Help Me! 2.3 Won't Start after oil pressure switch and oil change!!
Been going for about 2 weeks now and the ol mustang won't start.
Before this issue occurred, I had replaced the Oil Pressure Switch & changed the oil.
Now I'm having an issue with starting the car. I thought it was my alarm that was killing the starter; however after taking apart the dash, I figured out that my alarm is just hooked up to the ignition, parking lights, siren, LED, and battery.
With the alarm completely disconnected, the car would sometimes start, until recently. I couldn't even get it to start for the life of me.
So I had the battery and alternator tested at Autozone, battery tested fine, but when the Alt test begin, the car immediately tweaked out and shut off.
So yesterday, I took out the alt and bat and had them both tested at Autozone, the alt failed and the bat didn't hold a charge. I spent the remainder of the day installing a new alternator and battery into my car.
The car started up fine, drove around great. Turned it off and back on and then a few hours later turned it back on.
However, this morning when I tried to start it up; it didn't. It gave me the same problem I was having before.
Now fyi; I do hear the fuel pump when the key is on, and when I try to start the car, I hear the starter attempting to crank the engine over; however the engine does not crank over. I can also get the car jump started and running that way, but the battery gauge is fluctuating constantly.
I am fresh out of ideas as to what the issue is; any help would be great.
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92 2.3L Mustang; disc brake conversion w/ 8.8 rear axle, 16in 5 lug pony rims, eibach springs, kyb shocks/struts, mac caster/camber plates, gt front & rear sway bars, air silencer removed, gt body kit, custom sound system w/ 3 10in subs 420w amp 4 blaupunkt speakers 2 tweeters and jvc stereo
Did you check the spark plugs and plug wires, if all else fails lose the fuel injection and put a carb on it
EPIC FAIL!
Post when you know. Read when you don't.
If the car cranked and started on a brand new battery then wouldn't after sitting overnight, there's a current drain somewhere that needs to be found. Grab a Multimeter and hook it up to read Amps. Then start pulling fuses until you find the drain.
+ 1 I am with chandler on this one. Here is an easy way to trace down a walk away battery drain. Remove the negative battery cable and put a test light between the cable and the battery post. With the car off and all accessories off the lamp should not light. If it does the car has a draw down. You have to trace the draw down to find the trouble. Here is a fiew usual suspects. Glove light, Trunk light. Dome light. Bad alt ETC. The test lamp is good because when you find the problem the light will go off. Consintrate on accessories that are not controlled by the ign switch. Pull the bulbs on the circuits i just mentioned and test for the draw. Easy trouble usually under an hour to shoot. You can charge the battery and disconnect it at the end of the day. In the morning reconnect the cable and if the car starts you have a walk away draw down.Good luck TOM
After I put in the new battery yesterday, and the car didn't start today, I jumped it and took it straight to autozone. There they tested the battery in the car, reading said Bad Battery, then I took the battery out of the car and inside autozone, tested battery again, and it said Good Battery with a 100% charge on it. So, I don't think the battery is being drained by any accessories.
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92 2.3L Mustang; disc brake conversion w/ 8.8 rear axle, 16in 5 lug pony rims, eibach springs, kyb shocks/struts, mac caster/camber plates, gt front & rear sway bars, air silencer removed, gt body kit, custom sound system w/ 3 10in subs 420w amp 4 blaupunkt speakers 2 tweeters and jvc stereo
In the car = bad battery, but out of the car = good battery?
That would tell me that there is indeed something pulling it down. What you did when you removed the battery from the car and took it inside was leave the problem out in the parking lot. There's something constantly drawing from the battery in a big way.
EDIT: I just caught the 100% charged comment. Okay, now I'd be checking connections. Check the ground cable at both ends for tightness and make sure the cable is in good shape. Same with the positive cable. Where the positive cable attaches to the solenoid is the same place where the output wire from the alternator is attached. Make sure that its good and tight and the cables aren't frayed or damaged.
Totally confused??? How did they test the battery?? Usually you load test them. Now a days you use a hand held computer that plots out the condition with a micro prosser. How can a battery test bad in the car and good in the store??? You jumped it to go to auto zone and it ran. How far was it to the store?? If it was far away the alternator kept the car running?? Check the charging system with a voltmeter in the car with a heavy load for voltage readings. 14-14.7 is a good alt output at 2000 rpm's. And load test that battery at 400 amps for 3 -5 seconds. something is not right with the testing being performed. I still think the car has a draw down. Does it restart after a jump and a 10 minut drive. This will tell you the alt is working and the battery is taking a charge. Run the car for a 1/2 hour disco the battery and try connecting it in the AM. if it starts the car is drawing down?? Just a thought are the battery terminals CLEAN?? Are the cable terminals clean??
Totally confused??? How did they test the battery?? Usually you load test them. Now a days you use a hand held computer that plots out the condition with a micro prosser. How can a battery test bad in the car and good in the store??? You jumped it to go to auto zone and it ran. How far was it to the store?? If it was far away the alternator kept the car running?? Check the charging syatem with a voltmeter in the car with a heavy load for voltage readings. 14-14.7 is a good alt output at 2000 rpm's. And load test that battery at 400 amps for 3 -5 seconds. something is not right with the testing being performed
lol im confused too
They have a handheld device that has a computer which has a negative and positive wire coming from it. they simply just hooked up the + - to the battery in the car, they did an alternator test first, which killed the car, then with the car off, they did a battery test, which then said bad battery.
So I took the battery out of the car, and inside the store, they used the same exact handheld device to test the battery again, and it read good battery with a 100% charge and 12v give or take.
UPDATE: Just was at my car talking to my dad on the phone and he said to turn the headlights on. I did so, and nothing. Then I put the key in the ignition and turned it to the ON position with headlights on. I got nothing again, not even the fuel pump.
Then randomly with everything still on, the headlights came on, open door chime was working and I heard the fuel pump.
I then tried to start the car, and it started up. Battery gauge reading fine too.
So my dad and I believe there is some loose connection in somewhere in the wiring.
Any thoughts?
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92 2.3L Mustang; disc brake conversion w/ 8.8 rear axle, 16in 5 lug pony rims, eibach springs, kyb shocks/struts, mac caster/camber plates, gt front & rear sway bars, air silencer removed, gt body kit, custom sound system w/ 3 10in subs 420w amp 4 blaupunkt speakers 2 tweeters and jvc stereo
The only thing I could think of Tom was that the in-car test was seeing not only the load from the tester but the load from whatever is causing the drain. With both loads the tester saw what it thought was poor battery performance. When they eliminated the electrical problem in the car from the test conditions by removing the battery and taking it in the store, the battery tested fine.
Ok you have a loose connection or a dirty battery cable. If your lights did not come on everything in the car was also dead. Check fuse links and all connections on the solenoid and wiggle some heavy gauge wires under the hood.Something is loose. Or has a dirty connection. Look at all connections and make shure they are clean And not corroded. Pull lightly on the fuse links to see if one is bad. Also check the ground at the engine block and on the body to the battery. When the car is dead probe the battery to the block with a test light and also to the solenoid to isolate the trouble. Something is going OPEN. When the car is dead use a heavy jumper wire from the battery - post to the engine with the head lights on . If they come on its the ground to the engine. Try same thing to the body of the car if they come on its the body ground. Then use a jumper from the + side of the battery to the heavy wire on the alternator. If the lights come on the problem is the battery feed to the circuits. Good luck. When back probing with a jumper dont mix up and go from ground to any battery feeds. Go slow and think what you are doing. I use a jumper with a fuse in series with the wire just in case i mess up. TOM
Read your reply about the battery test. CLEAN THOSE BATTERY CABLES IN THE CAR WITH EMERY OR SAND PAPER AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. Those cables are probably dirty or LOOSE
Ok you have a loose connection or a dirty battery cable. If your lights did not come on everything in the car was also dead. Check fuse links and all connections on the solenoid and wiggle some heavy gauge wires under the hood.Something is loose. Or has a dirty connection. Look at all connections and make shure they are clean And not corroded. Pull lightly on the fuse links to see if one is bad. Also check the ground at the engine block and on the body to the battery. When the car is dead probe the battery to the block with a test light and also to the solenoid to isolate the trouble. Something is going OPEN. When the car is dead use a heavy jumper wire from the battery - post to the engine with the head lights on . If they come on its the ground to the engine. Try same thing to the body of the car if they come on its the body ground. Then use a jumper from the + side of the battery to the heavy wire on the alternator. If the lights come on the problem is the battery feed to the circuits. Good luck. When back probing with a jumper dont mix up and go from ground to any battery feeds. Go slow and think what you are doing. I use a jumper with a fuse in series with the wire just in case i mess up. TOM
The fuse links you are talking about; are they the ones under the steering wheel inside the car? Or some place else?
Also, so far last night and this morning, the car has been starting with no problems. I took it around a little bit, ripping around corners, just to see if any bumps or swaying will affect the connections some how; so far the car is still running fine.
I have been noticing a slight squeal from the alternator; sounds like the belt or something inside. This only happens when I accelerate, and not at idle.
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92 2.3L Mustang; disc brake conversion w/ 8.8 rear axle, 16in 5 lug pony rims, eibach springs, kyb shocks/struts, mac caster/camber plates, gt front & rear sway bars, air silencer removed, gt body kit, custom sound system w/ 3 10in subs 420w amp 4 blaupunkt speakers 2 tweeters and jvc stereo
Help Me! 2.3 Won't Start after oil pressure switch and oil change!! 
