1988 CV Starting Issue

[friskyfrankie]

Interesting thing happened yesterday. My friend was coming over to my home and his car started bucking and dying out. It actually dies, just short of my home so we pushed it into the driveway and later locked it up. If you turn the key there is no noise whatsoever. No crank - no start. No headlights, tail lights or flashers but interior lights and trunk light. I only got a chance to do some very limited diagnosis - checked the battery and it was fine (just over 12.5 volts). Shorted out the starter relay and it cranked but would not start. That was the extent of my preliminary diagnosis. Did notice some insulation partially off a fusible link but it was not touching anything. Still needs to get fixed, however.

OK gang. We are now "taking bets" as to the culprit/s. Let's see your thoughts and STAY TUNED!!!

[Tiggie]

I'd look very closely at the connections on the starter solenoid.

[friskyfrankie]

I'd look very closely at the connections on the starter solenoid.

Forgot to mention - had them apart when I quickly swapped the starter solenoid relay. Didn't see any bad connections, at least right at the solenoid. Wasn't too thrilled at one of the fusible links but that will require a longer and closer look!

[gadget73]

I'd have to look at the diagrams but there are only a couple of feeds from the relay to the inside of the car. I've had fuse links go and kill basically everything. Bad connections do it too.

[friskyfrankie]

I'd have to look at the diagrams but there are only a couple of feeds from the relay to the inside of the car. I've had fuse links go and kill basically everything. Bad connections do it too.

My guess would be a burnt fusible link (or two?) as well so I hope to have a closer look and repair real soon so I can verify for everyone here.

[gadget73]

https://charm.li/Ford/1988/Crown%20Victoria%20V8-302%205.0L%20VIN%20F%20FI/Repair%20and%20Diagnosis/Diagrams/Electrical%20Diagrams/Power%20and%20Ground%20Distribution/Power%20Distribution/With%20Integral%20Alternator%20Regulator/

has the power distribution stuff. Fuse link C looks like it powers everything that runs through the ignition switch as well as the headlights and turn signals.

B is the courtesy lamps, horn, cig lighter,

if the interior lights and horn works but none of the key-on stuff or headlights it seems like you have no power through link C. That goes to one of the fat yellow wires. If you go through the stuff coming off the relay, its the one teed in with the black/orange. There is another with those colors, but it should have two yellows.


If the fuse link burned, have to find out why or it will just do it again.

[friskyfrankie]

https://charm.li/Ford/1988/Crown%20V...r%20Regulator/

has the power distribution stuff. Fuse link C looks like it powers everything that runs through the ignition switch as well as the headlights and turn signals.

B is the courtesy lamps, horn, cig lighter,

if the interior lights and horn works but none of the key-on stuff or headlights it seems like you have no power through link C. That goes to one of the fat yellow wires. If you go through the stuff coming off the relay, its the one teed in with the black/orange. There is another with those colors, but it should have two yellows.


If the fuse link burned, have to find out why or it will just do it again.

GREAT info! A really quick look revealed wiring harnesses, on both the passenger and driver's side, drooping and sitting REAL close to the exhaust manifolds. Some burn throughs probably shorted the fusible link/s. He also is showing a leak at the brake master cylinder so I hope to get to all of it before the weekend. Should be fun with 94 degree weather. May have to unhook some of the AC lines to properly move and reset some of the wiring so this will take a while. Will report back if I find any other "surprises" and when all is done.

[friskyfrankie]

Resolved the "no crank - no start" issue. Harnesses were hanging too close to the manifolds, on both side. Replaced all relevant wiring along with a shorted fusible link. Also noticed the brake master cylinder leaking (externally) so that got replaced as well. So far, it appears to be starting perfectly and running that way as well. Thanks to all that contributed here as your thought are ALWAYS appreciated!

[DerekTheGreat]

Glad you got that straightened out. Always nice when the solution is posted, all too often you see open-ended threads.

[friskyfrankie]

Glad you got that straightened out. Always nice when the solution is posted, all too often you see open-ended threads.

Thanks, Derek! Folks were nice enough to offer solutions/information so my take is they deserve final solutions! I don't like to leave things unresolved. More importantly, it may help someone else!

[gadget73]

I had a feed to the blower rub through and pop a fuse link while driving once. Car went dead, I cobbled it together with some random speaker wire in the trunk. This was somewhere in a Chicago suburb after dark. My friend's roommate who happened to be with me was having a mild panic attack when the car went dead in a circle and I coasted through it and stopped under a light. We weren't in a bad spot but he had absolutely no idea what to do. I think the fact that I figured it out and worked out how to cobble it together with crap I had in the car to get us back on the road in about 20 minutes scared him almost as much as the car dying in the first place.

[friskyfrankie]

As luck would have it, the car died just short of my home so it was a fortunate situation. I had a pretty good idea what the issue was but had to move a lot of stuff around to find the multiple issues. In all, some rewiring, repositioning (wire looms and zip ties) and three fusible links later and we had ignition! Thankfully, the master cylinder was easier to figure out as it was leaking on the outside as opposed to leaking into the booster. Cost my friend less than $100 in parts so he got away cheap!