Battery and alternator test out good. Checked all grounds and there good too. I turn the key and lights and everything come on but i dont get any click. Starts fine with a jump, and will start back up fine unless its sits for a certain amount of hours. what else should i look for?
No start, cant find problem!
- Thread starter jstang209
- Start date
No Crank checklist for 5.0 Mustangs
Revised 30-Jan-2009 to reorder checklist and add cleaning procedure for connections.
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.
The battery posts and inside of the battery post terminals should be scraped clean with a knife or cleaner brush tool.
The clamp on with 2 bolts battery terminal ends are a know problem causer. Anyplace 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. 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 connections and components. .
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 then up.
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 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
AutoZone wiring diagrams
For 79-88 model Mustangs
AutoZone.com | Vehicle Selection - Year
For 89-93 model Mustangs
AutoZone.com | Vehicle Selection - Year
For 94-98 model Mustangs
AutoZone.com | Vehicle Selection - Year
For 1999-2005 model Mustangs
AutoZone.com | Vehicle Selection - Year
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.
Revised 30-Jan-2009 to reorder checklist and add cleaning procedure for connections.
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.
The battery posts and inside of the battery post terminals should be scraped clean with a knife or cleaner brush tool.
The clamp on with 2 bolts battery terminal ends are a know problem causer. Anyplace 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. 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 connections and components. .
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 then up.
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 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
AutoZone wiring diagrams
For 79-88 model Mustangs
AutoZone.com | Vehicle Selection - Year
For 89-93 model Mustangs
AutoZone.com | Vehicle Selection - Year
For 94-98 model Mustangs
AutoZone.com | Vehicle Selection - Year
For 1999-2005 model Mustangs
AutoZone.com | Vehicle Selection - Year
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.
yea i did most of that stuff.. how do i test the ignition and clutch safety switch? if those were the problem would it still start with a jump? and work fine without a jump, then just stop working after a couple of hours?
Step 1. Have the alternator and charging system checked out. Most auto parts stores (Advance Auto, AutoZone, etc) will do it for free.
Step 2. If the alternator and charging system check good, then you have a parasitic drain.
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
The battery may be draining due to something like a light being left on.
Step 2. If the alternator and charging system check good, then you have a parasitic drain.
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
The battery may be draining due to something like a light being left on.
87WhiteStang1
Member
- Dec 19, 2007
- 182
- 0
- 16
i'm guessing that it's probably the starter. i went so long replacing other things and trying other stuff to try to fix it but it ended up being the starter the whole time... most of the time it would work okay with a jump start but still weak.. sometimes it would work and sometimes it woulld do nothing
Ok its raining real bad outside so i didnt spend too much time, but i check the alternator and battery with a DVM, battery reads 12.7 with car off, and 14.4 with car on. Although I barley notice that the door ajar light on the dash stays lit. but all the doors were closed so i need to find out why it doesnt go off. But would that little light stop the car from even cranking? with the battery still reading about 12? the car will start fine with a little portable jumper that I have too.
The door ajar light may also indicate that some light that isn't easily visible like the hatch light is on. Check to make sure none of the interior lights are on with all the doors closed. Then do the drain test I posted to see how much current is being drawn from the battery.
