90 lincoln not starting!!! (abandoned in parking lot right now)

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extremeodd

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Well now that I have teh intarnet through my cellphone (relocated to cold ass SD) I can ask this question

When I got out here I noticed that sometimes my car wouldnt start, it would click once (the solenoid) and do nothing. Some times if I tried enough the car would crank over kinda slowly and I would hear a clicking while it did. After everything is warmed up real good it starts completely normal.

So I went through some things, I replaced the solenoid, the fuse thing on the wire that I assume goes to the starter (bypassed the fuse thing, worked good for a little while) Now its not even starting again. Right now it has a newer battery (6-7 months old) newer starter (4-5 months old) new solenoid (1-2 weeks old). This is getting quite tiresome and I really need a reliable car, or atleast one that :q:q:q:qing starts.


Can anyone help please. Thanks

if it matters its a 1990 bill blass edition, with 132k miles

new starter
new battery
new starter solenoid
 
what is it doing when you try to start it? Just because you bought all those things new doesn't mean they work correctly. I went through 3 starter relays one time on an old grand marquis. Just crappy product. How are your wire going to your battery? Is it possible that you thought you had a bad battery but you actually had bad wires (basically it would have a hard time charging the battery and also starting the car)
 
Stop throwing parts at it. Since you are in a cold area, it sounds like the temperature might be the culprit. Does the battery look bulged at all? It sounds like you either have a failing battery or battery cables that are deteriorated.
 
Battery looks fine. I cleaned the cables and the terminals to no avail. I got someone to hook up the jumpercables and that didnt help (thought if the battery was being crappy that the extra juice would help) that didnt do squat. However after jacking it up and breaking a bunch of ice on the underside off it cranked over (barely) and now starts perfectly fine (when it cools back down itll go back to the same crap)

Also I'm not throwing parts randomly at it. The battery was replaced because the other one WAS bad, it tested bad, didn't even hold the faintest of a charge and I believe was from a junk yard. The solenoid was replaced because the other one had a HUGE crack and looked quite thrashed. I have a 2 gauge wire running from the ALT + to the battery +. The starter was replaced when the original failed too.


When I start it in the first place (after sitting overnight or longer) itll start slow and sometimes there will be a quicker clicking sound as its cranking, almost like the sound you get from the solenoid when you have a dead battery, but without a dead battery.
 
Depending on the outside temp. it could be simply to cold. MAny northern states use oil heaters to keep it in a liquid form and not cold sludge. This would require more cranking amps that a std battery may not have.
 
yostr said:
Depending on the outside temp. it could be simply to cold. MAny northern states use oil heaters to keep it in a liquid form and not cold sludge. This would require more cranking amps that a std battery may not have.
Click to expand...

well the thing is: after sitting all night in the cold (right around 5-10 degrees) it started right up fine, but after I stopped at a store (had an interview) I came out 10-15 mins later and it wouldnt start. I do have an oil heater, but it doesnt seem to affect how it starts. This is kinda random
 
now its starting to sound like there's a problem only when the car is warm. IAC perhaps? One thing I tell everyone to do is replace the pcv filter (probably not the problem but what the hell). I see many times that people don't change them out because of the fact that its hard to get to. It builds up grime and causes problems. Actually I think this is what caused problems with my IAC, but never a starting issue.
 
Me. personally, I'd check it out with a digital voltmeter first-cold should not be less than 12.3 volts, running over 14-like 14.3+. If the both check out, check how much voltage you're getting at the starter cold (should be pretty close to what it is at the battery. When you check, also see if the ground cable is making good contact. Just because you have good voltage at the battery doesn't mean your ground is good-being good with a meter makes all the difference in the world when hunting down a start problem.
You should also have someone crank it while you read the battery voltage-if it drops alot (3+volts) I'd suspect the battery, they do go bad even if new, especially if they are poorly made, or abused.
 
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When I locate my voltmeter Ill check it out. What Ive noticed is that the car does this cold or warm, its quite random. Sometimes when really cold it wont, some times when its slightly cold.

Examples:
Ive had several mornings where it wont start, but I get it started after a while.
Once I drove a total of 3 miles to my girlfriends work to pick her up then to mcdonalds, it wouldnt start after we sat inside for 15-20 mins (but I get it started after trying long enough)
Another time I drove around a fair bit, then stopped at a supermarket, went inside for roughly 20 mins and I had to get it towed home.

The last time it happened, I started it easily after it was sitting all night, let it idle for 2-3 mins, drove all of like 3 blocks to my job interview (its cold out, :q:q:q:q walking) went inside for 15 mins. Came out and it wouldnt start. I returned around 2 hours later, fiddled with the wires, cleaned the battery cables and terminals real good with some sandpaper, jacked it up (I carry a full size jack at all times, use to get a flat tire on a weekly basis) beat ALOT of ice off with my breaker bar on the passenger side. Tried whacking the starter but couldnt, tried starting it one last time and it slowly cranked over.
When its warmed up and has been running, if I return back to the car within 5-10 mins, itll start fine.
 
extremeodd said:
When I locate my voltmeter Ill check it out. What Ive noticed is that the car does this cold or warm, its quite random. Sometimes when really cold it wont, some times when its slightly cold.

Examples:
Ive had several mornings where it wont start, but I get it started after a while.
Once I drove a total of 3 miles to my girlfriends work to pick her up then to mcdonalds, it wouldnt start after we sat inside for 15-20 mins (but I get it started after trying long enough)
Another time I drove around a fair bit, then stopped at a supermarket, went inside for roughly 20 mins and I had to get it towed home.

The last time it happened, I started it easily after it was sitting all night, let it idle for 2-3 mins, drove all of like 3 blocks to my job interview (its cold out, :q:q:q:q walking) went inside for 15 mins. Came out and it wouldnt start. I returned around 2 hours later, fiddled with the wires, cleaned the battery cables and terminals real good with some sandpaper, jacked it up (I carry a full size jack at all times, use to get a flat tire on a weekly basis) beat ALOT of ice off with my breaker bar on the passenger side. Tried whacking the starter but couldnt, tried starting it one last time and it slowly cranked over.
When its warmed up and has been running, if I return back to the car within 5-10 mins, itll start fine.
Click to expand...

Extreem,
Might try checking to see if the fusable links are still good. Not something that often goes bad but--- ya never know. Same for the connection at the starter. Once got water in there that froze. The best batt in the world won't crank if there isn't a good connection. Good luck. :)
 
Is there any way to get to the starter connections without dropping it? Since the battery has been tested and its fine. Also is there any sort of anti theft systems on these vehicles that allow the solenoid to click but the starter not crank? Thanks alot, this sucks, I have NO way to get to work other than walking.
 
Well I tried to start it this morning, since well it always will crank in the mornings. It cranked and cranked and cranked but wouldnt start.... First time Ive ever had it NOT start when cranking. Then the starter started to slow and I was hearing a quick clicking while it was cranking, then nothing. Back to the same ol click click click... I tried jumping the little pole on the solenoid to the battery positive, just made it click as if I was trying to turn the key. So Im assuming the ignition switch is fine.
 
Keep at it! It sucks for now, I feel for you. After you find the electrical corrosion/break in the connections, it will be all worth the struggle. Not to mention a great post for the rest of us to reference.
 
lol, that's awesome. Instead of taking a little time and a few dollars to clean up the wiring/connections like everyone has been telling you on both boards, you sell it. I hope that money goes to good use, and the new owner is happy.
 
JoshMcMadMac said:
lol, that's awesome. Instead of taking a little time and a few dollars to clean up the wiring/connections like everyone has been telling you on both boards, you sell it. I hope that money goes to good use, and the new owner is happy.
Click to expand...


Well 3 forums, you missed somethingawful ;) anyways, I did clean off all of the connections involved. The one that connects to the circuit breaker (the one with the U shaped tab thing, got it nice and shiny) along with all connections that I could find from the battery to the solenoid. Still started :q:q:q:qty as hell if not at all.

This car has been a major money pit and Im sick of it, the :q:q:q:qty gas miliage even when driving it like its made of glass and there is an egg between my foot and gas pedal, the constant breaking down, the cheap things that break every week. Hell over all Ive wasted close to 3 grand on this car and with its miles, Im better off without it. Im 2 blocks from where I work, Im 2 blocks from where my girlfriend works. I have 2 bikes (one that needs a tiny bit of tlc) I dont have to worry about car insurance any more, dont need to worry about changing over the registration to this state. Also, as soon as I would of fixed the starting issue, something else would of :q:q:q:qed up. Its been that way for the 10 months that Ive owned it. I no longer have my stepdad to bail me out of my fubared car situation like he usually did, I made the right decision on cutting the rotting limb off so to say. And hell I can use the excersize.

The one good thing about getting this car, well its been one hell of a learning experience. I know now not to trust cars owned by mechanics, to check ALL fluids before I buy. To crawl underneath and see if the inner and outer tie-rods are about to fall off, to make sure the sway bar is even attached (when I bought it, it was held on by one bolt that was so worn through it snapped when I pulled on the sway bar, and made 2 1inch notches in the control arm).

And now I have a good ass sub and amp to sell.

I cant wait to get a honda!

Thanks for the help, it has been helpful, seriously.
 
dude you are driving a car that is 17 years old, its bound to have issues. If you want a car that does not give you problems then get a new car. I had to do the same, I bought myself a 2002 Ls and im now looking for a mark VII to restore "Club 16 here i come"! It sounds to me like the alternator might be the factor issue with your car.
 
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