loss of electrical power

[coon]

Looking for help, before I go mad. I have a 66 mustang, 200, 3.3L that I have had in storage since 1999. In 2001 I attempted to do start it up and at first it would not turn over. I attempted again and had absolutely nothing not a click or lights. I bought a new solenoid and it started immediately after I put it in. After letting it run for 15 minutes, I turned it off and tried to start it up again, and nothing. So now the car sat without running for almost 4 years.

I am doing work on the car once again and put in a new solenoid. The car wanted to turn over but it wouldn't. I pulled out the starter and the battery to have them tested. The mechanic said that they were both ok. I decided to rebuild the carbuerator, change the plugs, plug wires, distributor cap, and rotar to see if it would fire. I pushed the car back, when in neutral, to give myself room to work. I did the work, turned the key and got one click and lost my lights again. All wiring looks good and all connections were gone over including the addition of a new engine ground in hopes that that was the problem. I popped out the ignition switch. The switch looks fine but I am not sure what I am looking for. I am unsure if my car has a neutral safety switch, but I am wondering if this could be the problem since I pushed the car when in neutral and not running. It doesn't make sense to me that I would lose all my accessories and lights if it was the neutral safety switch.

Can anyone help me out on this one? What the heck could it be? Ignition Coil? Is the Ignition switch bad? I hate to get another solenoid just to start the car once to have to by another each time I want to start it. Any leads would be greatly appreciated.

[Phillyfanfrombirth]

Sounds like a bad ground... or a bad positive cable.

Double check the battery ground wire...

If you really want it to crank... get a pair of insulated gloves... safety glasses... and a vice grip.

Disconnect the starter wire from the solenoid. Turn the key on the "on" position... Clamp on end of wire with the vice grips, and carefully place the connection end of the starter wire to the positive... it will spark so be sure not to have any gas (or other flammables) fumes around, and be sure not to hit the body of the vehicle with the vice grips as that will short out and defeat the purpose. By holding the connector firmly to the battery post, you bypass everything in the starting circuit and go straight to the starter... It won't be pretty... but it will get the thing to crank.

If it doesn't crank, then you have a bad ground. If it cranks strong, then you know there is a problem with either the positive cable or the starting circuit...

[Rev]

Try testing the solenoid without using the ignition switch. Turn the ignition switch to the on position. Jump the main terminal on the solenoid to front most of the small terminals on the solenoid. That should turn the engine over. If it turns over but won't start, then jump the main battery post on the solenoid to the rear most of the small terminals. That should allow juice to the ignition circuit. Then try cranking it again with the jumper to the front small terminal. If the car starts, be sure to disconnect the starter motor circuit jumper so as to release the starter from the flywheel.

If doing what I just mentioned doesn't crank the engine, then you have a bad solenoid, assuming that the starter motor, battery, and cables are OK. If it cranks but won't start using the jumpers then you have other engine problems.

If it does crank and start using the jumpers on the solenoid, but not with the ignition switch, then the ignition switch is bad.

Rev

[bmxmon]

my stepdad showed me a "trick" using a pliers, pretty much doing what Philly-guy was saying. except we never diconnected things or use gloves.