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Thread: No cranking

  1. #1

    Default No cranking

    Having an issue with a 5.0 not cranking.

    It did crank but very slowly. but after a few seconds it would speed up then catch and fire up.

    Went to start it the other day and got that slow crank but wouldn’t catch and fire up like it always did.
    So turned off ignition and tried to start it again but then it stopped cranking all together.

    Got plenty of juice. Power doesn’t cut off when cranking.

    Replaced starter, silinoid, ground cable but still nothing.


    Any suggestion are appreciated.
    1985 Mercury Motorsport Capri Registry
    Official Pace Car of the Mercury Motor City 100 - Grand Prix IV

    www.Motorsportcapri.com

  2. #2
    FEP Power Member Jerry peachuer's Avatar
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    Is it new build ? Auto or manual ?

    Neutral safety has a adjustment it's on the left side of pedal there's about 1 inch of travel and can be out of adjustment if it's manual

    Or bad cell in battery during cranking or too much timing possibly

  3. #3
    FEP Senior Member Dave9052's Avatar
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    I once had the same type of problem, turns out it was a loose battery cable. When I started cranking the cable was loose which caused it to crank slowly but as the battery draw warmed up the battery post and clamp it became tighter and would then crank faster. I see you replaced ground cable. Maybe check positive cable. Just a thought.

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jerry peachuer View Post
    Is it new build ? Auto or manual ?

    Neutral safety has a adjustment it's on the left side of pedal there's about 1 inch of travel and can be out of adjustment if it's manual

    Or bad cell in battery during cranking or too much timing possibly
    It’s a manual (1985)
    54000 miles on original drive train.
    Jumped with fully charged Known good battery.

    Timing was good when it did crank and start up.
    Last edited by 1985 Motorsport Capri; 04-16-2019 at 08:55 PM.
    1985 Mercury Motorsport Capri Registry
    Official Pace Car of the Mercury Motor City 100 - Grand Prix IV

    www.Motorsportcapri.com

  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave9052 View Post
    I once had the same type of problem, turns out it was a loose battery cable. When I started cranking the cable was loose which caused it to crank slowly but as the battery draw warmed up the battery post and clamp it became tighter and would then crank faster. I see you replaced ground cable. Maybe check positive cable. Just a thought.

    I took the positive and added a new clamp to the end so don’t think it’s that. Usually when the positive is not getting good connection with battery the power will cut off. My power doesn’t cut off when trying to crank.
    1985 Mercury Motorsport Capri Registry
    Official Pace Car of the Mercury Motor City 100 - Grand Prix IV

    www.Motorsportcapri.com

  6. #6
    FEP Power Member Jerry peachuer's Avatar
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    As you crank try moving clutch pedal in/out slowly to see if there's a sweet spot for the neutral safety to work

    I had this happen on a new build and it was because of a misadjusted neutral safety switch
    It's easy to do and will take a few seconds

    I believe your battery may have a dead cell and measures surface charge well but doesn't have enough cranking amps to spin it

  7. #7

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    Test the battery with a load tester.

    Brant

  8. #8
    FEP Senior Member Tigger's Avatar
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    I agree have the battery checked or swap in the fully charged good known battery and see what happens.
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  9. #9

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    What condition is the rest of the positive cable in? Check it's continuity. Clean/tight connections. Agree with battery suggestions above. See that at rest over time that the battery's voltage is good and above 12V, like 12.5V or so... and when running that it's getting 14+V...
    Mike
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  10. #10
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    I might also do a voltage drop test on both cables while cranking.
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  11. #11

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    It's not the NSS, it won't crank at all if that's no good.

    Bad starter, bad cables, bad ground, or timing that's too advanced
    Jeremy
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  12. #12

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    When you replaced the ground cable did you just run it to the engine? did you swap the strap out that grounds the cable to the body? On mine there is no separate body/engine ground strap, just the one from the battery/body/ground. I swap the ground strap onto the new cables so I can continue to look and work like stock.

    Good luck
    Kenny

  13. #13

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    Tried a known good battery but still no change. Going to try the starter to silinoid ground and another positive cable. Only 2 things i havent replaced yet.
    1985 Mercury Motorsport Capri Registry
    Official Pace Car of the Mercury Motor City 100 - Grand Prix IV

    www.Motorsportcapri.com

  14. #14
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    Take it out of gear and block the wheels

    short from always on battery cable attachment point to the start signal on the solenoid. If it cranks starter and solenoid and battery are good. It’s ignition switch or neutral safety loop/switch or clutch switch

    If no dice, disconnect battery and go big cables both on the same post of the solenoid. Carefully while wearing welding gloves put the cable back on. Be prepared for sparks and to pull it back off. If it still doesn’t crank think battery, positive cable, negative cable, or starter itself

    the other thing is .... does the motor turn over at all. I had a chunk of carbon cause no crank on my galaxie one time. Had to pull it apart to clear it, ruined a valve. You can bet grandpas old car never had carbon in it ever again.... I pretty much went off on the induction as much as a high school kid ever could after cleaning everything up

    This really sounds like worn out brushes in the starter to me based upon the times mine has done that. I usually change them at least every 100K miles. More if there’s a lot of in town driving

    you could try getting it rolling good with the clutch depressed in 2nd then pop it and shove it back in. With my 86 reverse works just fine for a quick roll start too.

    good luck!

  15. #15
    FEP Power Member Jerry peachuer's Avatar
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    This maybe a ignition module as welll.. I believe this ignition module retards timing during cranking for easier starts

    You verified that you are using a known good battery but I would check another battery before you keep replacing things

    Your completely stock with 50 k mile collector car it's something simple and moisture maybe corroded contact points on your ignition circuit at one of the connection points

    If it cranks slow and then stops something is getting hot electrically speaking and stopping current so it doesn't melt down as part of the deign built in the circuit

    Regarding neutral safety I know it sounds quick to say it's not but this is a "moving" plunged part with contact points internally that's cycled xxxxxx times per drive and per start
    There is a range you can be out of adjustment and with the adjustable stock plastic pawl feature on the factory clutch cable design maybe at 50k you need simple adjustment to make full contact of the pedal and switch design

    My pedal overtraveled when I installed a 331 and adjustable cable
    At the floor it would not crank I would let the pedal come up a bit and it would catch and crank

    Your car sounds like a "in storage "problem ran fine when I put it in storage and now it won't start so maybe check for rodent friends as well

  16. #16
    FEP Power Member Jerry peachuer's Avatar
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    Ignition module meaning
    Yours isn't internally working properly for the design of the factory circuit

  17. #17
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    If you retard the base timing a few degrees and it starts cranking OK then I agree -- module not getting signal from the starter solenoid that the engine is being cranked can cause that.

  18. #18
    FEP Power Member Jerry peachuer's Avatar
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    Sounds. Like everything is untouched 50 k mile build not someone tinkering with performance gains

    It cranks and has power then stops cranking with known good battery
    Wire harness has fusible wire and certain components has bi metal circuit protectors that when corroded some resistance goes up and creates heat and stops you from cranking so nothing can melt

    Amp clamp starter wire and see your draw value

    Before cranking turn headlights on too take the peak charge off your battery then measure your battery

  19. #19
    FEP Power Member Jerry peachuer's Avatar
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    any luck on this ? I just had the same problem this weekend. I had no power to my solenoid
    I rebuilt motor and trans over winter went to flip the key and and nothing . Just a click in kick panel in the right kick panel in stock 85 gt 5 speed.

    We checked red blue power small wire on solenoid and at crank it should see 12 volts and drops the signal in run position on ignition switch

    Ignition switch was a issue on these 85's and there were recalls (I was told this) can't confirm so ign switch turned out good

    Neutral safety on clutch pedal is next just unplug it from switch and pump jumper wire loop it and stick it in connector or use a good fuse to make the jumper

    Tried it and nothing no switch switch power to solenoid

    My car is freshly paInted and most interior is out so the next thing to do is pull the harness going through the floor to the transmission connectors (I have no carpet in yet easy to do vs working under car)
    Pulled neutral safety connector from top of trans and put a jumper wire in the body harness part of the connector not the trans side

    Pulled the back up light connector off trans and jumped that as well

    Household wire 14-2 was available in my inventory and makes great jumpers it's stiff copper solid core not stranded but stranded would work too

    Double checked all my fuses in fuse panel and those are good

    MAKE SURE CAR IS IN NEUTRAL OR IT WILL LUNGE FORWARD/BACKWARDS If left in any gear

    Flipped the key and I have 12 volts at the solenoid but being everything is jumped my back up lights are on even though this was just to see if there a broke wire behind dash or if it's my interlock circuits

    Lesson learned - you car if it's a stick will not crank if your back up light switch is unplugged or loose connected

    Your key power runs to a connector left of the radio and the ignition wire changes color about 4-5 times so ohm meter is your friend

    I may have mispoke above in earlier post about clutch pedal sweet spot.. my 331 was experiencing this slow lugging cranking but I had advanced timing and other things that I may have mis diagnosed and spoke and spread bad info possibly

    Not my intentions at all to spread any bad advice

    Anyhow jump out those 3 connectors 2 on your trans body harness and neutral safety and see if that works for you

    all of the electrical was untouched during repaint and was working fine with the 331 and was a complete dissapoIntment but I owe everything to my father to n law on this repair he jumped it all out and I would never have been sucessful without him on this

    Good luck hope you get it going weather is starting to turn for the better

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