No Start

[greg g]

Went to start up the coupe to go to a local cruise in, she cranked and fired, and then died, went to crank her again no click, no lights, no nothing. Meter shows battery at 7.2 volts and 7 at the bat side of the solenoid. cleaned and tightened both battery cables, cleaned at the connections at the bat side of the solenoid, now have lights etc. Turn key hit button, nada. meter shows 6.5 volts to small solenoid post. So I'm thinking solenoid is toast, smack it around a bit, still nothing.

Tractor supply has a 6V for Ford N series tractors for 13 bucks. Do you suppose its stout enough to handle the MOPAR starter motor?

[Don Coatney]

First off I have converted to 12 volts and run an alternator. Last year in the heat of summer I noticed the alternator was working extra hard on the 30 mile drive home from a show. Next morning I drove 5 miles to the store. Car would not start when I left the store. I cleaned the ternminals, putzed with the battery cables and managed to make the starter spin enough to start the engine and get me home. My battery was shot and replacement fixed my problem.

So my point is did you see any sign of a weak battery? Was your charging system working normally on your last drive? How old is your battery? From my experiance batterys fail more in hot temperatures than in cold temperatures.

[thrashingcows]

Take it your car is still a 6V system? If so then the solenoid you pictured should work fine.

[greg g]

Battery was fine last week, no excessive charging rate, but I had the charger on it yeaterday, lights are good horn honks loud. Battery ir going on 5 years I get no click from the solenoid when the wife pushed the button.

[Don Coatney]

Battery was fine last week, no excessive charging rate, but I had the charger on it yeaterday, lights are good horn honks loud. Battery ir going on 5 years I get no click from the solenoid when the wife pushed the button.

One other thing to check. Is your starter button working correctly?

Check your PM box and let me know if you need a starter button. Tim gave me one when I thought my button was failing. If you need it let me know.

One other thing. Way back when, I found that there are several ways (none of them correct) to find if a bad battery connection is the problem. With the ignition switch on and the starter button pushed try honking the horn, or turning on the headlights, all at the same time. The added amp load is sometimes enough to flash or overcome the resistance of a bad battery cable connection. This works well when in high school, parked in lovers lane with your favorite girlfriend, and it is time to take her home and the car wont start:cool:

[Niel Hoback]

That is the same solenoid I am using. Works perfectly.

[Plymouthy Adams]

a 6 volt solenoid would be my choice as they are rated for more current and the contact may last longer..sometimes using the 12 volt on a six volt starter can cause the contacts to get fused and stick ...

[LAKOTA169]

One other thing to check. Is your starter button working correctly?

Check your PM box and let me know if you need a starter button. Tim gave me one when I thought my button was failing. If you need it let me know.

:

Hmmmm, let's see....a button, a clock, wires. Where's the TNT?

[Plymouthy Adams]

your local cable or satelitte service will provide you with TNT..I know being a nice safe hobby oriented site you were refrring to Turner Network Television

[Rodney Bullock]

Greg, I had that problem with the 40 and you guy's told me to check that the starter relay was grounded to the firewall. I removed it cleaned the back of it and put it back. The car started fine. The Ford relay unless it is for a 6 volt will not work. The relay must have the right stud conections on the front of it as well. Did you try to press the button on top of your relay to see if it would start the car? If your relay has that feature.

[greg g]

I don't think my current sole has that feature. I did get current to the sole from the switch when my wife pushed it but no response from sole.

[Robert Horne]

You take a screwdriver and touch the battery side of the solenoid with the small wire on the solenoid to engage the solenoid. If not working then, you can take the solenoid apart, and flip the contacts inside. I have been running a garden tractor solenoid on my Coupe for many years, always has worked good.....

[Dan Hiebert]

Although 12V, I had the same problem with my daughter's Falcon a few years ago. I didn't heed the age old "start simple" mantra and fixed / rebuilt / replaced almost everything to no avail and it turned out to be the second simplest solution. Bad battery cable. (Simplest solution would have been the battery, but that was good.) I only have a rudimentary knowledge of things electrical. What confused me was that the voltage showed good everywhere I checked, but it would plummet when I turned the key. I knew the battery was good so I just thought a component was doing something funky. Finally decided to simply check draw between each connection (what I should have done first) and viola - the pos. battery cable was the culprit. I just didn't think something like that would go bad.

[greg g]

While we are at it I think I will change my ground cable that has the emergency repair replacement clamp on it (yes I cleaned and re did that) to a strap style one, does any one know the size and pitch bolt needed to fasten it to the tapped head bolt? I searched and came up with lots of discussion but couldn't find the size mentioned.

[moose]

I don't think that ford solenoid will work. I'm pretty sure to activate that one the small terminal is grounded. For the mopar it needs power applied.

[Plymouthy Adams]

I don't think that ford solenoid will work. I'm pretty sure to activate that one the small terminal is grounded. For the mopar it needs power applied.

if the small stud is to be grounded..where do you apply power to energize the solenoid to make the high current contact connect..am sure if you connect your ohm meter to the small stud and the base mount of the solenoid you will read the pick up coil windings..

[Don Coatney]

I don't think that ford solenoid will work. I'm pretty sure to activate that one the small terminal is grounded. For the mopar it needs power applied.

I am using a Ford solonoid. Twelve volt battery power goes to pole #1. pole #4 connects to the starter, pole#2 gets power from the starter button and lights up both pole#4 and pole #3. I am using pole #3 to power up my ignition coil with a full 12 volts (by-passing the ballast resistor) during the time the starter motor is running.

[moose]

I am using a Ford solonoid. Twelve volt battery power goes to pole #1. pole #4 connects to the starter, pole#2 gets power from the starter button and lights up both pole#4 and pole #3. I am using pole #3 to power up my ignition coil with a full 12 volts (by-passing the ballast resistor) during the time the starter motor is running.

Your 12v solenoid is not the same. A few years ago I sold a complete running flat 6 on a stand. To make it complete I had to come up with a solenoid, like Greg, I found the ford solenoid, thought it was deal, wired it like mother mopar taught me to, and it did not work. When I did some research I found that it was supposed to be wired with the switch to the ground. Made the correction and it worked fine. It was easy on mine, but I don't want Greg to have to rewire his starting circuit.

[greg g]

I am awaiting the arrival of a replacement solenoid, perhaps in today's or tomorrow's post. This after a serious and arduous negotiation with a forum member, regarding price, payment schedule, vigorish, and future financial considerations. So no rewiring should be necessary and should be the fix.

[greg g]

OK, I screwed up. I tinkered today, took a reading of my battery this AM and the meter said 6.2 volts. I turned on the lights and got a good reaction. Then I jumped the battery to the start terminal on the solenoid, and got nothing. Took another reading from the battery and it was down to 3 volts after powering the lights for 20 seconds.

So I pulled the sole, and bench tested it with the battery charger it responded like its supposed to. I cleaned up the terminals the mounting bolts, wire brushed the area under the mounting bolts and remounted it. This time I got a spark from the jumper wire but no click. checked the battery again at it was shoing 3.5 volts. So i decided to remove it and have it checked. When I pulled it the sticker on the fender side said it was manufactured in 2005. So I only got 6 years out of it. I am disapointed with the quailty of things these days. Guy at the exide warehouse said it was toast, so I guess The soothsayers who said battery were correct and I am humbled by there diagnostic prowess. I am waiting till Monday afternoon as the fellow said he was getting a batch of bats in Monday and it should have a couple of 2nds which this one was. If not I'll pop for the 65 buck for a factory fresh model, and hope for 7 years of life instead of 6 from the blem.......

what was suprising was how quickly it died. As it has been fine all spring, worked well when we went to Rhinebeck, and for thepast couple of weeks thee was nothing to suggest it was in ill health.

[Young Ed]

Greg its been my experience that they die that quick. Last summer the wife and I were going to take Dads 64 Fury to S dakota. Drove it home 120miles from the cabin and all sorts of errands around town. Car started fine everytime. Just before we left checked oil etc and Dad says"that battery looks kinda old should we get a new one?" I said no its been working fine. So we're just about to go and he reminds me to check the air in the spare tire. Go to leave his house and click no start. Battery died.

[ptwothree]

That's around $9.28/yr. I've seen brand new batteries fail within one week of installation! Be happy that you don't have a Prius or Volt to replace batteries for.....or do you?

[Don Coatney]

I am awaiting the arrival of a replacement solenoid, perhaps in today's or tomorrow's post. This after a serious and arduous negotiation with a forum member, regarding price, payment schedule, vigorish, and future financial considerations. So no rewiring should be necessary and should be the fix.

As I see it you owe me a thousand peanuts. Eight hundred for freight. And two hundred for serious and arduous negotiation with a forum member:D. I like them peanuts fresh roasted and in the shell. Full payment expected at the next meeting. Salt taters will not be a viable subsitute. Full details and disclosure of the lovers lane experiance might gain you a limited discount:eek:

Glad you found the real problem.

[greg g]

Actually I get my batteries at the exide warehouse in town. I have been buying blems or seconds there for years. This one I believe I paid 35 for and like everything else, if he gets in a coupe tomorrow or Monday am, the price will be 38.

The drivers bring unsold batteries from stores out in the world, when they are close to or at their sell by dates. For what is half of retail I have never had one that lasted for less that 4 or 5 years. So the annual cost for this one was < 5 bucks.

And for Don C, I believe I have already shared with you the reason I have an affinity for and fond menories of 49 Packards.

[Plymouthy Adams]

lovers lane experience in a Packard..might be best not to know..just like I tell the wife..could easily open a bed and breakfast..50.00 a night..I keep the film..