery via jumper cables. (It was running straight headers at the time.) We finished putting the exhaust on and driveshaft on etc. Tried starting it couple days later and wouldn't crank or do anything at all. All lights and everything work. I checked solenoid and it was good. I tried jumping it from the solenoid from 2 big post and small post as well. All it would do was act like it would crank, but not turn over or anything. Pulled the starter and the starter was good. The trans doesn't have the neutral sensing switch on the trans. Could that be a problem? I have 12 volts at ignition switch to so that's good. Any idea guys?
Mustang Won't Turn Over
- Thread starter Foxstang31
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Some clarifications
Engine does not rotate?
Do you have a fully charged battery?
Recheck all connections and do a voltage drop test.
Engine does not rotate?
Do you have a fully charged battery?
Recheck all connections and do a voltage drop test.
Engine doesn't rotate, does nothing when I turn the key. Only get a click when I jump it with a screwdriver from the post on solenoid. Battery was at 12.7 V. We had jumper cables on it and tried to jump with screwdriver and still did the same thing. I rechecked all connecters in engine bay and under car. Will check again tomorrow to.
Just adding my 2 cents I once had a problem installing a t5z. Now I know it has a longer input shaft which wouldn't allow the installation. After buying a new starter and looking more into it I discovered that my flywheel was stuck and would not turn over which of course wouldn't start the car. I loosened the bell housing a lot eventually it started and ended up throwing my old t5 back in.....or who knows maybe it's not that and I'm the only one who's made that mistake 
rookie in training
rookie in training
Take a breaker bar and socket and see if you can rotate the engine, if that is successful look at your battery or starter,
No Crank checklist for 5.0 Mustangs
Revised 24-Oct-2013 to update voltage drop figures.
No crank, slow crank and stuck starter solenoid problems have the same root causes – low battery voltage and poor connections. For that reason, they are grouped together.
Use the same initial group of tests to find the root cause of slow crank, no crank and stuck solenoid problems.
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…
1.) Will the car start if it is jumped? Then clean battery terminals and check battery for low charge and dead cells. A good battery will measure 12-13 volts at full charge with the ignition switch in the Run position but without the engine running.
A voltmeter placed across the battery terminals should show a minimum of 9.5-10 volts when the ignition switch is turned to the Start position and the starter engages or tries to engage. Less than this will result in a clicking solenoid, or slow cranking (if it cranks at all) or a starter solenoid that sticks and welds the contacts together.
Most auto parts stores will check your battery for free. It does not have to be installed in the car to have it checked; you can carry it with you to the auto parts store.
The battery posts and inside of the battery post terminals should be scraped clean with a knife or battery post cleaner tool. This little trick will fix a surprising number of no start problems.
The clamp on with 2 bolts battery terminal ends are a known problem causer. Any place you see green on a copper wire is corrosion. Corrosion gets in the clamped joint and works its way up the wire under the insulation. Corroded connections do not conduct electricity well. Avoid them like the plague...
If the starter solenoid welds the contacts, then the starter will attempt to run anytime there is power in the battery. The cables and solenoid will get very hot, and may even start smoking. The temporary fix for a welded starter solenoid is to disconnect the battery and smack the back of the solenoid housing a sharp blow with a hammer. This may cause the contacts to unstick and work normally for a while.
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 .25 volts across a connection indicates a problem. The voltage drop tests need to be done while cranking the engine. It's the current flowing through a connection or wire that causes the voltage drop.
See http://assets.fluke.com/appnotes/automotive/beatbook.pdf for help for help troubleshooting voltage drops across connections and components. .
Voltage drops should not exceed the following:
200 mV Wire or cable
300 mV Switch or solenoid
100 mV Ground
0.0V Connections
A voltage drop lower that spec is always acceptable.
2.) Check the battery to engine block ground down near the oil filter, and the ground behind the engine to the firewall. All grounds should be clean and shiny. Use some sandpaper to clean them up.
3.) Jump the big terminals on the starter solenoid 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.
The rest of the tech note only concerns no crank problems. If your problem was a stuck solenoid, go back to step 1.
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 cranks, 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
6.) 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 earlier Mustang with upgraded high torque mini starter.
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 or the battery lacks sufficient charge to crank the engine.
If the starter does crank the engine, the problem is in the clutch safety circuit (5 speed) or Neutral Sense Switch (auto trans) or ignition switch.
See the Typical start circuit diagram above for wiring information for troubleshooting.
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.
Revised 24-Oct-2013 to update voltage drop figures.
No crank, slow crank and stuck starter solenoid problems have the same root causes – low battery voltage and poor connections. For that reason, they are grouped together.
Use the same initial group of tests to find the root cause of slow crank, no crank and stuck solenoid problems.
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…
1.) Will the car start if it is jumped? Then clean battery terminals and check battery for low charge and dead cells. A good battery will measure 12-13 volts at full charge with the ignition switch in the Run position but without the engine running.
A voltmeter placed across the battery terminals should show a minimum of 9.5-10 volts when the ignition switch is turned to the Start position and the starter engages or tries to engage. Less than this will result in a clicking solenoid, or slow cranking (if it cranks at all) or a starter solenoid that sticks and welds the contacts together.
Most auto parts stores will check your battery for free. It does not have to be installed in the car to have it checked; you can carry it with you to the auto parts store.
The battery posts and inside of the battery post terminals should be scraped clean with a knife or battery post cleaner tool. This little trick will fix a surprising number of no start problems.
The clamp on with 2 bolts battery terminal ends are a known problem causer. Any place you see green on a copper wire is corrosion. Corrosion gets in the clamped joint and works its way up the wire under the insulation. Corroded connections do not conduct electricity well. Avoid them like the plague...
If the starter solenoid welds the contacts, then the starter will attempt to run anytime there is power in the battery. The cables and solenoid will get very hot, and may even start smoking. The temporary fix for a welded starter solenoid is to disconnect the battery and smack the back of the solenoid housing a sharp blow with a hammer. This may cause the contacts to unstick and work normally for a while.
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 .25 volts across a connection indicates a problem. The voltage drop tests need to be done while cranking the engine. It's the current flowing through a connection or wire that causes the voltage drop.
See http://assets.fluke.com/appnotes/automotive/beatbook.pdf for help for help troubleshooting voltage drops across connections and components. .
Voltage drops should not exceed the following:
200 mV Wire or cable
300 mV Switch or solenoid
100 mV Ground
0.0V Connections
A voltage drop lower that spec is always acceptable.
2.) Check the battery to engine block ground down near the oil filter, and the ground behind the engine to the firewall. All grounds should be clean and shiny. Use some sandpaper to clean them up.
3.) Jump the big terminals on the starter solenoid 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.
The rest of the tech note only concerns no crank problems. If your problem was a stuck solenoid, go back to step 1.
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 cranks, 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
6.) 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 earlier Mustang with upgraded high torque mini starter.
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 or the battery lacks sufficient charge to crank the engine.
If the starter does crank the engine, the problem is in the clutch safety circuit (5 speed) or Neutral Sense Switch (auto trans) or ignition switch.
See the Typical start circuit diagram above for wiring information for troubleshooting.
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.
Going to use the multimeter to check some more stuff today, but I think the flywheel is locked up like 88GT's was. When I put the transmission in the bell housing I bolted it up and that's when we tried to crank it. Ended up forgetting the speedo gear clip so had to take the trans back out, and the damn thing wouldn't come out for nothing, would only come out a 1/4 inch and wouldn't budge after that. (It was just the t5 not the bell housing) Ended up taking the back half of the trans to put it in.
Starters pull a LOT of amperage. Without a load (like a 5.0 engine attached), a starter that free spins fine is not necessarily "good". Nor does it mean that the battery that supplies it is good. With no load, it will likely work with half the required cranking amps.
You have to determine if it's that the exciter wire is never being triggered at the solenoid. At the top of the solenoid is a small post and a black L shaped wire on it that is the exciter wire to the solenoid. Pull that off. Now with the vehicle in neutral, run a wire from the battery + terminal and touch the exciter portion of the solenoid. I don't care what's going on in the rest of the car, if your engine and body is grounded and you touch that solenoid exciter wire, it will turn over assuming the battery and starter are good.
If you do this and it turns over, you have a problem somewhere in the wiring; either nuetral switch, clutch switch, or ignition. If it does not turn over than it's either engine/chasis grounding, starter, battery, or cables.
There's not much to go wrong in a starter circuit. What happens a lot is someone wires in a starter kill switch for their alarm and either screws it up, or there's a switch somewhere you don't know about.
I got a breaker bar today and jacked the car up and tried turning the engine clockwise but it didn't budge 
I also couldn't get my transmission out after I tried starting it the first time on jacks, that's when it started and instantly died.. I feel like something's caught up in there. Hope it's not the engine, any ideas guys??
I also couldn't get my transmission out after I tried starting it the first time on jacks, that's when it started and instantly died.. I feel like something's caught up in there. Hope it's not the engine, any ideas guys??
Ok, engine ran before trans change right?
Trans does not want to come out now, right?
Engine started once (or twice, didn't go back and look) then stopped, did it sound laboured? Like it didn't want to run or rev up.
Can you turn the driveshaft with trans in neutral?
I'm thinking something is not right with the trans install
What pilot bearing did you use?
Where did the trans come from?
Trans does not want to come out now, right?
Engine started once (or twice, didn't go back and look) then stopped, did it sound laboured? Like it didn't want to run or rev up.
Can you turn the driveshaft with trans in neutral?
I'm thinking something is not right with the trans install
What pilot bearing did you use?
Where did the trans come from?
Remove the transmission with the bell housing. You don't need the tranny for the car to start. If it starts then there's 1 problem down. My problem was the same if you recall so once it starts inspect your transmission. I found when I removed my transmission that the t5z steel retainer broke onto the clutch an was stuck so for work related reasons I installed my old clutch back in which looked fine and gave the pressure plate and fly wheel a few passes with sandpaper. I installed the original t5 back in no problem car started up, transmission filled and back on the road for about a month then my clutch cable ripped. Fixed now.
so for work related reasons I installed my old clutch back in which looked fine and gave the pressure plate and fly wheel a few passes with sandpaper. I installed the original t5 back in no problem car started up, transmission filled and back on the road for about a month then my clutch cable ripped. Fixed now.Engine ran good before trans change. Trans didn't want to come out after install and initial startup. Engine starter once and it didn't want to run or give me a chance to rev up. Driveshaft turns in neutral. I bought the transmission off of Craigslist it's a borg warner t5. Opened it up and checked gears and everything looked new before install. I don't know what pilot bearing I used. Guess I'll be pulling the transmission out again tomorrow.. or attempt to if it wants to come out this time. I tried removing it from bellhousing but it would only back out 1/2in and wouldn't budge with prybar and 2 people yanking on it under jackstands.
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