Broke 02 Taurus

One day while driving my 2002 Taurus on a entrance ramp, the car died while I was turning at about 40 mph. I put it in neutral quickly and started it back up with no problems. Several weeks later my car won't start. It clicks but that's all that happens. I was told to hit or tap on my starter and see if it would start. I don't know where my starter is or even if that is the problem. Would I tap on it and then try to start it or vice versa? Could it be that the starter is not the problem at all? All of my electronics in the car work fine. I've heard several different suggestions but am hesitant to proceed on any of them....I appreciate the help...

You should include what engine is in your machine. If it is the Vulcan, the starter is on the front of the engine, just below the oil filter. Hammering on the starter is an extremely temporary "fix". Before I would do any of that, I would check the battery and the battery connections.

Several weeks later my car won't start. It clicks but that's all that happens.
Is it a rapid series of clicks if you hold the key for a couple of seconds to the Start position? If so, tapping on the starter won't fix the problem. This series of clicks would indicate a voltage/current issue to the starter solenoid or relay. I agree with Willyum, verify the battery cable connections are clean and tight. If they are, consider having the battery load tested and test the condition of your car's charging system.

-Rod

The clicks are not rapid. I do not know what kind of engine it is though. Thanks for the advice. If I do tap on it and it does start, does that mean the problem is the starter? I am hoping to move it from the parking lot it has been resting in to my home. Again, if it is the starter, what would the price look like for a new one? I don't intend on replacing it myself but I figure if I can get one by myself, I could save at least a hundred dollars. I appreciate your help...

Jumping to conclusions that it is the starter without checking the battery might lead you to replacing parts that are still servicable. You did not mention how many miles on the odometer, normally a starter will last many miles/years. A battery on the other hand has a much shorter lifespan. If you aren't familiar enough to know what engine you have, be cautious about jumping into replacing a starter.

It has around 105000 miles on it. I assumed it had nothing to do with the battery because all of the electronics work fine in the car, the lights, the beeps. I'm not debating with you that it isn't the battery or another problem, I'm not wise enough to know(which is why I'm writing in this forum). In my mind, if I tapped on my starter and the car did start, wouldn't a starter at least be part of the problem? Or could it just be a result of another malfunctioning part? So in conclusion, if my car starts after I tap on the starter, could I be safe to say there is a problem with my starter?

When a battery in a Ford is about to go or the terminals are corroded, they tend to do wierd things. I would first disconnect and clean the terminals on the battery before spending the money on a new starter. When my battery went on my 98 Taurus, it sometimes started, sometimes not. Also, the A/C quit working and the lights would dim out on occasion. The battery was dying. Initially I thought it was the alternator. Good luck, but I would start with the battery terminals.

Like others have said, what you have is very typical of a bad connection, especially with the vehicle unexplainably and quietly, cutting off ( I assume all to be true), so check every single battery connection, wires leaving the battery to the starter, ground wire to the engine and connections to the starter. A weak battery could also be involved, but not likely to only cause just one mysterious stalling. The starter would never cause the engine to stall and usually the clicking means not enough current is coming from the battery. The previous thread adequately explains and describes what you are going through.

The clicks are not rapid. I do not know what kind of engine it is though. Thanks for the advice. If I do tap on it and it does start, does that mean the problem is the starter? I am hoping to move it from the parking lot it has been resting in to my home. Again, if it is the starter, what would the price look like for a new one? I don't intend on replacing it myself but I figure if I can get one by myself, I could save at least a hundred dollars. I appreciate your help...

If you are getting clicks when holding the key in the start position (rapid or not, but more than one 'click') the starter is not likely to be your problem.

If you said that you get a single click when turning the key to start and holding for a second or two, then yeah, tapping on the starter to possibly get it started and replacing the starter would probably be a safe bet. However, if you are getting more than a single click, look to the battery cables and battery. Or, find someone with a portable battery jump starter pack and see what that does for you.

There is nothing electrical on your car that requires more current than your starter. If a battery is getting weak (as tested by a conductance test or by a load test) it may not have enough current to get the starter motor running, but still seem to have enough current to power your radio, instrumentation, dome light, etc.

What happens if you try starting the car with a door open? Watch the dome light, how dim does it get when turning the ignition to the start position?

-Rod

I appreciate all who have shared their knowledge. I tapped on the starter a bit and like someone mentioned earlier, that did not do anything. I jumped the car and it easily started. Now that the car is at home, I will be able to spend a reasonable amount of time to get it back in shape. I will now start checking the connections to the battery. Someone mentioned the alternator which to my knowledge supplies electricity to the engine? In addition to checking my connections, how do I check the alternator? Thanks to those who've shared their extensive knowledge with those who are less inclined such as myself.

Check the battery condition ! IF it is the original battery, it has long passed its life expectancy.

I was the one who mentioned the alternator. I would start with the battery connections first, then have the battery load checked second. As a last resort, you could take the car to an auto parts store like Advance Auto or O'reilly where they can check the alternator. But, my suspicions are the battery terminals as Fords are famous for this issue. Good luck.

I brought my car to the shop and had everything tested and they said it was just a bad battery. Could a bad battery make my car die while I'm driving it? I question their analysis. Could it be that my battery was just bad??

It did that same thing to my 03 escape and my 05 Freestyle. No problems with the Taurus yet, but I'm going to replace the battery when I get back to the states. I usually replace batteries every 3-4 years, especially if they are the ford factory batteries, I've had good luck with diehard and interstate. Anyway I replaced the battery on both cars and the problem went away. Usually when you replace the battery, it's a good time to clean all the contacts also.