I have 2001 Focus that seems to have a problem with starting about every 2 - 3 weeks. When it does not start it clicks like the battery is dead. I have cleaned the battery post and connections on one occation and the car started fine. But about 2 weeks later it does it again. This time I jump started it but when I pulled the jumper cable off , the car dies. So I pulled the + cable off of the battery and hooked the jumper cable to the + cable and gound by-passsing the battery and it did jump start. Put the cable back on tha battery and tried to start but no good. Jump statered again and this time when the jumper cables were removed it continued to run. The car continued to run fine and start fine untill its next scheduled not starting date about three weeks. I also noticed this time that the + terminal is very hot. Is this a ALT problem, bad connection, or battery. Anyone got any ideas:?
STARTING ON AND OFF
Oct 06, 2005
6 Replies
On 6 Oct 2005 17:37:45 -0400, Jmac wrote Re STARTING ON AND OFF:
How old is the battery. It's the original it's probably the battery. I would have it tested.
If the positive terminal is hot, you still have a bad cable connection to the positive terminal.
If cleaning doesnt help, you may need a new cable, or cable end,
R"" wrote: > On 6 Oct 2005 17:37:45 -0400, Jmac > > wrote Re STARTING ON AND OFF: > > >I have 2001 Focus that seems to have a problem with starting > about > >every 2 - 3 weeks. When it does not start it clicks like the > battery > >is dead. I have cleaned the battery post and connections on > one > >occation and the car started fine. But about 2 weeks later it > does it > >again. This time I jump started it but when I pulled the > jumper cable > >off , the car dies. So I pulled the + cable off of the > battery and > >hooked the jumper cable to the + cable and gound by-passsing > the > >battery and it did jump start. Put the cable back on tha > battery and > >tried to start but no good. Jump statered again and this time > when the > >jumper cables were removed it continued to run. The car > continued to > >run fine and start fine untill its next scheduled not > starting date > >about three weeks. I also noticed this time that the + > terminal is > >very hot. Is this a ALT problem, bad connection, or battery. > Anyone > >got any ideas:? > > How old is the battery. It's the original it's probably the > battery. I > would have it tested. > -- > To email me directly, remove CLUTTER.
Thanks to all who responed. I cleaned the terminal and cable end, the battery is less than one year old. I will try and repalce the + cable next. I took a quick look at it this moring and I can notr even see the starter to disconnect the cable. Has any one ever done one on a Focus, if so what do I have to remove to get to it. :)
I dont know how the cable is routed, but you could just cut off the terminal end, and replace with a new end.
Ray
I cut the + cable end off and replaced it with a clamp type. Last Thursday. So far the car statrs and runs fine. Hope that I never have to take the starter out, looks like it would be a major pain to get out. Thanks Jeff :D
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