79 Continental wonts start
Asked by BoNY Jun 05, 2010 at 08:17 PM about the 1979 Lincoln Continental
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
I need help. I have a 79 Mark V Bill Blass. She has been starting easily for some time, but yesterday she wouldn't even turn over. When I turn the key, there is no power inside the car and no clicking and starting not turning. After removing the battery, I tried jumping from another vehicle directly to the solenoid. I get clicking, but no cranking of the starter. I also get interior power.
Is this an indication the solenoid is bad? As I mentioned, the car has been starting easily on a "few times a week" basis and there was not indication the starter was going bad.
Robert
8 Answers
"No power inside the car" <-- Dead battery "After removing the battery" <-- May be a dumb question, but you did put a charged battery back in before trying to jumpstart, right? "I get clicking, but no cranking of the starter." <-- Means the solenoid is working, but one of two things is wrong. There is not enough reserve power to turn the starter or the starter is bad.
While keeping all your wires intact, unscrew the solenoid from the fender. Wire brush (or sandpaper) the screws, the fender and the backside of the solenoid mounting plate. Remount the solenoid to the fender and the car will start. Remember it's a Lincoln.
have a 79 L.C. V parting out only, title lost. has about 93,000 miles. runs great. if u need parts please call 724-639-3625 ask for kirk.
speedracer1992 answered 10 years ago
Ignition switch under steering column has been know to go bad on many fords. NAPA sells them for under $30.00. Remember, the car is 35 years old now. All kinds of things can happen. A bad ground cable can also create havoc. The solenoid mounted on the inner RS fender is notorious for going bad as well. NAPA sells them for around $25.00.
Hello all. Exact problem on my 1976 Lincoln Town Car. 460 CID engine. Turn the key and all goes dead. This is what I have already done. Battery fully charged and load tested. Starter solenoid replaced. Starter replaced. Still all goes dark when I turn the key to start. Remains dark till I disconnect and reconnect the battery. Question: Is there a relay? Thank you for help or ideas. I'm stumped.
Problem solved. A broken grounding strap and a loose negative battery terminal were the issues. Car starts perfectly fine now and I have a new solenoid and a starter. I'm going to make new battery cables so this doesn't happen again.
ground cable may be oxidized . Happened on 2 of my lincolns. New $8.00 cable from Advance Auto parts and all was good. Chances are your cable is 44 years old and has seen better days
