Help ! Engine won't crank

[Abom]

My sister in law's 1995 auto V6 quit today in the parking lot of the grocery store. After an interesting tow using a friend's SUV and a long rope (no, no funny stories this time ), it is in the driveway at home.

When the ignition is turned to start, all I get is a "click". Obviously just the relay clicking. The engine does not crank.

Fuel pump primes fine, battery is in decent shape and we have attempted boosting it AND tried a new battery. All the dash lights work, as do all electronics.

I've jumped the starter at the fender solenoid. With ignition off, I can hear it spin, so I know it's getting +12V and hasn't bit the dust. With ignition on, it sounds like it tries to spin, but isn't getting anywhere.

I've given the starter a few smacks, no help.

The only other issue the Ex has had is that over the past 2 weeks, it would randomly die at idle. It would start back up no problem at all, never did it while driving, but when idling standing still, RPMs would drop too low and it would die out. No strange noises or anything of the such. Spark plugs were changed, some of which the ceramic was cracked, so the assumption was that there were misfires ocurring. We don't know if that solved the issue, because the following day is when the Ex refused to crank in the parking lot. Assumption is that the two problems are unrelated, but you never know.

I even tried starting the Ex while it was being towed, no difference in problem.


To re-cap:

- Battery is good
- Fuel pump primes
- All dash lights / electronics work
- Starter can be jumped and does work, spins in ignition-off scenario, sounds like it's trying to turn the engine over in ignition-on scenario
- Tired going through gear selections in case of neutral-safety issue
- I have wiggled the starter wires, no luck


Any help is greatly appreciated ! I'm not bad with the basics but I'm no advanced mechanic either, so if anyone has any suggestions, the more detail the more it helps me out !

 

[mp88]

Battery cables?

 

[Abom]

Battery cables?

On a 2nd gen ? I thought about that from a 1st gen thread I read, but everything is getting power... including the starter motor when I jump it... I've yanked on many wires as well and everything looks solid wire-wise. And again, all electronics, dash lights, blower motor, fuel pump, etc, work perfectly. If it is indeed battery cables, where do I start looking / replacing ?

 

[JohnJ]

I'm probably reading this wrong so please correct me. I get the impression you're saying that with the ignition off you can jump the starter at the solenoid and it cranks normally but with key on it cranks very slowly and won't start.

If that's right it might indicate a sensor problem throwing the spark timing off.

If it cranks slowly all the time you might want to check for any corroded connections at battery, solenoid, starter. After that get the battery charged and tested and do a voltage drop test. If that all comes up good you're probably looking at a bad starter.

Also, when it was dying out did it seem to misfire at all while driving or did it just slow down and stall at idle?

 

[Abom]

I'm probably reading this wrong so please correct me. I get the impression you're saying that with the ignition off you can jump the starter at the solenoid and it cranks normally but with key on it cranks very slowly and won't start.

If that's right it might indicate a sensor problem throwing the spark timing off.

If it cranks slowly all the time you might want to check for any corroded connections at battery, solenoid, starter. After that get the battery charged and tested and do a voltage drop test. If that all comes up good you're probably looking at a bad starter.

Also, when it was dying out did it seem to misfire at all while driving or did it just slow down and stall at idle?

Nope, no crank at all with ignition on, just clicking. I can hear the starter try to move with iginition on, so I know it's not dead, but no, no cranking what-so-ever.

Didn't misfire while driving, only drop RPMs when idling and stall out. Didn't matter if it was in Park or Drive either.

 

[01slvrsprt]

I had a similar prob in my 67 mustang. It turned out, even though I could hear the starter turning, it wasnt sliding out to meet the flywheel. Could be a same prob with yours. Starter sounds good, but really isnt. It coud spin all day long but if its not sliding out to meet the flywheel, itll never start. Pull it off and have it tested. Thats how I found out what the problem was with mine.

 

[budwich]

If your starter is "spinning", then its not engaging and hence the "no crank"... you either have a starter problem (most likely) or bad connections such that there is insufficient power to energize the solenoid to pull up on the gear.

 

[JohnJ]

So with the existing stalling problem putting extra strain on both the starter and the alternator either one could have died giving this behavior. A voltage reading at the battery while cranking should easily tell which.