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1989 Ford Crown Victoria won't start


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Hburnz
New User

Jul 30, 2012, 11:15 AM

Post #1 of 12 (6345 views)
1989 Ford Crown Victoria won't start Sign In

I have a 1989 crown Victoria LTD that I bought yesterday. Had it inspected and came out fine. I brought it home last night, parked it in the driveway for five minutes, came back out, went to turn it on and it turned on for a split second and then just died. After trying to turn it on unsuccessfully I figured it was the battery, however there is nothing wrong with the battery. Replaced the celynoid. Still nothing. Took out the battery and cleaned the posts on it and i went to test it and what happened was the radio and the lights turned on but when I go to start the engine everything quits again and now nothing is happening again. There is no click when I turn the key, there's just nothing. Please help!

Also, car is in fairly mint condition, no rust, only 150000 km on it. 5.0 liter.


(This post was edited by Hburnz on Jul 30, 2012, 11:20 AM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jul 30, 2012, 12:02 PM

Post #2 of 12 (6318 views)
Re: 1989 Ford Crown Victoria won't start Sign In


Quote
I figured it was the battery, however there is nothing wrong with the battery.


How did you come to that conclusion?



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Hburnz
New User

Jul 30, 2012, 12:19 PM

Post #3 of 12 (6307 views)
Re: 1989 Ford Crown Victoria won't start Sign In

Well we tried jumping the battery and when that did nothing we took it out and brought it to canadian tire and they tested the voltage in it and it was fine.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jul 30, 2012, 1:17 PM

Post #4 of 12 (6290 views)
Re: 1989 Ford Crown Victoria won't start Sign In

Voltage doesn't mean much. You need to have it conductance tested. Once you have that done, try jumping the starter solenoid right at the starter.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Hburnz
New User

Jul 30, 2012, 9:30 PM

Post #5 of 12 (6264 views)
Re: 1989 Ford Crown Victoria won't start Sign In

We got the conductance tested, it's fine, we tried what you suggested and still nothing.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jul 31, 2012, 3:03 AM

Post #6 of 12 (6252 views)
Re: 1989 Ford Crown Victoria won't start Sign In

If you really checked everything correctly that would leave you with a bad starter but i have my doubts about that.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jul 31, 2012, 6:20 AM

Post #7 of 12 (6248 views)
Re: 1989 Ford Crown Victoria won't start Sign In

This is about as straight forward as things get. It tried and quit turning the engine - right? Seems battery itself has been effectively rules out as the source of the trouble with no change with a jump which is totally dependant on quality of the jump and cables used.

Cables both pos (two - one from solenoid to starter) and ground have to be good and proper along them and where connected at starter and engine block.

If you lose lighting (leave interior light on) while trying to start it there's a total disconnect of power to be found. Ground cable goes from battery to radiator support and to engine block over "smog" pump. Main pos goes out of sight from solenoid to starter itself triggered by simple 12v to the push on higher post on solenoid. That's all you should need to make it crank if good and tight.

If nothing from starter a love tap with a hammer may get weak/dirty brushes to work and start indicative on needing a new one and inconclusive it that doesn't work.

Who could know but I'll bet on bad positive connection at the starter. Last of real copper and lead connections around this model year which are workable/fixable,

T



Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jul 31, 2012, 7:15 AM

Post #8 of 12 (6243 views)
Re: 1989 Ford Crown Victoria won't start Sign In

This is an old Crown Vic with the starter solenoid on the fender well and they are notorious for bad connections both there and at the starter and still look clean. The only way to eliminate the possibility is to remove every connection and wire brush both the cable end and the post.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jul 31, 2012, 7:48 AM

Post #9 of 12 (6235 views)
Re: 1989 Ford Crown Victoria won't start Sign In

Smile - TWO of these engines in my garage right now! Old enough on an average one to just clean all up with a smear of grease helps if you expect to keep it another 20+ years and I do!

Not funny but "lifetime" warranties are starting to scare me - do they mean me or the car?

Tom



nickwarner
Veteran / Moderator
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Jul 31, 2012, 3:32 PM

Post #10 of 12 (6211 views)
Re: 1989 Ford Crown Victoria won't start Sign In

Its the car Tom. I think you would fall under a Lemon Law.


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Aug 1, 2012, 1:32 AM

Post #11 of 12 (6203 views)
Re: 1989 Ford Crown Victoria won't start Sign In

Nick, I would have been downright recalled!



Sample pic of a car I owned. So ugly you had to wear sunglasses to not be recognized but couldn't kill that thing with a hand grenade.

Back to today crap - you can total a car with a water noodle!

Tom



nickwarner
Veteran / Moderator
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Aug 1, 2012, 6:47 PM

Post #12 of 12 (6188 views)
Re: 1989 Ford Crown Victoria won't start Sign In

If you kick a new car, you put a dent in it. If you kick an old car you have a broken foot. Which one was built to take some crap?






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