Car Won't Start. Dash Lights don't turn on.

[STANGNUM]

Hey guys I got a 93 5.0 GT 5 speed.. Here's my problem I'm having..Car was running fine, battery fully charged connections all tight..Well I turned the car off and came back a little later..The car's dash lights turned on like normal then it clicked like it was gonna start, next thing all lights went dead, no motor cranking or anything..

I put a charger on the car to see if it would start over..Nope nothing happened..Here's something weird..I turned the headlights on, they didnt turn on at first then they flickered on then back off...So I thought maybe battery faulty and not holding a charge..So I get my second battery out of my SHO that runs fine.. Well the dash lights turned on again the first time ignition turned on..Then no lights again in the dash or attempts at cranking.. I doubt 2 batteries are dead..

Last thing I did was check the fuses...Fuses light up when checking with the key in off position..When I turn ignition on and try checking, no fuses light up.. So I'm thinking the ignition switch is faulty maybe? Any ideas? Sorry for the story.. Thanks in advance..

:SNSign:

 

[jrichker]

Here's a checklist:

Since some of the tests will bypass the safety interlocks, make sure that the car is in neutral
and the parking brake is set. Becoming a pancake isn’t part of the repair process…

Check battery, terminal connections, ground, starter relay switch (also known as solenoid) and
starter in that order. Battery cables with the replacement ends that clamp on the cable with 2 bolts
are a know problem source.

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.

See http://www.fluke.com/application_notes/automotive/circuit.asp?AGID=1&SID=103
for help

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.) 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.

4.) Then pull the small push on connector (red wire) off the starter relay (Looks like it is stuck on a
screw). Then jump between the screw and 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.

5.) 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 you have wiring problems.

Typical start circuit...

Diagram courtesy of Tmoss and Stang&2birds.

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. See http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiB..._us/0900823d/80/1d/db/3c/0900823d801ddb3c.jsp for 94-95
model cars.

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.

 

[STANGNUM]

Well it ended up being the positive cable from battery to solenoid. I changed it and the negative cable at the same time.. It fired right up no problems.