something shorted- car wont start - where do i start looking?

[mostsmooth]

That is not a ground, that is the engine temp sender for the gauge.

OK thanks. I was afraid of something like that.
So I just took another look, I dont see any grounds to the intake or the firewall just yet.
i took a pic of the bolt that is sticking up in the back left of the lower intake, just in case.
thanks again

 

[7991LXnSHO]

hi,
thanks for the quick reply
brand new battery.
i have a voltmeter. ohm, continuity, ec. its cheap, but seems to work fine. i used it to check all fuses and grounds.

i will have to look into how to do a voltage drop test i suppose unless it is easily explained.

one other thing, there is some type of fuse (i think its a fuse) located near the battery. it isnt wired to the batter directly, and it is in some 3-inch or so tube-like housing. one side has a pink/white wire, the other side has a black wire. i am going to try to figure out what that is, because there was a bit of smoke near my battery (the old battery, not the new one) and im wondering if that is a fuse that maybe burnt up.

thanks

A New battery does not mean it’s a good battery. If your cable cleaning worked, that’s great. But next time, you could still be going down the wrong path for skipping an important test.

 

[General karthief]

That stud is likely for the heater hose tube, there are two of them on the passenger side intake bolts (right side of car).
The ground strap from the back of the head is on the drivers (left side of car) side.

 

[mostsmooth]

That stud is likely for the heater hose tube, there are two of them on the passenger side intake bolts (right side of car).
The ground strap from the back of the head is on the drivers (left side of car) side.

if the heater tube is metal, then this stud isnt for that i dont think. i saw where the metal tube brackets sit, bigger bolt, different location.

 

[mostsmooth]

next time i get a chance i will have to crawl under the car and get a different view, maybe I can see something from underneath at the back of the heads

 

[General karthief]

You should see it bolted to the firewall just below the clutch cable

 

[mostsmooth]

You should see it bolted to the firewall just below the clutch cable

crawled under the car, didn't see anything. sigh.
i did see a ground wire coming from the driver's side fender area to the side of the block. (different ground than the one that connects the battery to the block near the oil pressure sender thing in the front of the block)

 

[General karthief]

You can't see that ground strap from under the car, I described where it is supposed to be.

 

[mostsmooth]

You can't see that ground strap from under the car, I described where it is supposed to be.

right, thanks. didnt see anything from the top.

 

[General karthief]

Nothing in the area between the accelerator cable and the clutch cable?
You need a ground there but that ground missing would not cause the problem you discribed, check the ignition switch under the dash.

 

[Noobz347]

Check fusible links.

 

[mostsmooth]

Nothing in the area between the accelerator cable and the clutch cable?
You need a ground there but that ground missing would not cause the problem you discribed, check the ignition switch under the dash.

Didn't see anything.
Also, the ignition switch was something I was looking into, but, are you aware that me repairing the battery cable seems to have fixed the problem? I am asking in case you are aware and feel there's more I should check.
Thanks again

 

[mostsmooth]

Check fusible links.

Those were good. At least the two coming from the fuse box connection were.I dont know how many there are

 

[General karthief]

Didn't see anything.
Also, the ignition switch was something I was looking into, but, are you aware that me repairing the battery cable seems to have fixed the problem? I am asking in case you are aware and feel there's more I should check.
Thanks again

I have trouble keeping up,

 

[mostsmooth]

I have trouble keeping up,

No worries. I wasnt complaining.

 

[mostsmooth]

Nothing in the area between the accelerator cable and the clutch cable?
You need a ground there but that ground missing would not cause the problem you discribed, check the ignition switch under the dash.

i looked around again, didnt see anything, didnt even see a spot where something was missing (like i screw hole that could be where the ground went)

 

[General karthief]

Post a pic of that area?

 

[mostsmooth]

Post a pic of that area?

sure, will get it tomorrow when its light out

 

[mostsmooth]

Post a pic of that area?

1st pic is to the left of the accelerator cable looking down, 2nd is straight on just below the accelerator and clutch cable, 3rd is looking down at the accelerator and clutch cables.

 

[General karthief]

I searched for ground wires for the 94-5 stangs and found little to no info, everything for the 86-93 models so maybe no ground there for your car (as confirmed by the pics), I forget those two years started the use of the ccrm (constant control relay module) and that has a ground, that mess is located around the passenger inner fender panel,
Like you said you have possibly resolved you issue.