Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Electrical Problem? Help

Collapse
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 1
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous template Next
    #1

    Electrical Problem? Help

    So today I was driving down the highway and my radio stopped making any sound, so when I got to the next stop light I turned the car off, (just to reset the radio) when i went to start the car back, all I heard was clicking. So of course the light turns green and people start honking and whatnot. I got out and started to push the car over into a parking lot, then a cop came and helped me push. Once I got the car over there I got underneath and started banging on the starter hoping that would do the trick, but nothing. My father in law came and couldn't really figure out the problem either. My battery eventually got real low so he hooked up the jumper cables, after about 3 mins or so i tried to start the car and it fired right up. Drove about a mile or two and the car all of a sudden just dies. This time when i went to start it back up, I got nothing. I turned on the key and went and jumped the starter solenoid but just heard clicking again. Ended up having to get towed home. When I open the doors the lights come on and the headlights still work, but nothing when i try to crank it. Sorry for the long story but this is my only transportation and I work full time, so its gotta be fixed soon.

    Any ideas on what could be the problem? My alternator is only 6 months old, and the battery terminals are brand new if that helps anything.
    -85 Town Car: Crushed, gone to a better place.
    -91 Grand Marquis: With the Town Car
    -94 Grand Marquis: My DD
    Tags: None
    #2
    sounds like the battery dropped a cell or three. If you can disconnect the battery and jump the car off another battery and have it run without that battery connected, it's probably the old battery.

    Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
    rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
    Originally posted by gadget73
    ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
    Originally posted by dmccaig
    Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

    Comment

      #3
      from the research i've been doing the past few mins i think it may be the battery too
      -85 Town Car: Crushed, gone to a better place.
      -91 Grand Marquis: With the Town Car
      -94 Grand Marquis: My DD

      Comment

        #4
        Battery seems likely. I hope the alternator didn't shit the bed and take the battery with it.
        2020 Volvo XC90 T6 Momentum (Ice White / Blonde)
        2022 Ram 1500 4x4 5.7 Etorque, Built to Serve Edition, (Granite Crystal / Black)
        Past Panthers
        1989 Grand Marquis LS (Cabernet/Grey), 1989 Lincoln Town Car SS (White/Blue), 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis Ultimate (White/Black)

        Originally posted by Lincolnmania
        if its got tits or tires it's bound to give you trouble

        Comment

          #5
          Yeah I hope not too. If I can get a ride this evening I'm going to take the battery to the part store and have it tested.
          -85 Town Car: Crushed, gone to a better place.
          -91 Grand Marquis: With the Town Car
          -94 Grand Marquis: My DD

          Comment

            #6
            Well I took the battery to wally world to have it checked and the woman said it had a bad cell, and told me where a replacement was on the shelf. What I didnt notice was that the battery had a 3 year free replacement on it. So I ended up with a brand new battery for free. Brought it home, put it in the car and it fired right up. Thank god that was all that was wrong. Thanks for the help though guys. :]
            -85 Town Car: Crushed, gone to a better place.
            -91 Grand Marquis: With the Town Car
            -94 Grand Marquis: My DD

            Comment

              #7
              bonus on the freebie battery. always glad to help.

              Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
              rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
              Originally posted by gadget73
              ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
              Originally posted by dmccaig
              Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

              Comment

                #8
                Check your battery cables and the connections at the starter relay. The entire electrical system feeds in and out from that point, so it needs to not be crusty. The cables to the battery also need to be made of copper, and not corrosion. bend them. if they crunch and crack, they're probably made of green cheese, which is not electrically conductive. Clean the battery terminals too.
                86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                Originally posted by phayzer5
                I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                Comment

                  #9
                  I just bought new battery terminals, but should I get different ones (ones made of copper) instead? Battery cables seem fine, and the connections at the starter solenoid look good, they're all tight
                  -85 Town Car: Crushed, gone to a better place.
                  -91 Grand Marquis: With the Town Car
                  -94 Grand Marquis: My DD

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Battery terminals themselves are made of lead. Not a problem.
                    Got a voltmeter? Check the voltage at the battery with the car running.

                    Comment

                      #11
                      Lead is fine, as long as they are metal and not just a bunch of powder that used to be metal. Same thing goes with the cables. If you found good wire inside the cable when the ends were replaced, its fine, but if it was all green flaky crap, the cable is done.
                      86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                      5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                      91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                      1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                      Originally posted by phayzer5
                      I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                      Comment

                        #12
                        The wires were fine when i replaced the terminals, no green flakes. lol
                        -85 Town Car: Crushed, gone to a better place.
                        -91 Grand Marquis: With the Town Car
                        -94 Grand Marquis: My DD

                        Comment

                        Previous template Next
                        Working...
                        X