highmileage

Okay I am in Cali and my son is in MO. He is not very mechanical so I am having trouble getting much from him, and when I do it's alot of different things and vauge.
So far I have:
won't stay running
has to be jumped
last time it was jumped it started smoking from the relay center by the battery and was glowing, but has started since then
when it does start it will only go a few hundred feet
I am thinking alternator or battery, but can the starter and or starter solinoid(is this separate like most older fords, or is this starter chevy style?) cause the same symptoms? And does this car have a external voltage regulator?
Figured the glowing was that he may have hooked the cables up wrong.
Just need some clearer input, Thanks guys.

highmileage

anybody?

investinwaffles

Damn, I used to have a 4cyl FoxBody but I never really kept the stock motor (got swapped out fairly quickly).

Wont stay running and having to be jump-started points to a failed battery and/or alternator. The 4-banger is pretty simple though, if the starter has enough juice to turn the motor over properly I would say it is good (they arent prone to failure).

I do not know if the solenoid is built-in to the starter or external but it shouldn't cause the car to stop running if the charging system is working.


I would try posting on The Corral (mustang forum) - you'll get alot more info than I can give unfortunately.

highmileage

Right on, thank you.
Bought it for my son 2yrs ago, hasn't had many problems but I am to far away to see this one first hand. Got it for 300 hadn't been registered in 7 years, all it had wrong with it was a bad fuel pump.
My boy wants to put the T-Bird turbo on it...WHEE

andrewmp6

Normally if you jump it and it won't say running is the alternator,See if he can take it off and take it somewhere to get tested.And have the battery tested too just to make sure.If both are good then its fuel or spark problem like dying coil.And tell him just putting the turbo on it won't work he needs to swap the whole turbo 2.3 the pistons and rods are different then a normal one.

highmileage

right on thank you for the info.

andrewmp6

Let us know if he gets it running right again tho.

timmy51193

the starter solinoid on mustangs are on the driver side fender but if it was glowing it may have blew up but for the running on a few feet is prolly the alt or battery i know on my when the alt went out i could run it for about 10 min before itd die. and turbo 4cyl mustangs are alot of fun when done right i had 2 an svo and a hack job i got from a friend for practicly nothing. if u go the turbo route definitly invest in a good header not the ebay one the wastegate spot will rust off in no time at all and it sucks to re-weld them.

highmileage

Thanks guys, he's going to work on it this weekend and figure it out with Mom so all should work out. I am believing that it is both the alt and battery. Someone finally looked in the battery and it is WAY low on water, and the alt with the battery off won't keep things running. Gonna "try" and save the battery though in this economy every 100$ helps.

highmileage

Also thanks for the input on the turbo set-up, I have been under the impression the T-bird TC and the Mustang 2.3 were the same -the turbo. At least one of the wreckers close by has 4 of the old TC T-Birds for all that's needed.

andrewmp6

If you want to read up on the 2.3 turbo swap http://www.allfordmustangs.com/forum...ted-2-3-a.html

timmy51193

Iirc there the same

highmileage

Still not running yet, my boy says it's too cold to work on it...

timmy51193

Haha thats how i am right now with my jeep i hate not havin a garage

highmileage

Well he got it up and running this weekend, few hours and pics on the phone. When he had hooked the jumpers up backwards he fried the wire from the alt to the solinoid, causing it to short out thus the no running.