Mustang Won't Start

[Danhvu]

I just got a 2000 v6 as a gift for going to college. Thing is, in the last couple weeks, its been very picky about starting. Some friends of mine who were into cars said the problem was with my starter since my battery was verified as working at autozone. My alternator also works when I tested it by removing the battery while the engine ran.

I had changed the starter for a new one this morning. After the fix, when I turned the key, the car didn't turn over. It did however the second time. I just drove to Walmart to run errands and came back in the Mustang. While driving, my radio was running on low or stopped playing at a red light. The radio ran back up when I accelerated. After I came back home. I decided to check if it would start again. It did not and just made a whir noise for a second and stopped. The theft light was one on my dash if that meant anything.

I cannot tell what the problem is. From what I've read it might be that the car is not recognizing my key with passive anti theft system. Sorry about this question guys, this is my very first car and I have no idea what I am doing.

 

[wmburns]

First thing. NEVER test the battery/alternator by disconnecting the battery. This is dangerous and can damage the alternator. But most importantly, the test proves NOTHING. Why? Today's cars require the battery to excite the alternator's field coil. Therefore:

No battery = no alternator.

I'm having trouble understanding the base problem. It's not clear to me if this is "starter" problem or a "crank with no start". However, let me give some information regarding the anti-theft system.

For the 99+ model year, PATS works by disabling fuel/spark. This results in a "crank with no start" symptom.

For the 98 and older MY's, PATS works by disabling the starter. This results in a "no crank" symptom.

IMO, your problem does NOT sound like a PATS problem. To me, your problem sounds like a battery/alternator problem. IE, loose battery cables, loose ground wire, bad battery terminals.

Some more information may help. If this is a "crank with no start", please find a quick check list below.


>>

Crank with no start check list.​

Check all fuses. Check the trunk mounted IFS cut off switch.​

Check the battery and battery terminals. Are they clean and tight? Is the battery fully charged? Today's ​

cars​

simply will not run right without a strong battery and charging system. Do not cut corners here!​

Unlock the driver's door with the key. Use the remote key FOB to lock and unlock the car. On some systems, this will reset PATS after a battery disconnect.​

Turn the key on but do not crank. Confirm that the theft light goes off after a 3 second "prove out". If not, STOP and find out why.​

Turn the key on but do not crank. Listen for the ​

fuel pump​

to run for a few seconds. A helper may make this easier. If the fuel pump never runs, STOP and find out why.​

Does the theft light blink or on solid during cranking? If so, STOP and find out why.​

Hold the throttle half way open during cranking. What changes?​

Disconnect the MAF electrical connector. Does it start now?​

Please follow all of the steps and post the results for best results.​

 

[jrod2423]

I had this sort of problem and mine was all caused by the battery terminals. The problem was that ford factory terminals were thin and after 12 or 13 years or corrosion and wear and tear the bottom portion of the terminal had basically blew apart. So to help you I would suggest goin to a place like autozone and gettin a new set of brass terminals and putting them on and see if your car still wants to act up, also make sure you clean the battery terminals.