my car won't crank

HappyHourHero

Registered User
ok, i tried to start my car earlier today and it wouldn't crank, it just made a single click as if the battery was dead (the battery is 2 months old) i tried again and nothing, and again and it started up normally. later on the same thing happened, and after that it wouldn't start at all checked all all battery connections and all the electrically stuff like the lights and radio worked just fine and tried to jump it, nothing. i had to call a tow truck got it towed to my house and after the $50(my only money till next week) i spent to tow it, IT STARTS!!! any idea's???
 
Starter solenoid is probably near complete death. Same thing happened on my parents old Aerostar. Replaced it and all was good. Most Fords seem to use almost the exact same one (that I've seen).

They cost around $10 or so and are easy to replace. If I recall it's up by the driver's side fender wall.

Hope that helps.

-Chris
 
But thats guessing. If you have a voltmeter, we can help you more. If not, at least take an screwdriver and jumper the relay to see if the problem is in the relay itself. To do this, pull the red connector back slightly and take a screwdriver and briefly touch the metal part to the large screw on the right (the one towards the rear of the relay) and the exposed terminal. The starter should turn. If it does, the problem is not the starter and not the relay and instead is in another part of the starter circuit.
If it doesn't, I'd take the starter out and test it or have it tested and then possibly replace the relay.:)
 
Check Starter Connection

I had a similiar problem. There's a small slide on connector on the starter. It was pretty brittle and when I moved it back and forth it actually broke off. I crimped on a new connector that has a plastic cover on it and it fixed the starting problem. Check that connection while your at it....
 
Could be the starter itself. I had one that would start okay when the engine was cold, or fully warmed up. When the motor was halfway warm...forget it, no start.
 
thanks for all the replies. i used that screwdriver trick and nothing just a a click, i replaced the peice on the fender wall and still won't start. any other ideas? where is the starter located? i guess i'll have to replace that.

thanks
 
Problem is in the starter or on the wiring. Starter is located on the bottom of the engine on the passenger side. Easiest way to access it is to jack the car up and take the passenger side wheel off. Then check the wiring, especially make sure that the black covered connecter (spade) is clean, dry and snug.

To remove the starter, unhook the negative cable from the battery, disconnect the wires at the starter, then unbolt the starter and remove it. Now, you can either check it yourself with a set of jumper cables, or take it to a parts store and have them test it for you. To test it yourself, take your jumper cables, hook up the black clamp to the starter frame, hook the other black clamp to the battery negative post, hook the battery side red clamp to the positive post, then touch the starter end red clamp to each of the starter posts.. if the starter spins, it might be OK, but the solenoid might not be. Hook the red clamp onto which ever of the posts does NOT cause the starter to spin.. then jumper from there to the small terminal on the top of the starter where the spade conncector came off of. Starter should spin. If it does, then the starter is OK.
 
Even though the above ideas are good and should be CHECKED I think your hunting in the wrong place. Your problem is in the car it self right in the streeing colum. Pull the plactic cover under the streeing wheel and the metal plate. You should be looking at the streeing colum now. Theres a rod that goes from the key switch to a elc. box with a bunch of wires running in to it. Try moving the wires at the back of the elc. box switch , it my fall off in your hand ,if it does you found your problem.

If the car will start some times and not others, then this wiring at the back of the ING switch is loose and has to be replaced.
OR you can wire tie it tight or re-clue it. Takes about 4 mins to fix!!!!!!

Kurt Sr
 
Gone14s.. Go back and reread what he has said so far and review your wiring diagrams.. by jumpering the relay, and then stating that he replaced it (which probably wasn't necessary but doesn't hurt) he has already eliminated the starter circuit from the ignition as the cause of his problem.

There are only 2 things left.. the starter itself or the wires running to the starter.:rolleyes:
 
thanks guys, i have time tommarow and i'll probaly just go ahead replace the starter after i inspect the wires and let you know the results. gone14s, thanks for the suggestion , thats actualy what i did first in the parking lot.

thanks
 
I figured that would work. I'm on my 4th starter of the same part #.
90 XR-7. Original died. (Intermittent) 2nd one went intermittent as described above. 3rd one stuck on, so had to change that too.

93 Ranger - brushes went...died.
93 Tempo - brushes went....died.

The Ranger and Tempo took the same part #, I think this also matches the Cougar's too.

Here's a tip. If it won't crank, or cranks very slowly but won't start and you KNOW your battery is good, take your tire iron and whap on the starter 5 or 6 times. It will dislodge the brushes enough to start it once, and thats it.

My friend (mechanic) told me to do that to the Tempo and sure enough it started. We drove it to the garage and shut it off. Sure enough, it wouldn't start again after that, even if we hit the starter again. It could save you a towing fee.
 
Mine actually had one of the brush cable wires come loose from the front cover plate of the starter.. Starter had about 130,000 on it at the time and the clue was the black scorch mark where it had started arcing. A little scrounging the old nut-bolt scrap box, and a little drilling through the brush bracket and viola.. problem fixed. At the time, I also suffered through the no-start due to the loose spade/tab connector problem. That was very frustrating.:confused:

No problems since, so technically, I'm still on the original starter.
So, they can sometimes be repaired.;)
 
I think in a lot of cases they probably can be. I think my first two just needed electrical contacts cleaned inside.
 
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