Intermittent No-start Issue

[MR.ADAMS]

Hello again everyone, I could use a few suggestions here.

For the last couple of months, I've been greeted by a sporadic NO-START on my Mustang. It's hit or miss, but about 40% of the time I turn the key to ignition and absolutely nothing happens. I can't hear the starter bendix kick, or turn. The voltage reads fine on the cluster gauge, all electronics work properly, and I had the battery tested and it checked out.

I'm thinking it's either the starter ground or some wiring that went bad somewhere, but I haven't had the time nor the patience to track down the issue. The car has been sitting for a few weeks now and occaisionally I will go out and try and start it, and it would either give me the problem or it would randomly start and I would take it for a spin. It runs fine, startup is the only issue and I can't figure out why it's so unpredictable.

This past week it hasn't started at all despite me trying multiple times, which brought me to making this thread. Any suggestions or thoughts on what to look for before I take out the starter? Any tips on pulling the starter would help as well. I haven't had my jack or stands for a while so I can't get underneath and look at it begrudgingly.

Thanks guys,
-Derek

 

[19cobra98]

When it doesn't start are you hearing the fuel pump come on?

 

[MR.ADAMS]

Yeah the fuel pump primes just fine.

 

[Hockeyman48]

Bad connections from battery to solenoid or solenoid to starter(positive cable) or
Bad ground wire to engine block(negative cable) or intermittent ignition switch problem.
Also ,could be clutch pedal switch if you have a manual trans.

 

[SNAKEYE]

Next time it doesn't start try giving the starter motor a good rap sideways with a hammer on the commutator end.

Brushes are replacable, but you should also clean up the commutator. The brushes in the starter motor may be hanging up off of the commutator segments. In addition to the carbon of the brushes wearing down the copper of the commutator segments wears down exposing the insulation between the segments. You can cut the insulation down to below the level of the copper segments and then resurface the copper segments with some emery cloth. Replacing the brushes requires some heavy duty soldering.

Of course you can always just put in another starter motor.

 

[98diablo]

i had the same prob once, and it ended up being the ground for the battery. i verified it with a multi meter from the battery ground to ground on the engine. if good it should read 0.5 ohms and jump to maybe 19 ohms when you start it. if yours is bad when doin this chk. it will jump anywhere from 90 ohms to even 900+ when trying to start. i had a digital meter when doin this. it took me awhile to find that too b/c for some reason i could slam my door or the hood and that would work 90% of the time, so then i changed the starter and it was still a pita.
or you could just suck it up and push start it everywhere!!!!!!

 

[BlownShift]

don't forget to check the safety switch as hockey said

my neutral safety switch has been bad for over a year and it won't start half the time...and with a bad awitch, the starter won't do anything... I always have to kick the clutch pedal down hard to get it to start or gorilla foot it into the floor... some day i'll replace it

 

[Hockeyman48]

BlownShift---- a quick easy fix is a tywrap(small)wrapped around actuator plunger on switch to create more travel from clutch pedal.Worked for me!!

 

[95gts5oh]

I had the same problem. Eventually I would turn the key forward and the starter wouldn't even click so I pulled the starter and had it checked at an auto parts store. I needed a new starter. Put the new one on and it cranks every time.

 

[BlownShift]

BlownShift---- a quick easy fix is a tywrap(small)wrapped around actuator plunger on switch to create more travel from clutch pedal.Worked for me!!

Thanks!.. I just went to look at it to see how the switch works. The little square box at the end is actually adjustable(sounds like a zip tie when moving it)... if you mess with it and push it hard enough towards the switch, it'll move. I moved it about 1/2 an inch closer to the actualy switch so it would engage the switch shorter in the clutch pedal travel. The first time I pushed the clutch, it then moved it back down 1/4 (self-adjust) where it is now sitting (still 1/4" closer than before) and now it will start with a good 1/3 less clutch pedal travel... 50 bucks saved! if it slides back down, then i'll tie wrap it

 

[cobraman1024]

Thanks!.. I just went to look at it to see how the switch works. The little square box at the end is actually adjustable(sounds like a zip tie when moving it)... if you mess with it and push it hard enough towards the switch, it'll move. I moved it about 1/2 an inch closer to the actualy switch so it would engage the switch shorter in the clutch pedal travel. The first time I pushed the clutch, it then moved it back down 1/4 (self-adjust) where it is now sitting (still 1/4" closer than before) and now it will start with a good 1/3 less clutch pedal travel... 50 bucks saved! if it slides back down, then i'll tie wrap it

Careful, tie wrapping could cause it to put a drain on the battery.

 

[BlownShift]

Careful, tie wrapping could cause it to put a drain on the battery.

it would be ok as I wouldn't tie wrap the plunger down but I would wrap it around the stick between the plunger and the square actuator to take up the slack (if the square piece were to back off again).. I wish I had fixed it a year ago but at least it saved me 50 bucks

 

[MR.ADAMS]

Well guys I appreciate all who responded. I think I may have found the cause of my problem.

I put underdrive pulleys on about the time all of this nonsense started happening, and I think they may be causing a couple bugs with the charging system not replenishing itself. I'll look into this a little more and possibly test my alternator to make sure it's outputting properly with the pulley installed.


I feel dumb for not thinking of this sooner, but I nearly forgot I put the pulleys on!