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Not sure whats wrong here..? Dosen't like to start
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Axis
New User
Mar 27, 2009, 9:45 AM
Post #1 of 6
(1369 views)
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Not sure whats wrong here..? Dosen't like to start
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The car is a
2000 Mercury Cougar
2.5 Liter V6
And it has about 133,000 miles on it.
Now on to my problem..
I noticed every day the first time I try and start my car it doesn't like to start. Generally I have to pump the gas a few times before it will start. When I first try and start the car it makes a clicking noise the whole time until I stop, press the gas a few times and then try again. When I try again it clicks between 3-10 times before starting. And the car then has no problems starting for the rest of the day.
One day the clock and other electronics restarted on the inside so that made me think maybe it was a battery, so I cleaned the terminals and it hasn't helped at all. Same problem persists.
Please note that I no NOTHING about cars at all. So if you guys could help me in as close to laymen's terms as possible I would highly appreciate it. Thanks a lot!
Axis
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Mar 27, 2009, 11:11 AM
Post #2 of 6
(1366 views)
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Re: Not sure whats wrong here..? Dosen't like to start
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You are on the right track with the battery cables and they may need new cables depending on how bad you found them. With the clicking and resets with the description this is a battery cable issue. Don't forget there is the other ends of the same cables - at starter and on engine block - those can be marginal also.
What I think happens is the poor connection gets so hot from trying it somehow behaves for the day,
T
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Axis
New User
Mar 27, 2009, 12:55 PM
Post #3 of 6
(1362 views)
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Re: Not sure whats wrong here..? Dosen't like to start
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So your suggesting check the cables to make sure that they are properly connected, and if they are then replace them? What does something like replacements cables usually run?
Thanks a lot,
Axis
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Mar 27, 2009, 3:44 PM
Post #4 of 6
(1358 views)
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Re: Not sure whats wrong here..? Dosen't like to start
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Your battery cable ends probably look like the bottom one as an example. The can look ok and still not make a good connection. You said you cleaned the battery cables and now I'm guessing you just cleaned what you saw on outside of the hoop, nut and bolt clamp and they really need to be removed to clean and as needed the top of battery as well.
If unsure about this have it done. Baking soda and water will neutralize the acids that may be right there and help with clean up with wire brush or specific battery cable+terminal brush like this,
That will clean inside and hard to see there's a round wired hole to clean the posts.
The opposite ends of each battery cable need be known good also. Negative cable will go to engine block and positive cable to solenoid for starter motor and if this uses an in line solenoid you have another cable on to starter where the positive cable ends up.
There may be smaller (gauge) wires at the same ends to clean up too.
By clean up I mean wire brushed of any crust, rust, corrosion build up, and sand papered as needed then re assembled and a grease should be put on them to prolong how long they stay clean (corrosion wise) for the next time. This is really a periodic maintenance for these things.
The ends may have corroded and not come apart so easily either making a lot of work out of what seems like a simple task and problems if something breaks in doing so.
You mentioned up front that you knew "little to nothing" about cars so perhaps just schedule this be done asking for total battery cable clean up OR replacements if needed as they might. I really do suggest a real auto shop as care not to break items at the starter in the process would be very nice and a savings. It would cost about an hour's labor + cables if needed.
Your symptoms strongly suggest this is the problem area and it's good routine maintenance as said anyway,
T
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Axis
New User
Mar 27, 2009, 6:28 PM
Post #5 of 6
(1350 views)
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Re: Not sure whats wrong here..? Dosen't like to start
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Thank you very much first of all for all of your help.
Now, I used that very same tool to clean the terminals on the battery in the first place. That is how I cleaned it. But tomorrow I will use baking soda and water to try and clean them as well as the cables themselves.
However if these simple measures don't solve the problem I will just take it to my mechanic and talk to him about it. He has fixed everything else on my car so far, I was just kinda hoping this would be something minor I didn't need to talk to him about.
I will try the methods you suggested.
(Also, in case you cared "My mechanic" refers to a real mechanic, he just works on my car privately outside of the shop.)
Thanks again!
Axis
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Mar 27, 2009, 7:01 PM
Post #6 of 6
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Re: Not sure whats wrong here..? Dosen't like to start
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Just a follow up on the use of baking soda for battery cleaning:
That's more to neutralize the acid that even the crusty white junk will contain and any existing moisture on the battery itself as they are "lead/acid" batteries. Just a bit of that dirt on clothing will burn a hole it it or worse can get on upholstery so keep hands and tools away from things that touched that.
The connection at the starter is usually subject to road yuk for lack of a better description and just removing the nut there to clean up the eyelet end of the cable can break off at the starter - not good and can mean a new starter!
The ground cable (you can follow these to destinations) will end up at some nut of bolt on the engine for a solid main ground as all electrical needs to go full loop positive to an item and return thru the ground. Nothing is any better than the weakest link in any connection - makes sense - right?
If you can see the threaded studs with nuts and cable ends it's ok to spray them now and then with WD-40 like product with a cool engine is safer. It will really help keep the connection from corroding. They sell battery or sprays that are greasy for this that can last longer but routine light stuff like WD-40 will help - just needs it more often.
Keep in mind all this stuff underhood and under car is exposed to the elements and the heat of the engine so electric stuff has a hard time keeping good connections. From factory they grease as many things as they can when new.
If you do any of this stuff yourself with tools just keep in mind that if the negative battery cable is removed anything with power that you try to clean should be safe to work with and especially at starter a metal wrench can hit other metal while working and short out thru the tool so make the neg battery disconnect first and the last to go back on when finished to be safe.
More: While disconnected the items with any memory or presets in the car may lose stored info - remotes, clocks, radio presets, alarms stuff etc., so they make a "Memory Saver" basic device that goes into a cigarette lighter or power port inside car that back powers just enough to save settings and the basic ones use just a 9v household battery so anything back empowered isn't going to go nuts or work on you. Just don't open doors, trunks, and do disable any hood light while working as it won't back power those and memory can be lost.
More than you wanted to know but it's all in the course of battery and basic care of one. Good luck with the fix,
T
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