Engine will not turn over, have power

TIMHEILMAN

MEMBER
1992 FORD TAURUS
3.0L
6 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
122,000 MILES

Put key in ignition and turn to start. Get one click out of starter and then entire electrical is out. Found short to ground on main feed to fuse box under hood. Removed all fuses and found that fuse for headlamps when removed removed short, but car still does same thing when trying to start. Once shorted car needs to sit for about one hour before power is not shorted. Had starter bench tested is good. Found that red wire to ignition coil and distributor both have shorts to ground as well.
Stumped, help by daughter needs her ride back for school.

2 Replies

KEN L

MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
47,643 POSTS

Hello,

This sounds like you have corrosion on the battery cables can you check out this guide and then tell me what happens?

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/everything-goes-dead-when-engine-is-cranked

Please let us know what you find.

Cheers, Ken

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Tuesday, March 20th, 2018 AT 4:46 PM

CJ MEDEVAC

MECHANIC
11,004 POSTS

This may work for you, provided that your battery is good or you can be jumped off even if you have to borrow your neighbor "Fred's" good battery out of his truck, for a trial run.

Remember "new parts" can be bad too.

Your starter may be bad.

Your solenoid may be bad.

Battery could be bad.

The security systems may prevent it from starting too!

A lot of the times, what you read below is usually the problem.

People get lazy they do not actually do this stuff. Just a quick gander from afar and no hands on.

I call this part "tough love"

Clean and "scooch" the battery connectors/clamps around tighten the nuts or bolts well, wire brush, knife blade, whatever it takes to clean a connection. Do not just pass off any big cable connection as, "it looks good". I mean man handle every connection everywhere.

Pay special attention to the battery posts, clamps, cable connections to the clamp (I am talking about the old style "squeezer" ones that squeeze the cable the battery clamp). In other words, moving the cable on this side of the "squeezer" should not move the the wire on the other side. The squeezer should be "that tight"!

If you have side post terminals remove the bolt that screws into the battery from the side terminal (it will pop out of the rubber, it takes a bit of determination!) Turn the rubber inside out scrub the flat connector with a wire brush or scrape it with a knife until it is clean same for its mating surface on the battery. Then pop the rubber back in place.

You have to check it all! Any connection positive or negative that a big (battery cable size) check both ends of cables, even if they bolt down.

Eventually you will reach the starter connection (positive) and the engine/body (negative).

As you progress, You might try to crank him up this may find exactly which connection was the problem.

Too many times I have walked up pulled a loose cable out of a clamp or grabbed a battery clamp and just twisted it slap off of the battery terminal with minimal effort. This stuff cannot be loose!

Return with good news.

The Medic

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