Ok so my brother and I are fairly new to engine work. My Mustang blew a head gasket about 3 months ago and we just got around to fixing it. We followed the book as much as possible. When it came time to start it, I turn the key and the power fades out and it clicks! the radio won't play and the trunk won't even pop! Then if I turn the key all the way back the radio and everything works fine!! Is there a certain wire I hooked up wrong? PLEASE HELP i HAVE TO GET IT BACK ON THE ROAD!
the starter draws as much power as about anything. id bet your battery is too dead to start it. charge it up. good luck.
turn on your headlights. If they arent very bright your battery needs a charge. trunk not popping is a sure giveaway too.
Wow I'm going to feel pretty dumb if it turns out to be my battery after all the work I did. what you guys said makes perfect sense and the lights are dim. I thought I checked the battery but I guess not good enough. It's charging right now so I might just get to drive it tonight!! Thanks!
the batteries discharge very easily (interior light, underhood lights, etc), so it is no biggie. did it start and how did it run?
Here's a checklist: Check battery, terminal connections, ground, starter relay switch (also known as solenoid) and starter in that order. A voltmeter is handy if you are familiar with how to use it to find bad connections. Measure the voltage drop across a connection: more than .5 volts across a connection indicates a problem. 1.) Will the car start if it is jumped? Then clean battery terminals and check battery. 2.) Check the battery to engine block ground, and the ground behind the engine to the firewall. 3.) Then pull the small push on connector (red wire) off the starter relay (Looks like it is stuck on a screw) and jump it to the terminal that is connected to the battery. If it starts, the relay is good and your problem is in the rest of the circuit. 4.) Remember to check the ignition switch, neutral safety switch on auto trans and the clutch safety switch on manual trans cars. If they are good, then the relay is bad. See http://www.autozone.com/images/cds/gif/large/0900823d80195963.gif for 88-90 year cars .OR see http://www.autozone.com/images/cds/gif/large/0900823d80195964.gif for 91-93 year cars. 5.) Jump the big terminals on the starter relay next to the battery with a screwdriver - watch out for the sparks! If the engine cranks, the starter and power wiring is good. The starter relay is also known as a starter solenoid. 6.) The starter may be hung, loosen up the bolts that hold it on, and give it a good whack with a big hammer. Tighten up the bolts and try again. 7.) If that doesn't work, use a jumper cable from the positive lead on the battery direct to the starter post where the big wire from the relay connects. If it cranks then, it is the power wire from the relay gone bad. This will be hard to do, since there isn't much room to do it. 8.) Pull the starter and take it to Autozone or Pep Boys and have them test it. Starter fails test, then replace it. If you got this far, the starter is probably bad.
Sounds like not enough power to start the motor, as previously mentioned. Try boosting the car.. but run the booster car for a min or two to charge the system before you start cranking the motor.
battery sounds like its toast. its probably drawing power and not putting any power out while you got the jumper cables hooked up. try swapping in a different battery.
