Hey Guys, I have a 1994 GT that has been sitting in the garage all winter and now it wont start. I replaced the battery thinking that was my issue, but still no luck. I cleaned both terminals as well. it rolls over slow and the positive terminal sparks and the wire gets hot. the battery dies fast like it draws a lot ( lights flicker and door buzzer fades in and out) . sometimes I can even hear what sounds like one of the stock amps in the trunk clicking repeatedly. I'm pretty sure its a bad ground or a bad positive wire, I was just hoping to get some input before I started tearing into it more. anybody have a similar issue before?
1994 GT sat in garage all winter/ wont start
- Thread starter 1BAD94GT
- Start date
JKady
Active Member
If the positive terminal is sparking your connection isn't good, tighten or replace the cable end first. The clicking in the back is from the poor connection, the hot cable may be as well.
The only reliable way to check either cable is with a multimeter. If you have one, set it to DC volts and put on lead at the postive post and the other at the starter while someone cranks the car. You should see less than 1/2 a volt on the screen, do the same for the ground side (negative post to the block or intake will be enough to check), same thing, you should see less than half a volt. If you see more than that you have a bad connection or a bad cable.
If all is well there and it doesn't start with a well charged battery and good connection at the battery, you have a starter problem or a mechanical problem preventing the engine from rolling over freely.
The only reliable way to check either cable is with a multimeter. If you have one, set it to DC volts and put on lead at the postive post and the other at the starter while someone cranks the car. You should see less than 1/2 a volt on the screen, do the same for the ground side (negative post to the block or intake will be enough to check), same thing, you should see less than half a volt. If you see more than that you have a bad connection or a bad cable.
If all is well there and it doesn't start with a well charged battery and good connection at the battery, you have a starter problem or a mechanical problem preventing the engine from rolling over freely.
Thanks for the quick replies. It sparks right between the cable end and the post. the wiring around my battery and msd ignition doesnt look very good. I bought it the way it is and it ran fine before. id post a picture but I haven't figured out how yet. there are a lot of taped wires and unhooked wires hanging.
lutter94
Well-Known Member
Have you uploaded any to photobucket yet? even FB works. Just need the link .jpg to the pic.
lutter94
Well-Known Member
SO MANY RED WIRES!!! wtf? you should change those out, make sure thats not a short, where ever they're going.....
The fat red wire on the negative side just grounds right to the core support, the smaller red wire under that runs to were the anti-lock test box grounds on top of the core support near the battery. the 2 other wires with the yellow ends run right into the side of the msd.
lutter94
Well-Known Member
The MSD has red wires that come from it to ground? That doesn't sound right. Or was a red wire soldered to a wire coming from the MSD box.
Is this your wiring diagram?
Is this your wiring diagram?
lutter94
Well-Known Member
was it that way when you got it?
Good looking 4x4.....I mean stang!!!
I kid I kid!!
This message courtesy of crapatalk!
I kid I kid!!
This message courtesy of crapatalk!
Ok here is my latest progress. it no longer sparks on the pos terminal and the wires aren't getting hot. its got a brand new battery, but it will only crank normal for about 4 seconds before it slows way down, and then after that it rolls slow like the battery is dying. I can hear the engine spit a little in the engine bay area. The only thing I did to the car over the winter was install new MSD wires and I double checked the firing order like 3 times. http://www.muscularmustangs.com/2005/firingorder.php this is the diagram I used. I have heard of starters rolling slow when the car is warm but I cant even get the car started cold.
lutter94
Well-Known Member
Firing order won't make the engine spin over strange. Try disconnecting all ignition stuff, MSD box included, it should spin all day long, just trying to help determine the short. Don't overheat the starter though....Bad starter perhaps?
Also, this is your firing order for your 5.0 HO Engine.
Also, this is your firing order for your 5.0 HO Engine.
lutter94
Well-Known Member
I was under the assumption the 94/95 had a high torque mini starter from factory, the older foxes had a big ol brute.
