I've a Ford 91 tempo/won't start. There's nothing but silence when you turn the key. Radio and lights work.

Question

The lights and radio works just fine but there's nothing but silence when you turn the key. could it be the starter or something else?

Answer 1

It is DEFINITELY the starter! Before spending money on a new one make sure to check & see if all wires to & from it & the battery are attached. Sometimes that could be the problem...loose wire. Owned one & had a problem w/ my starter a total of 3 times (1 was the loose wire problem). It can get quite aggrivating!

Answer 2

I would guess that there is either a bad starter solenoid or a bad starter motor. The solenoid is a small electro-magnetic switch on the side of the starter motor that, when you turn the key to energize it, thrusts a small shaft on the starter motor forward. That shaft has a small gear on the end of it that engages a much larger gear on the end of the engine's crankshaft and then the starter motor begins to spin, turning the engine as it does, until the ignition catches, then the solenoid is deenergized and the shaft on the starter motor retreats and the starter is disengaged.

Normally, if you have enough current, even if the starter motor itself is bad you will hear the solenoid click fairly audibly as it tries to thrust the starter motor shaft forward. As you indicate there is no sound at all, I would suspect a bad solenoid. Still, typically you replace the two as a unit.

However, before you do this, I would try two things. The first would be to try to jump start the car, as it is not unusual for there to be enough power in your battery to run the lights and the radio but not enough to operate the starter, which after all is a fairly powerful electric motor.

Second, if it still does not start, get yourself a hammer and locate the starter motor and tap on the outside of the casing with the hammer while someone else tries to start the car (be sure you are in park and have the emergency brake on of course). Sometimes a starter motor has a dead spot on it and this tapping can move the mechanism just enough to get it on a place where there is better electrical contact.

Answer 3

If you don't hear a clicking sound when you turn the key it may mean the starter solenoid is not operating. The starter solenoid connects the starter motor to the battery as you turn the ignition switch to the "start" position.

Answer 4

feels like the solenoid. it would be on the internal fender by using the battery or on the firewall. it quite is around and approximately 3 inches in diameter. the simplest thank you to verify it quite is to get an excellent screwdriver an with the main interior the on place touch the two super posts together. it is going to spark and that's ok yet whilst it turns over then it quite is your issue.

Answer 5

Most fords have a solenoid switch between battery and starter. That is what clicks when battery is low if its burnt out you hear nothing but it won't start.

Answer 6

Check battery connections. Often you can get just enough juice for the lights but not enough for the starter.

Answer 7

could be the starter or the alternator cuz it sounds to me that you just wont turn over and that could be the alternator.

Answer 8

check the alarm system often it has a kill switch on it