Is this an issue with the starter motor?

[SteveMelchiorre]

I have the following intermittent issue w/ my 69 Mustang.
250 pretty much stock except for the DUI ignition.

Occasionally (once a month or so) I get in to start her up and I only hear the starter click, and nothing else.
All accessories work and its "looks like" I have full battery power.

To remedy this I've done either of the following:
Gotten a jump from another vehicle and my car will start immediately.
Or pushed her a short distance in neutral and my car will start immediately.

From this information can anyone tell if this is an issue with the starter motor or something else?

All best,

Steve...

 

[CobraSix]

Start with simple things first.

Clean all your battery, starter, and solenoid connections. THe fact that jumping the car starts makes be believe it's not the starter. Next time it happens, try to tap the starter with a hammer. However, that only works if the brushes are worn.

I suspect the solenoid is starting to fail or a connection is corroded.

 

[MPGmustang]

snag a battery from another car and see it that fixes it... if it does it's an old battery... it's simple

 

[SteveMelchiorre]

Thanks for the leads.

On one of the previous times this happened I removed the Battery cables & cleaned the terminals. I also went so far as to remove the positive lead from the solenoid and the negative lead from the block, clean and re-tighten them.
I have not replaced the battery but its only 4 years old.
...and I have not replaced the battery cables but upon visual inspection they look solid (no cracks or corrosion).

How can you test the solenoid?

Steve...

--and this is really an infrequent issue - less than once a month....

 

[Ragtopman]

I have not replaced the battery but its only 4 years old.
How can you test the solenoid?
Steve...
--and this is really an infrequent issue - less than once a month....

Hi Steve in West Van!
Four years can be old for a battery, especially if the car is not in use for prolonged periods of time. I would recommend having the battery tested, and if it needs to be replaced, invest in a battery tender to protect your investment. As for testing the solenoid, have a friend turn the key and listen to the solenoid for a audible click. My assumption is that this is not your problem if the starter turns every time you apply full juice to it.

 

[MPGmustang]

its only 4 years old

Four years can be old for a battery

yup time for a new battery mate... here in AZ we're lucky if we can keep one for 2 years with this dag-gum heat... but the 3 yr warranty kicks in so it's something nice here...

 

[ludwig]

I used to get the 5 year battery. It was good for a free change-out every three or four years in SoCal. Now I just get the 1 or 2 year battery and run it until it dies. Cheaper ultimately.

 

[chad]

I have the following intermittent issue w/ my 69 Mustang.
250 pretty much stock except for the DUI ignition.
Occasionally (once a month or so) I get in to start her up and I only hear the starter click, and nothing else.
All accessories work and its "looks like" I have full battery power.
To remedy this I've done either of the following:
Gotten a jump from another vehicle and my car will start immediately.
Or pushed her a short distance in neutral and my car will start immediately.
From this information can anyone tell if this is an issue with the starter motor or something else?
All best,
Steve...

All connections (inc ground), battery, is there a fuseable link in that thing (nah, if that went it would not B intermittant, I guess)...

 

[jahearne]

It could be the neutral safety switch. I'm dealing with that in my '67 right now, but i'm with the other fellows in having your battery tested; it may have a bad cell.

 

[ludwig]

but i'm with the other fellows in having your battery tested; it may have a bad cell.

If you've cleaned the contacts and the grounds, the starter doesn't hang up (whacking method) and it only occurs at odd intervals, I am also with the bad cell group. The battery will take a full charge and then out of the blue, especially when it gets cold, the charge will completely disappear. Then you can charge it up again and all seems fine -- until the next time.

Get a one year battery and change it out with a three-year if you have no more failure events during that time. Or just get a three year battery and if it happens again: 1) the current battery is about expired anyway and 2) it's something else because you have confirmed (mostly) that it is not the battery.

 

[SteveMelchiorre]

Thanks again for all the ideas

I'll have my battery tested.......and it could be the neutral safety switch as I've had to put the car in neutral and roll it out of the garage each time in order to get it jumped. Next time this happens I'll run the gear shifter up and down the range and try again before jumping it.

Come to think of it I also have the swing away steering on my Mustang. each time I know the wheel was locked in the correct position but perhaps that switch could also be intermittent.

Steve.....

 

[CobraSix]

Man that sucks, I've had the same battery in my 65 for 6 years...and it's garaged 6 months out of the year. I'm bad about getting ti ready for winter. Its always dead in the spring and I have to charge it up. I can usually get 5-6 years out of a car battery easy though.

You may have a plate in the battery starting to go bad, but generally when you get a bad cell, you won't be able to start the car any time except for a jump or push start. The intermittent nature of it keeps me from thinking it's a battery issue. You'd be surprised about corrosion in cables though. My old explorer had pressed cable ends, and the inside was clean. However, I was having starting issues occasionnaly. I finally replaced the + cable end. I cut the cable off to see the cable was complete patinad on the inside of the connection, causing bad connections.

Slade