I just bought a 72 ford maverick 2dr and it won't turn over, brakelights work, turn signals work in the back, wipers don't, headlights don't, does anybody know what may be wrong or what i can do to get this beast running?
If the starter wont crank the engine over...You need to check the battery/cables and the starter solinoid (it may be bad) Simple test: connect a jumper cable to the battery positive post,touch the other cable end directly to the starters large terminal (battery cable is attached to this post on starter) If starter cranks engine... Its working.Now turn on the ignition key,pump the throttle a few times and do it again, car should start and run or at least try to. If it does Ignition is good/starter is working. Now: with car not running, key on, jump the two big terminals on the starter solinoid on the right fender apron.If car starts and runs cable to starter is good/battery cable to solinoid is good/ignition wireing/switch is good. Starter solinoid is bad or you have a bad ground cable...Take your jumper cables and connect one end to the battery ground,take the other end and connect to a good clean bare metal area on the engine (starter mount bolt is a good spot) Now try to start it with the key.If it cranks/starts...Ground cable is bad...Replace it.If its still wont crank...Replace the starter solinoid...Its bad. Make sure all battery cable connections are clean and tight before doing this and all grounds from engine to chassis are clean and tight. Good luck!!! NOTE: If this does not get it running, you more than likely have a bad ignition switch or an ignition wireing problem. As for the inoperative lights/accessories. Blown fuse/fuses or bad wireing or components.
Thanks so much for the help, ill have to try this when i get home tonight, I pulled all the fuses though so I will have to replace those, but i think the lights aren't all working because the fuse connector had corroded away and fallen out due to a cowl vent leak I can't find a fuse box though to replace it.
if your having problems with the fuse block, then check out this tech aritcal. its a really easy thing to do, doesnt take long to do and really makes working with your fuses alot easyer. http://mmb.maverick.to/showthread.php?t=64243
OK somehow I totally missed that article. Damn it another thing on my list. That one I am doing for sure. Real tough to get under the dash with my back. Once again this forum pays off big.
It wouldn't turn over, but theres alot of current flowing through it, the starter didn't even click like it was trying to turn the engine over. Does it need a new starter? Im ordering a fuse box tonight, so that won't be a problem. Im going to take the starter off and get it tested. I might have to buy a new starter. Also, the gas in the tank doesn't smell right, it hasn't had fresh gas for a couple years, but i don't know how to get it out of the tank so i can put fresh gas in, i can't get my tubing in far enough to siphon gas, so should i just dilute it with lots more gas?
Sounds like the starter is siezed up. Drop the tank and drain the old gas/swill out...Blow out the lines and put a new gas filter on it before you pump that old gas through the system...If you dont,you'll be sorry. Good luck man!!! PS: It probably could use a new fuel pump by now too.
replace the starter solinoid along with the starter. a bad starter can hurt the solinoid by drawing too much current through it.
replaced both the starter and solenoid, still nothing, I can't figure out whats wrong with it. Oh, do the fuses need to be in if im shorting the solenoid?
Have you had the battery tested? Clean ALL cable ends (it doesn't have those crappy bolt together ends on the battery end of the cable does it? They are trouble!!) And you tried jumping the solenoid?
yeah, im gonna change the cable ends, I did try to jump the solenoid but nothing. I had the battery tested and it was good, they did charge it for about 20mins though. the starter isn't even getting power, if it were, the bendix would kick out and try to crank the engine, but it doesn't.
I figured out i was jumping it incorrectly, i got it to turn over, ill put some fuses in tonight and see if i can get it started, but with the two year old gas in the tank, im not sure how well that will work. It sounded good when it was turning over, good compression etc. Hopefully ill get it running sometime in the next week, Im gonna have a relative paint it for me, maybe a dark navy blue, or a gloss black, im not sure. any ideas?
