Nurdyguy

I tried to take the Mustang to work yesterday morning but when I turned the key I got nothing so naturally I assumed the battery was dead and drove my truck instead. When I got home I hooked up the charger but the indicator light on the charger said the battery was fine. I double checked with my voltmeter and there is plenty of juice but the car still won't start.

Details:
1. When I turn the key there is no click or any other sound. Both idiot lights do come on.
2. If I then release the key, leaving it in the "on" position, I get power (headlights, radio, power for the verti roof, etc).
3. I glanced around at the wiring and nothing jumps out at me as odd/out of place. Nothing is dangling where it shouldn't be. No wires look burned or anything like that. The firewall harnesses feel secure.

Anyone have any guesses on how I can further trouble shoot this? Dead starter? Dead relay somewhere?

Thanks!

ucinn

What's the voltage on the battery when you turn the key to start it? I had a battery in my van that worked everything fine until I tried to start it then everything would go dead. A couple cells in the battery went bad even though a voltage test while under no load checked good.

bop11

Since there is no click, check solenoid, Is there 12 volts at the battery side of the solenoid when someone turns the key to start? No? battery not good enough, this is extreme since there is usually enough juice to at least pull in the solenoid and make a click. If yes, Is there 12 volts on starter side of solenoid when someone turns the key to start? If yes, you probably heard a click and have a bad starter. If no either the solenoid is bad or the wire from the key switch is bad.
Pull the red with blue stripe wire from the solenoid and check that it gets 12 Volts when someone turns the switch to start. If no, either the switch, neutral switch, or the wire is bad. If yes, with a piece of wire, jump from the battery plus terminal to the connection on the solenoid that you pulled the red and blue wire from. IMPORTANT make sure you are in neutral or park if auto. The solenoid should pull in and the engine crank. If not, you have a bad solenoid.
One more place to look. If the car is auto, you may have a faulty neutral switch.
Under the hood, on the driver side near the fire wall, there is a connector with 4 wires. Should be 2 red with blue (neutral switch) and 2 black with red (Back-up lights). If standard trans, the red with blues should be jumper-ed. If Auto they go to the neutral switch. If you did not get 12V at the red blue wire at the solenoid but did get the engine to turn-over when the terminal was jumped to the battery, check that either the jumper is correct or that the neutral switch is making contact. These switches do go bad and they can get out of adjustment so that thy do not close the circuit when in neutral or park.
Chances are that the neutral switch is bad from your description.

Nurdyguy

... and now I feel retarded....

I forgot that, with this car, it doesn't just have to be in park but the shifter has to be ALL the way forward. Sometimes it slips back about 1/16th of an inch and then this is exactly what happens. It happened when I first got it and I thought I had learned my lesson but apparently not.

Thanks for the help!

69mach1377

Darn safety device...also checks mental status?lol

fastbackford351

DOH!

Yeah, you feel stupid, but those kinds of lessons tend to stick with you. At least it didn't cost you any money, just a little internet pride and that's highly overrated anyhow.

julianu

i did all that you said there and I changed all the starter and solenoid new battery and ignition switch and I got 12 v all around but still nothing. Tried turning it on in all the gears but nothing still. Need help plz thanks In return

Eddy97

were you able to figure out the issue?

Robkay6691

I am having a similar issue and it’s not the shifter. Car started fine then I installed a new alternator and now when I turn the key nothing happens. Battery is fine and all lights come on and the electric fuel pump starts. I am able to start the car with a push start wired to the battery and S terminal but then the key won’t turn the car off either. I didn’t have any of these problems before I changed the alternator. Please any ideas would be great. Thank you in advance.