Car stalled now won't restart

zuritausmc · Feb 21, 2013

Just a little background first. Last week I was driving on the highway and the car just shut off going 70 mph. I restarted as I was coasting and all was fine. Saturday I jumped in to go to work started fine, then it just died off and wouldn't restart. Took my other car, came home and then the mustang started up after 2 cranks of the key. ( I have noticed slow cranking as of the last few months, I thought it was because of the cold)

Yesterday I'm at work, try to leave to go take care of some stuff, car starts fine. I get to a stop sign, start to go and I have no idea if I stalled the car myself or it just died but again it would restart.

A few hours later I tried to jump it and nothing. After the cables were off I tried to start it again and it sounded like the battery was dying. Put in a optima red top today and same thing. It cranks but won't turn. When I pulled the ground off the battery terminal the wire came out of the clamp. I had some electrical tape and taped it together. Its getting enough ground to power the dash and radio etc. Is it possible it just doesnt have enough ground to start or does it not work that way?

Also, it may be related but I've noticed over the past few weeks after I start that car, my dash clock would reset to 12 but my radio will keep all of my saved stations.

The coil and plug wires are brand new as well. Thanks guys

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justinschmidt1 · Feb 21, 2013

Could be many things...if the car just shut off id immediately jump to a bad alternator not charging the battery while running.

A loose connection could also be an issue so you should take a wire brush to them and make sure they are clean although I doubt thats the issue.

The starter could be corroded which would make it start sometimes and sometimes it wont start.

Next time it doesnt start crawl under and bang on the starter with a hammer or screwdriver or something.

If it starts you need a new starter.

Usually when the starter is starting to corrode like that it will jsut click and do nothing.

Musturd · Feb 21, 2013

Ur welfare ground wire is prolly playing a big factor in ur starting issues fix that shit properly and then reply back

zuritausmc · Feb 21, 2013

Will do. I'm at work right now so it will have to wait till tomorrow, I'll make it in early to work on it so I don't miss my ride after work today lol. I feel like a bum.

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Musturd · Feb 21, 2013

Yea my car had a similar ****ed up ground and it would do the same gay stuff ur car is doing . My one buddy with the biggest pos sn95 I've ever ridden in has been wiggling around his ground to get his car to start for years.

CC'S95GT · Feb 21, 2013

sounds like mine when the distributor went out.

zuritausmc · Feb 22, 2013

Well I fixed the ground, still nothing. I read into the distributor and the hall effect sensor/pip. Sounded like my problem so I ordered a new dist but it wont be here until Monday. Anyone have a link to a good write up to swap it? Thanks again for everyone's help. You guys are pretty quick to respond.

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toyman · Feb 22, 2013

Just make certain you note the position of the rotor before pulling the distributor and ensure the new one is in exactly the same position when the new one is installed. Take a picture so you can compare both before and after in case there is an issue.

ba#97 · Feb 22, 2013

distributor....this is what happened to my car. almost exactly the same symptoms. that or the coil. but the coil would just cause it not to start at all. I would start with the dizzy. I hear it's the PIP sensor in the dizzy that causes this??

zuritausmc · Feb 25, 2013

Dizzy it was! Swapped it out just a bit ago. Starts strong and runs smooth. Thanks guys!

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CC'S95GT · Feb 25, 2013

glad you got it fixed.

toyman · Feb 25, 2013

If it was a reman piece keep your fingers crossed. They don't have a stellar record.

zuritausmc · Feb 26, 2013

toyman said:
If it was a reman piece keep your fingers crossed. They don't have a stellar record.

Lol no I opted for new over the reman.

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JJhirsch · Feb 26, 2013

WOW this reminds me of my first Mustang 94 GT.

It started to stall so i kept starting it back up to get it home and it would only start when it wanted to. Sometime it ran fine but not for long and something not. I took it to Car X and they couldn't find the problem and it took me 3 months until i had my friends uncle look at it. He called me the next day saying he fixed it with a new hall effect sensor. He said something like, when the car was cranked and the engine light is on when it doesn't start it is a sign of a bad hall effect sensor.