no starter power

[tommy d]

94 bird 3.8 i hear nothing when I turn the key! I thought starter, but thats wrong! I see the amp gauge go to zero and all interior lights and the radio quit working when I try to start the car! I guess a dead short? But where?? Has anyone seen this? Thanks!!

[Scrapper]

take your neg cable off with everthing off in car then take neg to hook up but just touch neg to battery and if big spark you have a short. if that don't work i'll tell you another way. if you have test light you can unhook neg cable clip one end to neg battery then touch the other end to cable if it lights up you have a short.

[97Bird]

You should never try to cause a spark at the battery cables unless you want battery acid blown into your face by the exploding battery. You should always wear safety goggles when working with the battery and the connections. Connect a voltmeter across the battery and see if the voltage drops way down when you turn the key. You said you replaced the starter and I'm assuming you cleaned all of the related connections at the starter and battery so the battery is what I would check next. I would fully charge the battery (be sure all of the cells have water above the plates of the battery first) and take it to a garage or a store like AutoZone to have it load tested.

[Scrapper]

sorry but i disagree. because if you put new battery in something is it going to blow up when hooking it up? i mean come on your clock will have little spark hooking it up.but i should have told him to just touch real quick and not jiggle it around in stead of a quick touch. my mastake.

[reino134]

If I remember correctly when I replaced my factory starter on my 94 3.8, the replacement came with a little apology note from ford for a faulty wiring setup from the factory and a replacement wire or harness down at the starter ( something to do with corrosion in the wires ). Did you update the wiring when you replaced yours? If not, I would check there. That in fact was the problem with mine. It also did the same thing, dropping the volt meter to 0 and dimmed everything in the interior

[Scrapper]

yes theres a fusable link that burns at starter.

[97Bird]

Scapper, You are entitled to disagree but it is obvious that you have never seen the damage an exploding battery can cause. I have, which is why I said you should always wear safety googles when working around a battery. If a battery is outgassing, even the small spark from the clock, radio and electronics that are always powered can potentially cause the battery to explode. I would also suggest that when installing the battery cables that a person does so at an arm's length away from the battery and not have your face over the battery. Gloves and a long sleeve shirt are a good idea, also. Everybody here can do what they want. I'm just trying to help someone avoid a lot of pain and damage.

[97Bird]

Scrapper, Sorry to get you so upset but yes it is possible for ANY battery to explode under the right conditions. I didn't say it would but that it could! This is why it is so important to follow safety procedures when working with them. Maybe you will understand if I make an analogy with a car's gas tank. Gas fumes can be ignited the same way the fumes from a battery can. This doesn't mean every gas tank is going to explode but people are urged to adhere to safety precautions such as not smoking near them or generating any sparks near them. Does this sound familiar? Same rules apply to batteries.
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