My 89 NA 2.3L has a starting issue. When I turned the key it just clicked and the car lost all power. I was able to get it started again by disconecting the positive battery terminal. Im not sure what to check for, Could the starter solenoid be going out? Or is it the starter? The battery on the car is 3 years old so I doubt it could be the problem.
Does the battery power the radio, lights, etc. without the engine on? If it doesn't, your alternator may not be charging the battery while driving. This assumes the battery is good. A 3 year old aftermarket battery is certainly worth checking out. Take it to your favorite auto parts store. They will put a system check tool on it that will tell you exactly what's going on, whether it be battery, starter, alternator or whatever.
Make sure to check your grounds too. Main one being the one that runs from the battery to the block, sometimes they will work loose or get some corrosion/rust causing the same issue. Even if the battery/alternator does fix it, it will not hurt to give these a glance.
Hey, I've had the same problem in the past with my '91. My issue was the battery terminals had been stretched out too much over the years making a poor connection at the battery, and when I hit the starter it would click and loose all electrical power. I had to simply put new terminal ends on the power wires at the battery. Hope this helps!
My thunderbird did that to me once years ago- turned out to just be a bad connection at the battery, I twisted the terminals a bit and it was fine.
