1995 Taurus w/ 16k miles won't start - Starter, Alternator, etc?

Question

First timer here seeking help!

Before I take the car to the shop, I thought I'd check here. Drove the car in the morning. In the evening, it wouldn't start. Nothing when I turned the key. The electrical was fading - clock was dim and power seats were struggling.

Two days later, it was completely dead - electrical, too. I tried to jump it. When connected to the other car (which was running), I turned the key and got only a second of sound (trying to start). It wouldn't start. The electrical all worked fine while connected to the other car.

What's this sound like? Starter, alternator, something else? Thanks in advance for your help!

Thanks for the amazing input. I really appreciate it. We did not jump start the car and let it charge for awhile with the other car running. We will try that tonight - thanks! The car did not start before, but we only let it charge for a few minutes.

I don't know how old the battery is, but it's probably at least a few years old. I'll have to see if I can find a receipt. It's a Diehard battery from Sears. I think Sears may have a warranty. So, if we can get it running, should we take it to Sears rather than to another mechanic?

Thanks again. Really really appreciated.

Answer 1

You do not say how old the battery in the vehicle is, but if it is over 3 years old, my bet would be that the battery is bad. One thing to check before you replace the battery is the condition of the battery terminals . With a bad connection at a battery terminal, the car may not jump start.

Remove each battery terminal by loosening the bolt holding it, and use fine sandpaper, a wire brush, or steel wool to clean both the terminal end (connected to the wire) and the post on the battery.. Do this with both the positive and negative terminals.

If it is not a sealed battery, check the water level. Fill with distilled water if needed.

Try to jump start the car again, this time connect the cables and allow 10-15 minutes for your battery to get some charge in it. The car should start!

Answer 2

While it,s impossible to say without checking it out of course it sounds very much like your alternator is not charging.Did your charge light come on?(A little symbol that looks like a battery)On a good fully charged battery the car can run and function for the day but since the charge of the battery is not being replenished it would be dead the next day.And as far as jump starting the car it should have started but perhaps the cables were not making good contact and if it was the alternator it would have most likely died as soon as you unhooked it from the jumper vehicle as that was it,s only source of power because your car cannot charge the battery back up on it,s own.Good luck.

Answer 3

Theres a thumbwheel below the instrument panel.
The customers often bump it getting in or out.

There's connection trouble, the way the cable was originally attached to those starters.
delete washers between, increase surface area of contact between the cable and related parts.
When there are gaps, dirt gets in, when it arcs, it cooks.
Use dielectric compound to keep the outside blocked from
external entry of oils, fluids, etc
then it cannot get between.
Battery connections, the cable ends, the convergence of more than one wire into one cable clamp.
When testing leads here, the maintenance has been lax.
When arcing has occurred the sweat from the battery becomes a cooked on film.
Doing your minor and major services keeps the problems away.
Your MMY needs special attention to these areas.
Some had a charge system fuse that is better off using a 15A instead of a 5 A.
Connecting to it, you distub part of the problem, then you get an arc.
but your battery went dead for several reasons.

I recommend the Ford service department, they will know.
You can show them this paragraph to remind them if necessary.

Then they run tests and make sure you used good parts that will last and it charges, it has a good battery and has no excessive draw or fuses or relay trouble.
Mind that thumbwheel switch, it turns on the interior lights.

Answer 4

It's possibly your alternator or battery. If you didn't have it connected to the other car long enough then maybe your battery didn't get enough juice to it for the car to start. (Also check your cables and wires to your battery, alternator, etc. and make sure they have a good, clean connection.) If it's available in your area, you can have a mobile diagnostics person come out and hook it up to a machine and find out for sure what's wrong. It's usually pretty cheap. Or call a garage or auto parts store, explain the problem you're having and they might be able to tell you something. Hope all goes well. It really sucks when your car's broke down and you don't know for sure what's wrong!

Answer 5

get back to the basics this car requires one of the biggest batteries out there it takes a lot of power to start
i an assuming you didn't buy the 2 gage trucker jumper cables necessary to jump start this car so use your cables as charging cables hook them up and let the car with the good battery run fir at least 15 minuets before you start yours it should start now now check your charge lights they will probably read OK you may have left something on causing the battery to go dead you now can drive to a part store to have it tested most will do it free
if you do need a replacement i recommend the interstate brand MtP65 as they work really good and have a very good track record to find your closest dealer call 1800 crank it
most dealers dodge ford gm Hyundai Honda etc caries them

Answer 6

Most likely the battery since you say all electrical is having problems. What the alternator does it recharges the battery when the car is at motion, its belt driven.

Answer 7

Did the car turnover when you were trying to jump it? Did you just hook up the jumper cables and try to start it immediately, or did you let it charge for a minute before attempting to start it?

Answer 8

i think its your battery