What is up with my car?

Well just recently I put a T5 into my '65 mustang 200. (dont know if that is important info for my problem or not).

I have owned my mustang for about a year now and I just took it on its longest drive I have done. About one hour on the freeway. So I park it for a few minutes and then I move it again. Later that night I tried to drive it but it would not start. I would get a funny noise from the soleniod by the battery. I thought that the long drive might have heated up something electrical so I waited. Two days of sitting and it does the same thing. So I have my parents try to jump it. Same thing. Then I bypass the soleniod ie straight from the battery to the started. I get nothing not even a click(but I did get some sparks so I think my battery was charged). So I get some people to help me push it down the road and I let out the clutch. And she started! So I drove it for a few minutes and then I park it. Just for kicks I try starting it and it works fine So I try a couple more times and it starting up perfectly.

Now I am going to let it sit probably until tomorrow and see what happens.

What could have caused it not to work? I don't understand how it wouldn't get anything from the starter and then after a quick drive it would work. What are you thoughts?
Mike

a friend of mine had a bad stater motor and we could get it to start by giving it a knock with a hammer. but it would not start every time. getting it started by letting out the clutch and running it for a bit may have given the starter motor a jolt which may have gotten it working again. if it happens again maybe have the starter motor checked.

this is all a guess though.

In my opinion you have a dying battery or bad cable connections. The Ford solenoid needs every volt and amp that a good battery and cable connections can provide. If even one cell in your battery is going bad, it will take a quick charge from the alternator like when you push started it, and start right up for a awhile afterwards but let it sit for a couple of days and I bet you it won't start. I'd say take off all your cable ends and clean them and reinstall and see if it still does it because bad cable connections can cause the same thing. If it keeps acting that way after you cleaned the cables, have the battery load checked.

I agree with Scott. Check all your connections, pull them all off and clean them. You'd be surprised what a little corrosion can do. Also, check your battery connections. Make they are not worn. I had that on one of my cars, the cable connection was old and worn and too stretched out...so my cable connector bolt was tight, but the connection was still loose.

Slade

it sounds to me like

I'm with a couple other guys here- check your connections first- it's cheap and easy. Make sure the cables and terminals are good, too.

If that doesn't work, pull the starter and have it checked at your local parts store.

--mikey

and heat soak will just accentuate the problem

thats why it showed up after long drive

Sorry it took so long to reply the internet was down here.

Well its not starting just like before. So, First I will try cleaning the connections. If I end up hitting the starter and it starts working should I get a new starter or will it be fine? I can't do much today alot of work and class, so it will be tomorrow before I get to it.

If it was the heat that made my starter go bad is there a way to protect it like wrap it with tin foil or something?

Mike

i would replace it.

Junk-Falcon":1urivtnx said:

it sounds to me like its got a flat spot on the starter
if it doz it another time , try raping (not real hard just a nice quick hit or 2)on the starter , it frees up the brushes and lets it to start to spin
if that works you will need to replace it soon

Click to expand...

I with this one. if you are getting click from the silenoid then you battery and silenoid are good check your connection to your starter (I had a corroted cable to the starter, and couldn't see it until I actually took it off)

replaced that cable and pow instant start.

mike

Well I used jumper cables and went from the battery straight to the starter and I got nothing, but when I rolled started it the starter worked for a while after that. And the next time I tried (a couple of days later) it did the same thing. So I am leaning towards flat spot, but am not sure.
Mike

Boy am I embarrased I push started my car and took it to my gramps to store it for a while. We started to charge the batter but I noticed it was charging very well. He asked if I check the water level in my batter. So we look and it is bone dry. So I fill her up and it charged much better. After a while I put my nose real close to the battery and sniffed and it smelled kinda like rotten eggs. Then I remembered on my long drive I could smell that in the car.

So my questions are:
1. Do you think my battery is fried since it was so low on water?

2. Why would the water be gone when I bought the battery in November? (I think I need to replace my voltage regulator, could that be it?)

3. What is that eggish smell?

Thanks
Mike

The eggish smell is probably the sulfur from the sulfuric acid in the battery. Is your battery leaking? It could be that the acid is getting more concentrated as the water evaporates out, and it's getting more pungent.

Take your battery to just about any parts store and they should have a tester to tell you if it's good or bad.

--mikey