88 Ford Festiva car will not crank.

EADSBIGD33

MEMBER
1988 FORD FESTIVA
4 CYL
2WD
MANUAL
200,000 MILES

1988 ford festiva. You can turn the key and it will not crank. All fuses are ok. Brand new starter. Was running fine. I parked and came out to find it won't do anything. Tried crossing the solenoid and it will turn the starter but the armature will not engage. Only thing electrical that will work is the headlights. Tried push starting as well and would not try to start then either. Im lost on this car. Help?

5 Replies

RASMATAZ

MECHANIC
75,992 POSTS

What exactly is going on here-Is it cranking over and will not start or just won't crank at all/nothing when you turn key to cranking position-

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Friday, June 24th, 2011 AT 7:31 AM

EADSBIGD33

MEMBER
3 POSTS

When you turn the key to cranking position nothing happens. As if power is not getting to the starter or maybe the ignition switch or module is bad?

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Friday, June 24th, 2011 AT 1:34 PM

RASMATAZ

MECHANIC
75,992 POSTS

Engage the starter manuallly-if it kicks the engine over-test the starter relay, clutch switch and ignition switch

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Friday, June 24th, 2011 AT 1:38 PM

EADSBIGD33

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3 POSTS

I have crossed the solenoid on the starter and the starter will turn, but the armature will not engage onto the flywheel. Sounds like I have a falty starter as well, even though it is 2 days old. Or does the relay have any effect on that? Would the clutch switch or ignition switch kill power to the whole vehicle minus the headlights?

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Friday, June 24th, 2011 AT 2:05 PM

CJ MEDEVAC

MECHANIC
11,005 POSTS

You have an '88, Not a Spring Chicken!

I reckon what my 82nd Airborne Raised colleague (don't hold it against him) means with "manually engage starter" is With a screwdriver connect the 2 big posts on the Solenoid (in my pic "A" to "B") with a screwdriver, or jumper cable from POS Battery to the starter (much harder to do, I do not recommend the the later)

TO FIND THE SOLENOID, FOLLOW THE POS BATTERY CABLE, IT SHOULD BE IT'S 1ST STOP, ON THE WAY TOWARD THE STARTER.

THIS IS MOMENTARY!

MAKE SURE YOU ARE OUT OF GEAR!

WHEN IT ENGAGES, ITS NORMAL FOR IT SPARK AND THE RACKET SCARE THE McDOOKY OUT OF YOU!

STAY AWAY FROM THOSE PESKY MOVING PARTS!

THIS JUST LETS US KNOW THE STARTER WILL TURN OVER!(Connecting the battery cable to the starter cable without using your key, for a moment)

If this gets no results, you probably have a BAD CONNECTION BETWEEN STARTER AND BATTERY or A BAD STARTER

If the starter does move, suspect the solenoid or the circuit between it and the ignition switch (includes safety stuff in between)

ME, BEING A 1ST 75TH AIRBORNE RANGER PARATROOPER--SO MUCH BETTER THAN A 82ND PARATROOPERS, WE WERE TRAINED/ GIVEN SUPER POWERS, UPON HAVING OUR RANGER TAB BEING PINNED ON!

I "FEEL" YOU HAVE A CONNECTION PROBLEM. Kinda like the feeling Bill Bigsby gets when he turns into the Incredible Hulk!

AT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS:

BATTERY POSTS

BATTERY CLAMPS

BATTERY CLAMPS TO CABLES (SQUEEZERS OR BAD LEAD JOINTS)

CABLES TO SOLENOID

CABLE TO STARTER

TAKE 'EM LOOSE, CLEAN 'EM, TIGHTEN WELL, REPLACE AWFUL LOOKING CORRODED ITEMS. PASS NOTHING BY, BY SAYING, "IT LOOKS GOOD"

INSURE YOUR BATTERY IS STILL FULLY CHARGED---AS YOU DO EACH CONNECTION, ATTEMPT TO START, TO IDENTIFY YOUR PROBLEM CHILD!

INSURE YOU REPORT BACK TO US, WE LIKE TO KNOW YOU ARE UNDERWAY!

Xnostart

Raz, Can you tell ain't a whole lot of people with car problems today?

RANGERS LEAD THE WAY!

THE MEDIC

In my pic--this is a OLDER TYPE FORD SOLENOID, used also on Jeeps, (the bestus vehicles in the world!)

I KNOW YOUR SOLENOID LOOKS DIFFERENT! THEY WORK THE SAME WAY!---TO BYPASS THE SOLENOID CONNECT "A" AND "B" WITH A SCREWDRIVER (IMPOSSIBLE ON MY JEEP SOLENOID, UNLESS I USE OPENED NEEDLE NOSE PLIERS)