95 escort wont start!!!

My wife pulled in from work. The car sat overnight. Tried to start it the next afternoon. Nothing. Absolutely nothing happens when the key is turned. No noise, no nothin. The battery reads 12.4 volts.

I ran a new ground cable from battery to starter. Replaced corroded terminal on the hot side. Turn the key, nothin.

The only sign of life that this car makes is when i turn the headlights on. There is a crazy constant fast clicking noise coming from the dash/steering column area. What the heck is goin on.

Welcome to the forum. First, I'd check the fluid level in the battery...if low, use distilled water to top off. Then, I'd put it on a charger or charge it with jumper cables from a running car. The clacking sound may be a relay chattering from an under current situation.

i topped off the battery with distilled water. Put jumper cables on from my explorer for half an hour, then turned key. Nothin. Only that clicking sound when i turn on the headlights.

Next, check the battery cables - corroded connections? I've had cables corrode internally and it not be visible - some of the internal strands were broken and wouldn't move enough current. Also, try another battery or take this battery to autozone, advance, etc for a load test.

auto zone test checked out fine. negative battery cable and terminal is brand new. visually inspected what i could of the positive. looks to be in order. i removed the worn and corroded terminal and replaced it with a new one. still nothing.

Check where the battery cable goes to the starter...is that a good connection? Could be a starter/solenoid problem. Do you hear any click when you turn key?
If manual tranny...clutch switch can fail....breaks the starting circuit.
Possible ignition switch failure...break in starting circuit.

no click. connection is good at starter. automatic trans. I was thinking maybe ignition switch or tumbler maybe. $ is tight and i dont want to buy unnecessary parts. When i turn the key, absolutely nothing happens. No noise, no click, no nothin. Seriously, nothin at all.

Just to get started, why not install a small gauge conductor from the starter solenoid terminal (fixed on that end) up to the battery area (loose on that end). With the key "ON" and the tranny in neutral, press loose end to battery positive terminal ..... If that don't get you going, you at least have a simpler problem.

Could have something to do with the safety switch on the shifter... if there is nothing happening when you try to start it in P, try shifting to N and start it. Anything different?

If you have the know-how, pull the wiring off your igniton and hotwire the starter to see if it turns. You can do the same thing with jumper cables but be very careful.

The starter also comes off very easily if you have the tools... you can remove it and bench test it.

The quickest way to trouble shoot this is through your ignition. If you hotwire it and the starter goes, the problem is in your ignition or safety switch.