Car won't start
 

Got my 30 Sport Coupe home yesterday, took it for a quick spin around the neighborhood, it's leaking water pretty bad from the pump, but I was tired from the trip bringing it home so I just backed it into the garage, turned off the Gas and let it run dry, turned of the key and decided to work on it today.


hopped in it this evening, turned on the key, and the gas and nothing...not sure if it's the switch or the starter. Battery charger says the battery is ok, but i get no juice to anything, no lights, nothing...




Where do I begin?

Re: Car won't start
 

I would start with the simple fuses under the hood my car has one above the starter and one next to the alternator

Re: Car won't start
 

If no fusses, or they look OK, the battery connections are next on the list. Disconnect them from the battery, and clean them and the battery posts. Reconnect and start tracing the 'juice' along the wires.... Got it at the starter switch? Check. Got it at the terminal box? Check. Etc...... (I've done this more than once)

Re: Car won't start
 

Isn't a fuse issue if the starter won't turn over. First thing is to remove battery cables and clean/check, if still no go then get a voltmeter and start checking. First battery voltage, then move forward to starter etc. GET A WIRING DIAGRAM! Do a search right here on Fordbarn for one or google it. Very simple diagram, but can save hours of work.

Re: Car won't start
 

my last no start was battery posts in need a good brushing.

Re: Car won't start
 

A friend who owns and drives a Model A called me over recently.

"Bring a spare starter" he says. "Mine must be no good."

I found a starter and hoofed over to his house.

Hmm. No lights, no horn, no nutting.

"I think you have a battery connection issue. Let me diddle with the connections."

Up comes the mat, up comes the battery cover, connection to starter is TIGHT-TIGHT.

As I put my fingers around the connection to ground, I could see a spark between the clamp and the post.

"Try it now on the lights."

He had lights, horn, AND starter.

"You need to get your terminal brush out and clean that one up. Use 'NoCorode' conductive grease on the terminal before re-landing."

He bought me lunch.

Joe K

Re: Car won't start
 

In your second picture the wire for the light switch is not hooked up so
no lights.

Re: Car won't start
 

Not saying this is an/the issue, but if it still has the original pop-out ignition switch, just “turning it off” is not enough. It must be pushed in to disconnect the ignition. Not doing so can ruin the coil and drain the battery.

Re: Car won't start
 

Just went through this. Replaced cables and added a second round to the tranny.

Re: Car won't start
 

You mentioned working on it after taking the drive. What kind of work did you do? Sometimes that may be an unintentional cause of a problem. Ask me how I know. ��

Re: Car won't start
 

He bought me lunch.


Hope it was lobster!

Re: Car won't start
 

I don't see a fuse at his starter. I would do what's been mentioned, check all connections and clean. I was told I should also run a ground wire to the transmission for better grounding or conduction. I bet it's an easy fix, let us know what you find.

Re: Car won't start
 

He's right, it should be connected to the cut out switch.

Re: Car won't start
 

All of the above suggestions are good ones, but let me add this. I would go thru all of the electrical system connections and clean them. It looks like the previous owner may of been having problems, the cutout out coverings missing as well as the cover bands on the starter and generator. If the water pump has been leaking and the fan has been spraying water in the engine bay you may have corrosion in several locations. Second I would question why the headlight wire is disconnected, the headlight bucket connections and sockets in the buckets if repo parts are very susceptible to problems ( shorting out ) I would check to see if I had continuity from the wires to the ground before hooking them up. It's very likely the are disconnected due to a dead short. Third your battery cable looks like a smaller guage than is needed for a 6 volt system, it looks like a 12 volt sized cable. 6 volts needs to draw twice as much amperage to create the same working watts as 12 volts. As others have suggested I would add an after market fuse at the the starter to protect the lighting and ignition wiring to avoid an electrical dead short fire. Most likely your starting issue is bad/dirty battery connections.

Re: Car won't start
 

Nice looking A, all good idea's above, I would start with knowing that the battery is good, load test it !! Then clean check the battery cables connection etc.

Re: Car won't start
 

Is the batt cable hooked to the starter a 6volt or 12volt?? Start at the battery, clean the posts AND the ground spot on the frame.
Paul in CT

Re: Car won't start
 

So cpf240 is the winner, and I am officially a DumbA..

1st issue. ...I didn't push in the pop-out
2nd issue. ...charged the battery overnight, went to try this afternoon, and still nothing


being certain the switch was the issue, went back over everything, positive to positive, negative to ground, only thing is ... I hooked up the positive to the red cable, for those eagle eyes, that's the neg cable to the starter...#*@!!


just switched the booster clamps, tried to start and she's trying !!! just not enough juice, so let it charge for the rest of the night...


Appreciate everyone's feedback, has given me quite a list of things to go work on...

Re: Car won't start
 

Is the cover missing off the cut out?

Re: Car won't start
 

I always check ground wire connections first. I see that you don't have the dust covers on your starter and alternator. If you get grit inside those units, you may not be completing the electrical circuit.

When I urn the gas out of the carb (as you said you did) I need an extra three to five minutes for the bowl to fill again before my 30 Coupe will crank. Probably not your problems though.

Re: Car won't start
 

This car had a frame up restoration in 1985, actually built from the frame up, lots of things that need to be addresses, the covers need to be replaced, new wiring, fuses (great suggestion), The horn is actually the item that is not connected, told it has a short that has to be found. the wiring in the generator looks bad so probable one of the first major pieces to tackle...