OK, this is serious -remember- boldylocks is a newbie- yeah I can run a PCR but my knowledge of the auto-mobile is relative to a jackass but you didnt hear that from me. Im calling AAA (and thats not for a substance related dependance) to have the car towed home and would really like to fix the thing myself. So here is the story, I just got back from taking the patent bar for no reason other than to satisfy some OLD PERSONS desire to have me have a 'shingle' over my shoulder -I'm a starving film maker-. The little red 914 managed to get me to LA from San Diego, but...
In the morning I turned the key, got a click, turned it again and the car started.
NEXT, when I was in LA, again, I turned the key, click, and then on the second turn it started.
Made it all the way home, stoped to get a little HEY I'M DONE WITH THE PATENT BAR 'juice' got back in the car, turned the KEY, click, click, no turn over of the engine, click, click....
Is this a quick fix??? Any suggestions for what to look for??? starter....voltage regulator...starter..?...fuse....(already checked fuses)...pray to the gods?
Is this something easy???? or Can I look at my mechanics house grow?

Test battery? Does it start with a boost?
check battery & ignition switch for loose/ rusty wires
Tranny ground strap? The son's 70 did that till I put one on it.

Battery not the problem for sure. Very very strong plus a JUMP doesnt help at all, only makes the battery stronger.
More symptoms: When I do try to start it, if I turn the lights on, they go out when I turn the key. There is an obvious audible clicking inside of the car and from the starter when I turn the key and the lights go out. BUT, the radio continues to run fine and the horn will honk OK.
Ignition switch rusty wires? This might be a good place to start as it seems the initial click sound is coming from inside the car 'its an electronic sounding click like something is 'happening' but not making the car start -which is why I checked for fuse related crap.
Tranny ground strap -OHH MY GOD these things wear such items.?
Where the hell would I find a tranny ground strap?
You sure this isnt a voltage regulater issue?
I had it towed home. It will have to sit in my front yard until I figure this our. Hope to hear more suggestions.
I'll try my other starter tomorrow or else I have to wait until the weekend.
Again, the car will not turn over, just makes audible clicking (not really a CLICK so much as a 'flip' like when you turn on a light switch and nothing happens -click-'.
Hope someone else has some ideas,...
Its not the battery, and I will have to figure out how to check the other things. NOTE: none of this was a problem before I put in the new engine- so I'm not thinking its a rusty-wire related issue.\ but who freakin knows...

If you don't have a tranny ground strap, that's almost certainly the problem. It connects on a bolt (any bolt?) near the rear of the transmission to the hole in the bottom of the trunk (near the center, off to the left a little bit).

-Steve

After you clean everything and put on a new ground strap if you still have problems here's the fix.

Go to your local FLAPS and buy a Ford starter solenoid, the type that mounts to the firewall (early eighties), some heavy wire, one spade, three large and one small ring connectors.

Mount the solenoid somewhere like on the side of the trans. Then run a wire from the hot side of the starter to one of the big terminals. From the other big terminal run a wire to the keyed (spade) side of the starter. The wire that did go to the spade connector now goes to the Ford solenoid.

What this does is the VW/ Porsche starter must have 9 to 10 volts to click the solenoid in, over time the wiring gets old and there is too much line loss. The Ford solenoid only needs about 3v to kick it in, and then it gives 12v directly to the starter.

Had the same prob..... cleaned the ground strap on the bottom of the trunk and everything (even turn signals) worked better. The end that attaches to the tranny is hard to get to but doable providing you don't have hands like catchers mits You can also use a screwdriver to short the starter & see if it starts that way. Jump from the big terminal to the small one on top on the back of the starter (I think there are 3)
BUT
make sure the car is outta gear first and block the wheels this will tell you if it's the starter.
bruce

the old spade connectors can be very deceptive. make sure they don't wiggle anywhere. check the bat to chassis ground too. as in clean it.

kevin
"it's easier for an animal rights activist to harass a old lady in a fur coat, than 5 bikers in black leathers"

So didya pass the Patent Bar?

That thing can be a real bitch

They ask fabulous questions like:

....when are non-negative elements of a non-infringing invention not invalid under 102 e, f, and g?......

(Miles knows the answer to this one!!!!! )

Anyway, hope your exam went better than your car experience. You might know early in December- on both of them.

Patent Agent Ken

Reg. No. 53, 734

Cant say the Patent Bar was any better than sliding my tongue across a cheese grater. Well actually I can say the cheese grater kiss is more fun, and a better party trick for sure.
The test was exactly as you remember it, but it seems they have 5th graders writing the questions. The grammer was HORRIBLE and I hate grammer. I'm not really concerned about the Patent Bar since I left the field in 2002 to become a perfect hippie.
For the most part it was a party. I got to drive to LA, got to see some old friends, worked on a hemroid, and made it back to San Diego. It was the first "long" trip I have taken the car on since putting in the 'new' engine and things were great -till the starting problem.
I'm really thinking it is the starter. I've had a few days where the first key turn ended with a 'click' and the second started up the car without a hitch.
I've tried some of the suggestions and everything seems to point to the starter.
So, back to the method for throwing money into a fun but deep hole. You have to love these cars.

Before you R & R the starter, try cleaning the cable and the wires that hook up to it. Disconect the battery end before you do this or you could be in for a shocking experence. To clean the spade connectors get a point file at your locak FLAPS ($3.00) it fits nicley in between the connectors or steal one of your wifes emory boards (for nails)and trim it to fit.

The starter ground strap is mounted at the rear of the trans and hooks up to the bolt that mounts to the trunk pan.

If it is the solenoid on the starter, it is almost cheaper to get a compleat rebuilt starter/solenoid than to just buy the solenoid alone.

If it a was a voltage regulater issue, you wouldn't have power (the battey would be drained).

In MY experience it could be ANY of the above.....fix and clean the obvious....all the grounds and connections....if it STILL happens, get a big fucking hammer and tap the solenoid. It may free is up. For a while....later the solenoid either needs to be lubed or replaced.

Last time I had the problem THAT cured it....but on one car it ended up being a bad ignition switch.

Its the starter for sure. Things have been cleaned and checked and shocked and blown on and its still clickin.
So, I'm going to try the hammer method tonight..
I do have another starter to put in and it doesnt seem like a hard thing to do other than the one little bolt that has be be held from the underside in order to keep it from falling to the ground.

As usual, this board is FAST and full of information. I love a place where one question leads to answers from all corner of the box and out of the box as well "the big fu#kin hammer" -now is this technique taught in Germany or Indiana?
It seems the easiest for me to master. Thats one qucik hard swing at the starter, and then try to turn it over right. Should I really bang the thing or tap it with some love?

Tap is the operative word.....the big fucking hammer is for what ya throw if THAT tap doesn't work.....

BFH's are standard equipment in any tool box.

We should have a poll to see how many/who has the most hammers in their boxes.


Tap the solenoid while some one turns the key.

Use some tape to hold the bolt in place when putting the starter back in if you R & R it. Leave the tape long enough to reach it easier when you want to remove it to tighten the bolt.

Bannannassssss...
What a joke. So I took the back end of the same screwdriver I attempted to 'jump' the starter with by touching the contacts -sparks, noise, no start- and hit the starter solinoid (spelling?) a few times, with care, re-jumped and the thing started right up.
Now really why the hell does that work. LOL
I'm laughing so hard I have to wait before leaving the house because I know I will look like a lunatic behind the wheel.
What sort of ancient german technology needs to be hit with a hammer -or in this case the back end of a screw driver- in order to function and what did hitting the damn thing do?
Am I ok for like a day or two, is there something I can do other than replace the thing, or is my best bet to go and buy the 36 buck solinoid (spelling?) and put it in...?
The starter seems pretty strong.

CRAZY, tapping the thing makes it work= man if only everything was so easy.

"Hey, my name is Rich want to go on a date"
"NO" -rich pulls out a hammer and taps the woman on the head, just a little, and suddenly she says....
"your place or mine" - then later rich discovers her disgusting rusty wires!!! -ewwwww

It's simple....your solenoid is rusty

They get old and burn (electric burn) inside.

I'm betting cleaning all the connectors didn't hurt either.

Hi,
Tapping works good! I flew a DC-8 for eleven years and the first thing we did when something didn't look right was "tap the gauge". If you were flying with an old time flight engineer and asked him what time it was, the first thing he did was tap his watch.
Cheers, Elliot

The harder you tap, the better it feels, too.

Paul