Engine will crank and not start sometimes unless is disconnect the battery and hook back up

DEBBIE CHURCHILL

MEMBER
1996 FORD
90,000 MILES

I have a 96 ford lincoln. We bought it used from a friend. Every so often it thinks it is being stolen and will not start. We just wait, disconnect the battery, charge it, etc. It evenually starts. We don't know if what we do is working or not. What can I do? Every now and then my car thinks it is being stolen and will not start. The engine turns over but thats all. We've tried disconnecting the battery, charging, etc. It eventually starts we don't know if what we are doing is working or it just decides to start. What could be the problem

5 Replies

CJ MEDEVAC

MECHANIC
11,005 POSTS

DO YOU KNOW IF THE BATTERY IS GOOD OR IF THE CHARGING SYSTEM IS WORKING CORRECTLY?

MOST POPULAR AUTO PARTS STORES WILL TEST BOTH FOR FREE!

I WOULD START WITH THAT

NOTHING LIKE CHASING ALL OVER FOR DAYS AND IT WINDS UP THE MOST SIMPLE THING YOU SHOULDA DONE 1ST!

KEEP US INFORMED, IF I CANNOT HELP, I'LL FIND SOMEONE ELSE

THE MEDIC

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Monday, December 19th, 2011 AT 9:25 PM

DEBBIE CHURCHILL

MEMBER
3 POSTS

The iginition has a wobble in it. We live in the sticks and everyone seems to want an arm and a leg just to tell us what to do. We are next door to a NAPA but they do not test and we are 80 miles from any city with a population more that 700. It's charging good and battery is less than 6 months old. The ignition wobbles and after the key is removed we have to shake it around to get the anti-theft lights to turn off. Sometimes the interior lights come on and stay. We have removed most all the fuses for this problem but it seems to think its being stolen

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Monday, December 19th, 2011 AT 9:40 PM

CJ MEDEVAC

MECHANIC
11,005 POSTS

DOES SOUND REMOTE!

HANG WITH ME-LIKE I SAID IF I'M NO HELP, I 'LL GET ANOTHER FELLER!

KINDA SOUNDS LIKE YOU ALREADY KNOW OF A PROBLEM---I'M ONE TO FIX THEM AS THEY COME ABOUT

MY FUEL AND TEMP GAUGE JUST MESSED UP ON MY PRIMARY DRIVER, "MR. JEEP", A 1977 CJ 5. I JUST FOUND A DEAL ON EBAY YESTERDAY, $42, BE HERE ON THE 22nd. SO I GET TO DRIVE "WILLY" MY OTHER 1946 WILLYS JEEP A FEW DAYS

I WENT INVESTIGATING---I DID NOT KNOW WHAT MODEL YOU HAVE---TOWN CAR---MARK VIII---OR TOWN CAR..........SO I LOOKED AT ALL THREE, THEY ARE THE SAME IGNITION SWITCH (PART NUMBER IS IDENTICAL)

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/parts/Duralast-Ignition-Switch/1996-Lincoln-Town-Car/_/N-j5b4hZ9n859?counter=0&filterByKeyWord=ignition+switch&fromString=search&itemIdentifier=68461_0_0_

THIS IS A SIMILAR IGNITION SWITCH TO A JEEP CJ....NOT OVER PRICED, PROBABLY CLOSE TO EVERYBODY ELSE

IF THIS IS YOU KNOWN PROBLEM---I WILL LINK YOU TO A POST THAT MAY BE SIMILAR ENOUGH TO HELP YOU REPLACE IT........YOURS DOES NOT APPEAR TO SLIDE AS DOES THE JEEP CJs AND THE '88 FORD PICTURED...STILL NO BIG THING!

https://www.2carpros.com/questions/1989-ford-f-250-remove-ignition

OUT OF CURIOSITY, WHAT MAJOR PLACE ARE YOU NEAR?

YOUR TURN

THE MEDIC

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Monday, December 19th, 2011 AT 10:17 PM

DEBBIE CHURCHILL

MEMBER
3 POSTS

We are in Plains Montana (Wild Horse Plains) nearest cities are Polson and Missoula, both approx 80 miles away. We do think it is the ignition. Should have kept my 77 Ford Bronco:(

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Monday, December 19th, 2011 AT 10:29 PM

CJ MEDEVAC

MECHANIC
11,005 POSTS

REWORD MY SEARCH....LOOK AT THE OTHER SUGGESTIONS

I LOOKED AT SEVERAL....THIS DOES LOOK SIMILAR TO YOURS, EVEN THOUGH THE YEAR IS EARLIER

THIS PRETTY NEAT THAT VIDEOS ARE AVAILABLE TO ASSIST YOU (I HOPE)

THIS IS THE WAY I'VE HAD TO DO IT UNTIL RECENTLY

https://www.2carpros.com/questions/2007-ford-taurus-tune-up

HOW ARE WE DOIN?

ARE WE ABLE TO DO THIS?

HOW 'BOUT THIS OPTION?

https://www.2carpros.com/questions/1993-saturn-sl1-shoulder-belt-mechanism-stuck

IF THEY CAN'T DO IT--THEY WILL KNOW JUST WHO YOU NEED TO SEE--ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS ASK 'EM, THEY SEE THE RIGHT (AND WRONG) PEOPLE DAILY

YOUR TURN

THE MEDIC