CFrog diagnosis, please...

Check all the obvious stuff first, dwight. Cables, battery connections, connections at the solenoid, etc. Sounds like the power is not making it to the starter.

See what you find before going any further.

Mike

dwight,

That sounds similar to what happened to me in my 88 5.0. I was pulling up to the local parts shack to get oil change supplies. I picked them up, got in the car, no starty. I could hear the fuel pump power up, and all accessories were working - no starty. I ended up having it towed to my parents' place (where I was going to be to change the oil anyhow). After being ready to pull the pump, etc... a mechanic friend recommended replacing the fuel filter. Sure 'nuff, the filter was clogged to the point of enough backpressure to shut down the electric fuel pump. It then starty.

If it hasn't had a new fuel filter (the canister one back by the tank), then it's a cheap thing to try that it probably needed anyhow.

Good luck!

Steve

My money's on a bad solenoid or starter. If you start taking wires off the solenoid, just make sure you put them all back the same way or bad things will happen.

Joe Calypso Green '93 5.0 LX AOD hatch with a few goodies Black '03 Dakota 5.9 R/T CC

snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (TurboMike) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@mb-m28.aol.com:

Hey genious, didn't Frog say that nothing happened when he tried to start it? :-) No cranky = no power somewhere :-) j/k Steve..

Mike

Done, Mike. But it still seems like there's a short somewhere. The starter is the most likely suspect. Weird that I had power 15 minutes later, until I again turned the key to start. (At this time, I have no power to anything, and my windows are down about an inch. No rain in the forecast, thank you!)

dwight

If you turn it to acc do you have a radio, etc? I think I'd first verify that the starter IS getting power. If it is then obviously it's the problem. Have Jean try and start it while you verify power down at the starter using a test light. Yeah Dwight, that means your going to have to crawl your old bones down under the car and find the starter :-)

Mike

What the hell's a solenoid? I mean, that's one of those words people throw around, and I nod like I know what they're talking about.

Neither my Haynes manual nor my Mustangs Unlimited catalog mentions it. Is the solenoid what they call the "starter relay"?

duh-wight

Now THAT's an interesting tidbit that I would never have though of. But, I've got a brand new battery and NOTHING is getting through. A clogged fuel filter couldn't take out ALL electrical, could it?

(Making note - replace fuel filter. As you know, I have no maintenance records on this car. I've got a new serpentine belt ready to go on, had an oil change and popped in a new air filter. Radiator flush and fill is on the list, and now the fuel filter is, too.)

Meanwhile, as if I don't have enough to worry about, TFrog's clutch has developed some SERIOUS shudder starting up in first. Damn, I wish I could find someone who knows these 5.0 transmissions.

dwight

It's where all the wires come together on the fender by the battery. Should have a plastic shroud over it.

Mike

Hmmmm, now I don't remember if mine would crank either. What if the fuel pump reset got tripped? What happens then?

Steve

It'll crank all day but with no fuel, won't start.

Mike

Does it have a burglar alarm? With a starter kill?

Al

Is CFrog an automatic or standard? Initially, it sounded like you might not be in Park or Neutral when trying to start it. Now that it's completely dead, though, I think personally I'd suspect the ignition switch. And yes, the starter relay is the solenoid.

Don't you just LOVE a puzzle? :P

Clutch chatter on drive-away is usually from foreign material on the disc..... when you have the clutch replaced, make sure that a fluid leak from transmission, rear main or intake aren't going to contaminate te new assembly. Make sure they replace the pilot bearing and release bearing at the same time.

As for fuel filters.... return type systems I recommend yearly replacement. Returnless systems get a new one at 15000 miles (24000 km).

HTH

Also,

They'll want to check out the release bearing collar. IIRC they were aluminum and would get grooved. There used to be replacements that weren't that expensive.

Steve

replacement.

DOH!!

Or some sort of connection or break in a wire got worse when you hit the starter the first time it wouldn't start and the connection came back until the starter loaded it down and now the connection is gone. You might look for a bad wire or a corrosion/arcing problem in the fuse block. Possibly wehre the main connection is in the fuse block.

OMG be careful with that scenario, you don't want to lose any fingers; we'd have to start calling you "Stumpy"....

As late as I am reading this it was probably already answered, a Solenoid is an eletro-magnet. It's what some GM cars used to make power door locks, wish Ford had too. The one Mike refers too is the "large clicky relay thing" on the fender under the hood that the huge wire goes to from the battery, then comes off and goes to the starter. oh, you my also consider the actual ignition switch under the dash. Try gettin' jiggy wit it and see if'n you get power back.