1979-1993 & 94 Conv [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Arcy - -
Is there any chance your ignition switch linkage is stiff and has been sticking in START position?
This would have made a little ka-ching kind of ongoing sound while you were driving, and maybe a hot smell, and also dash lights would have been funny, as they are while you're cranking.
That would be from starter constantly engaged. Result is it overspins the starter drive and fries the starter.
If any of this sounds familiar, you could have had a bad starter, replaced it, and then fried the new one. Not a really cheerful prospect.
Can your starter be hot wired? (Run 12 volts positive with a fat wire from the battery to the little push-on terminal on the starter, to activate the solenoid and make it run independent of the ignition switch.) Make sure the car is in neutral while you try this, and don't have ignition on or car might start when you don't want it to.
If it turns over then, then your starter isn't the problem, my idea is not your problem. But if it DOESN'T crank when you hot wire the solenoid, then either the new starter is now no good or your battery is dead.
Usual cause of the igniton sticking is dirt etc. down the key slot, plus stiff old grease on the linkages between key cylinder and ignition switch.
Before putting another starter in, you'd need at least to pour a little hot water down onto the key cylinder, work key in and out and turn it lots of times, then blot and blow the water out, follow up with rubbing alcohol, blot that, and then maybe blow air thru, down a short length of hose.
If key action seems fine, and if starter works when hot wired, I can't really contribute. Would probably then be right to suspect the ignition switch.
There are a couple of work-arounds when starters get balky. Townsendimports web site suggests using a Ford starter solenoid, externally mounted, triggered by that yellow wire to starter if it is in fact showing 12 volts but doesn't have enuf current to trigger the starter solenoid. You use the yellow wire to trigger the Ford solenoid, then use a fatter wire from the Ford solenoid to the starter push-on terminal, feeding more current. Poor man's fix, aftermarket Ford-type solenoids are really cheap at discount parts places.
posted by 72.73.85...
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