Car won't start.. - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

antigravity · 09-27-2003, 20:31

Guys well my problems with my eletrical system have finally come to an end.. Well a bad ending anyway.

Now the engine won't start. All I get is a loud clicking noise with the lights on my dash flashing on and off in turn with the clicking noise. I'm guessing that this is because of the fusable links yeah?

I took them all out, cleaned them slightly and put them back in to no avail.

I've only had my battery for 1.5 years and it was a $120 century one.

I tried using my stereo but it only works for about 2 seconds before it turns off then on again..

BTW is the charge light on the dash the one with just the battery on it? Because if it is, it's not coming on, it only does when I put the key to the point just before trying to start the engine.

Help anyone?

Dave

galapogos01 · 09-27-2003, 20:39

checked your battery to engine and engine to chassis ground leads?

driftagent · 09-28-2003, 05:43

mate ur battery is flat, just needs a charge thats all, it happenss

antigravity · 09-28-2003, 06:31

galapogos: no i haven't, where are these grounds??

driftagent: there must be a reason because the battery is only a year old and for the past two weeks the battery hasn't been able to hold it's charge very well. I thought the alternator wasn't working but the charge light hasn't been turning on??

Dave

jjj · 09-28-2003, 17:37

sounds like the battery has dropped a cell, take the battery down to supercheap or the local servo and they will do free load test for you.
cheers jjj

Rollin · 09-30-2003, 00:58

if the battery is flat it will fail the load test even if its still good.

check that your alternator belt is tight (sometimes they slip but are not noisy, resulting in lack of output from the alternator) and check that the nut that holds the charge wire on the back of the alternator is tight and clean.

if that is all OK then jump start your car and put a multimeter across the two battery terminals and check charge voltage, then put the positive lead on the back of the alternator and the neg on the battery, there should only be about .2V difference, if its more it means your charge wire is stuffed.

if the charge rate is less than 13.9 or so volts then your alternator is stuffed.

also remember that once a lead/acid battery has gone dead flat it is never the same, and the more times it is de-charged the worse it gets, to the point it will be useless, even if it is only new.

LowSmoothNC · 10-08-2003, 21:26

This is happening to me right now. i thought it was mechanical with that loud ticking noise. the battery voltage is 12.07 so i am guessing its something wrong with the connections or cables. please god let it not be mechanical.....

XTREME · 10-08-2003, 22:59

it could be the alternator itself, or the alternator connections. have you checked either of these?

LowSmoothNC · 10-08-2003, 23:49

i just tried mine again and it actually sounds like an air impact gun used on wheel nuts! i'm pretty sure the sound is coming from the intake side of the engine. i can see the fan is trying to turn but it won't rotate.

what i THINK has happened to me:
first started engine today and the engine rotates slowly and stops (just like a flat battery).
next try and the engine doesn't rotate at all but i get the air impact gun sound.
Voltage is good. Connections are good.
I reckon something has siezed and wrecked the flywheel teeth and/or starter motor.

any ideas?

(sorry antigravity it sounded like a similar problem i didn't bother to start another thread)

MADXF · 10-08-2003, 23:59

definately sounds like a bad connection. Check your terminals on the battery, clean them with something and put them back on....tight.

The clicking sound you are hearing is the sound of the solenoid in the starter motor trying to throw the gear into place