why wont it start!!!????

[zeusmoto]

alright guys here is a riddle why wont my car start... i have an 86 lx with efi, when i turned the key today it started right up, but after about ten minutes of driving i parked it, it sounded a little funny when i turned it off so i thought i would attempt to see if i could turn it on again, NO LUCK!!!! the starter engages and tries to turn the engine over but it just makes that whining noise, why wont my car start guys, dammit i have love for stangs but this winter i have had soo many problems with mine. i am in danger of not being a mustang loyalist anymore. i know its sad, maybe if you guys could help me with this i could see past the flaws.

thank you

 

[bmo37]

no one said they were reliable cars for daily drivers, check the basics, like fuel, spark.

 

[The Shape]

In 2 1/2 years mine has only left me stranded once and that was because the TFI module bit the dust. For a car that was built when I was in 5th grade it is pretty reliable in my opinion. If the starter is whining, but not spinning the engine over maybe the bendix isn't engaging the flywheel try whacking the starter with a swinging press (hammer).

 

[jdallen1798]

replace starter and solen oid

 

[NeQX]

If you're sure it's NOT the starter or starter solenoid, it could be your distributor off, possibly the hold down got loose from someone not having it tight and it turned.

 

[bmo37]

In 2 1/2 years mine has only left me stranded once and that was because the TFI module bit the dust. For a car that was built when I was in 5th grade it is pretty reliable in my opinion. If the starter is whining, but not spinning the engine over maybe the bendix isn't engaging the flywheel try whacking the starter with a swinging press (hammer).

out of the 3 stangs i have owned over the years, everyone of them has had some sort of problem which left me broken down on the side of the road. And none of the stang I had were beaters but rather low milage and well taken care of. i've went through 2 alternators, 3 tfi modules, 2 pickup coils, about 5 termostats, 2 waterpumps, and 1 distributor. not to mention other parts that were replaced.

All I can say is in my opinion they are fun cars to drive and I love them to death but I don't consider there to be very reliable. Especially when the mods start goin on them.

 

[JDnyc]

IF YOU DO NOT GET SPARK CHANGE THE MODULE , IF YOU GET SPARK......SIT IN YOUR CAR AND TURN THE IGNITION TO THE ON POSITION(DO NOT CRANK ENGINE) AND LISTEN TO HEAR A HUM IN THE REAR OF THE CAR. IF THERE IS NO HUM CHANGE THE FUEL PUMP. AND IF THERE IS A HUM PLUS SPARK CHECK YOUR STARTER. A WHINING NOISE MEANS IT ISNT GETTIN TO THE FLYWHEEL

 

[HISSIN50]

Zeus, did you get it running?
JD, he said it 'tried to turn over, but just just whined.'

a more accurate way to test things would be to systematically check them. a car not turning over/turning over insufficiently to start: bad battery, cables, motor to firewall ground, engine to block ground, amongst others. i would jump the battery and see how it does. then give the starter a good whack with a hammer. bendix might be hung up.

if the car does not start, and it is spark related, the culprit could be the computer, computer relay, PIP, TFI, coil fusable links, etc. not just one module, as mentioned.

on the fuel side, JD, you are more likely to be correct, but still the FP relay could be at fault, the pump (as you mentioned), the fusable link for the pump, the intertia switch, the regulator, etc. now i dont think this is Zeus' problem, but mentioned in response to what was said in the above post.

were it me, i would jump the car, and go from there. if that does not get it running, i would check for spark. then trouble shoot further from the things i listed (and things i may not have thought of).
point being, there is more than one possibility of what is wrong with either the fuel or spark side.
good luck, Zeusmoto.