1999 Taurus - Intermittent No Starts (Just Clicks)

[93celicaconv]

A friend of mine has a 1999 Taurus. He has an intermittent no start issue (you can hear a clicking noise and sometimes a very slow rotation of the engine, yet most of the time, it turns over normally and starts well).

In diagnosing, I found that the headlights, dome light, and dash lights remain on strong when this starting problem happens. Had the battery checked, and everything about it was fine (voltage, CCA, etc.).

So I replaced the starter with a remanufactured one about 2 months ago. That seemed to solve the problem, but I have it back now to install new brakes, and now I'm noticing the exact same intermittent starting problem. Lights are all one and don't dim out, yet there is a clicking sound (when it won't start), sometimes a very slow engine movement and then nothing, and other times it barely turns, then suddenly picks up engine speed and start the engine). All the wiring contacts on the starter are good.

Is there another relay in the starting circuit somewhere that could cause this? Or is it possible the remanufactured starter is going out already? Or is there another common problem that explains these symptoms that I am not aware of?

[TRINI55]

check for proper engine ground to body.

[93celicaconv]

Originally Posted by TRINI55

check for proper engine ground to body.

Thanks for the fast reply. Wouldn't it be assumed the engine ground is OK if the lights and all remain bright when this problem happens? Or does most of the other electrical sources have a different ground path back to the battery?

[SteveG3]

My 1999 Taurus SE is doing the same thing. The battery and charging system was checked out and is all working properly. It turns slow but starts so far when cold. It seems to be worse when the engine is hot and shut off. Then it will act like a dead battery (very slow or clicks) when
trying to restart.

[shorod]

When it acts up and "clicks" is it a single click or a rapid series of clicks? Often a rapid series of clicks would suggest a low voltage condition, either due to the condition of the wiring or from a weak battery. However, if just a single click, that would suggest a problem with the starter assembly (motor or solenoid/bendix). Adding in the heat factor it sure sounds like a weak starter assembly.

-Rod

[93celicaconv]

Well, I took the 2-month old remanufactured starter back to the auto parts store to have it checked out. They said it tested good, but in removing it, I broke a connection going to the solenoid, so they gave me another remanufactured starter. This one had a different solenoid connector on it, with an instruction on how to use this one, and the instruction said Ford/Mercury had problems with the original wiring connection that led to problems I was experiencing. Hmm.

So I spliced in the new solenoid wiring connection into the factory harness. I also removed all the battery cables (including grounds) and ground them down a little to get a shiny surface back, and put it all back together again. From what I hear, so far, so good.

So I'm wondering if my ground connection at the engine/transmission housing was not very good anymore, and that caused the problem? Or if there was a problem with the factory solenoid wiring that was causing it? Don't know, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this last installation will be the last one for a long time.

[shorod]

Great, thank you for the follow up. So was it a single click or a series of clicks?

-Rod

[TRINI55]

Atta boy !!!!

[Willyum]

If your battery is over 4 years old, I wouldn't trust it no matter how good it checks out.

[93celicaconv]

Always a single click. Sometimes the engine would rotate a fraction of a turn, very, very slowly and then just sit there. Again, all the lights stayed on bright when this no-start condition surfaced too, so the battery was strong. Replacement starter and taking care of all the contact points for the battery cables, and the old battery turned the engine over with no effort at all. So was it the starter twice (it was the first, because it tested bad, but the 2nd one tested good), or the battery cable connections, or some weird combination of the two? Don't know, but it seems to be working now, so I'm happy.

[SteveG3]

My solenoid was just a single click also. Anyway I got my car back. It turns out it already had an Autozone rebuilt starter that failed. The car only has 84000 miles on it. The guy I take it to put a different rebuild on it. Working great now. No more Autozone rebuilts for me.

[TopGun13]

Had same problem 2 months now. Seemed if it cooled off it would always start, after a NEW BATTERY, NEW ALTENAITOR, SAME PROBLEM! REPLACED STARTER (the original)AND IT HUMMS LIKE A BIRD NOW!
REPLACE THE STARTER AND YOU'LL FIX THE INTERMITTENT TAURUS STARTING PROBLEM