Hey Guys, the car never had an electrical issue that would cause it not to start. The other day i turned the key and kept hearing a constant clicking. At first i thought starter or battery. I connected the battery charger and still the same issue. I then jumped positive side of solenoid to starter cable to see if the starter works but all i got was a few sparks and nothing on the starter. After that my electrical system started acting strange. I no longer have lights in my car unless i hook up the battery charger to the battery. I dont get anything when i turn the ignition until i hook up battery charger, then i hear the clicking. Voltage on S terminal on solenoid reads about 10volds. Battery voltage is 12.85 and charger shows 0 amps which means battery should be fine. I disconnected the ignition switch to check hot wire for voltage and i get nothing unless i hook up battery charger. Here are my tests:
* battery reads 12.85 volts and i even charged over night
* door lights or any light does not work unless battery charger is connected to battery
* solenoid works because i put a continuity tester on positive side of solenoid and starter side, then sent a 12 volt signal to S terminal, heard a click and got continuity.
* starter cable for some reason has continuity with ground. that cant be right but is that because starter is blown and has a default to ground mechanism when blown?
* fuse box is good because i get lights when battery charger is connected
Not my strong suit but dirty/loose connection? Check the + and - connections. Battery cable ends and ground wires/straps. Dave R.
+1 on above. If the cables are original consider replacing them. Make sure the lugs are making clean and tight connections.
Try a known good battery. It might show good volts but as soon as you put any load on it, it might actually be as dead as a door nail.
All the above is good advice.
Don't let your mind trick you into thinking it's a greater problem than it really is. Keep it simple.
Not knowing the history I would suspect the starter - just from experience. A faulty starter will make for some odd issues.
Let us know how you get on.
You could have a loose connection at the solenoid, on the fender, as this is where the main power comes from, to feed the rest of the car. That short little cable from the battery positive side, has been known to cause problems. I've even seen the cable corrode and break at the solenoid post. So be sure to take the nuts off clean and retighten. Ford also had a couple of wires that had tabs on them labeling them as Fusible link wires. One of those could be corroded or burnt, which could cause a loss of power. You'll have to check for continuity to see if they are burnt, but also remember they have to carry a load as well as show continuity. Just some thoughts. JTS 71 Mach1
My thoughts are in line with everybody else. If the battery is good you probably have a bad battery cable or cable end. My neighbors 65 Fastback had the exact same issue. It ended up being a bad battery cable end at the starter solenoid. Don't forget the ground cables and be certain to have a good engine to body ground strap.
Regards,
Mike
Try using a known good battery, because old one could have good voltage but not supporting current draw.
Verify + connections and also - connections (ground).
I will post a DIY for starting problems, here is a quick diagnose:
COMMON STARTING ISSUES:
RAPID CLICKING: 99% of the time it is low voltage to the starter. Check battery and feeds as detailed above. Basically you have enough current to engage the first coil in the starter solenoid, which pulls the plunger in and engages the drive into your flywheel, but not enough to power the holding coil which keeps it in while cranking. This causes the solenoid to release, and the re-activate since the current in the system is brought back up. this will happen rapidly, hence the click-click-click-clicking. VERY rarely it is an imbalanced solenoid on the starter. The voltage readings above will diagnose it properly.
NO CLICKING AT THE STARTER: Check for a loss of ground to the starter, or a loss of voltage at the battery. Check the ignition terminal on the solenoid for power when trying to start. If none of those circuits have any issues, the starter is bad.
JUST A CLICK: Again, verify the voltages. The solenoid could have enough power to engage and feed current to the starter, but a loss of current in the ground/cable/battery could be causing the starter to not crank properly. If the voltages are fine, change the starter.
STARTER SPINS, BUT DOESN'T CRANK THE ENGINE: The drive in your starter is blown or the gear is chewed. Change the starter (or drive if you are so inclined). Also check the teeth on the flywheel, make sure they aren't torn up. It is also possible (but unlikely under normal circumstances) that your drive shaft is snapped, or the planetary track in the starter is worn, in which case a new starter is in order.
STATER STAYS ENGAGED AFTER ENGINE STARTS: If the starter stops spinning when the key is off and the engine stops turning, check the ignition feed to the starter, make sure the ignition switch isn't faulty and supplying voltage to the starter when not in the start position. The drive could also be binding mechanically. If the engine stops turning and your starter is still spinning even with the key off, you have a low voltage issue. Basically what is happening is you have enough voltage to crank, but it is low enough that the contact disk in the solenoid is welding itself to the contacts due to heat from loss of amperage. Find your voltage drop in the battery/cables. I also suggest changing the starter/starter solenoid, as this causes the contacts to become distorted and chewed, and will cause problems in the starter.
CRANKS SLOW: Again, check voltages, change starter if necessary. Notice a pattern?
Best regards.
Mario
Ok so I almost hate to tell you what the problem was. A loose cable on the positive side of the battery. I came home ready to figure this bitch out and was ready to disconnect the ignition switch but decided to clean the battery terminal first. Good thing I did because I noticed it was a bit loose. I tightened it then asked my son to start the car. Noticed lights on the door and had that feeling it was fixed. Sure enough he turned the ignition and the car started. I thought I had a bad starter and possibly burnt up cables because like i said the other day, i got sparks when trying to bypass the solenoid. Really glad that's fixed.
Nice and simple. That's what you want.