starter will not engage. Battery is good, headlights work & electric windows, etc.

5

Asked by rmcgee Feb 26, 2009 at 10:47 AM about the 1992 Lincoln Town Car Signature

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

No clicking sound when key is turned.

24 Answers

560

I'm having the same problem. The car worked just fine one day, and the next it suddenly decided not to start anymore. No clicking sound or anything. The last time this happened, I had it towed in to a repair guy who gave me a new battery, new battery cables, and hit the side of the starter with a wrench, and it started right up. If the battery is good, and you're sure your cables are good, try hitting the side of the starter with a wrench. The guy told me my starter has a bad spot and I should get it replaced. I didn't, so now I have to figure out where the starter is and what it looks like so I can try that myself.

44 people found this helpful.
560

I hear it might also be the solenoid. Which is much cheaper to replace than a starter.

12 people found this helpful.
16,855

Remove it and bench test the starter, alot of parts stores can do this for you. Or you can disconnect the battery from the solenoid relay and test resistance across the main terminals to see if it's the solenoid. MAKE SURE YOU DISCONNECT THE BATTERY BEFORE REMOVING TERMINALS TO THE RELAY!!! Then make sure the wires aren't touching anything before you reconnect the battery to test the solenoid. If the solenoid is working and has power on the 'hot terminal' then its the starter, but since you hear no click it's likely the solenoid relay or a wire leading to it.

16 people found this helpful.
120

The problem could be an overheated solenoid, and it may be an intermittent problem. Example; if I shut my car off after it has been driven to full operating temperature, if its a very hot day, I won't be able to start it again until I give the starter a period of rest and cool down; this may be 15 minutes or 3 hours. When igition is cranked, you may occasionally hear a sound "rrrrr", like the something is spinning,(ring gear?) but the solenoid does not engage. Its not the engine itself is in need of cooling down, (altho, a cooling problem may be related) its the solenoid attached to the starter mounted to the engine. Putting cold water over the engine/starter-transmission area from an outside hose will cool it down but, doing that to a hot engine/related parts may create other problems. Replacing the solenoid or using a starter relay kit will likely address the matter, it is possibly related to a ring gear as well. I take this from another source: "Automatics regularly suffer this way. The starter is right next to the exhaust manifold. When the solenoid gets too hot, it takes a lot of "juice" to build up the same level of magnetism. Your wimpy wiring from the dash board can't provide what you need. You need to provide more amperage by installing a relay to directly pull power from the battery."

12 people found this helpful.
40

Thank you. Nice tips. Our Seattle tonw car service use it. We do our Seattle`s fleet better

4 people found this helpful.
480

ok ok here you go my 98 lincon town car had the same problem and I tracted down the wire going to stater and it was shorted out where you say in the bottom of the fuse box on the fender wellin the taped you the way you find out is to take the wire by the battery that goes to the starter and jump with hot wire if it starts then look at the fuse box hat this same thing happen

20 people found this helpful.
480

oh and by the way I did not have to take starter off this was easy fix hope it works for it did for me

8 people found this helpful.
480

I know this is old post but someone might have the same problem

9 people found this helpful.
620

never had problems starting the car came from new mexico to michigan last year drove it dont a snowy road and parked it next morning woke up wouldnt start all the lights come on and dont hear a clicking sound could it be my starter

62 people found this helpful.
80

Can 2001 licoln alternator work in a 1995 licoln town car?

8 people found this helpful.
550

Where is the solenoid located on a 2001 Lincoln Town Car

55 people found this helpful.
200

What is the extra wire on the starter of 98 lincoln

20 people found this helpful.
230

2005 Lincoln town car. No power in the distribution box leading to starter relay. Vehicle doesn't start when attempt

24 people found this helpful.
120

I have a 94 Lincoln Town Car Signature Tournament Edition and one day I come home turn the car off 5 minutes later it wouldn't start no clicking or anything...replaced the starter and battery but the same thing... anyway I ended up actually messed around and started from the starter and my baby started...lol but I now I think it is a wiring problem...maybe that wire coming from the starter going up in the dash or somewhere haven't replaced that yet because it only bout 3 times after that but you can bet I got right behind the passenger front tire n start her up from the starter. But I think it's the ignition switch wire going to the starter

12 people found this helpful.
350

I have an '05 Town Car. Two times it failed to start (no starter response when turning the key to start position). We verified that the battery was charged sufficiently. Each time, if we removed fuse #1 (under the dash) and replaced THE SAME FUSE it would start. This occurs intermittently. I would appreciate any help.

35 people found this helpful.
310

I have a 2001 Lincoln town car an when I turn the ingition to start car there nothing all power lost an I have to open hood an take off cable to battery and wait 12 seconds reconnect to battery then it starts. Does this every time an the problem just started today. What is the solution to this problem. thanks

31 people found this helpful.
80

I had a 72 Lincoln Cont that was in excellent shape always ran great then one day at a store I came out and it wouldn't start tried everything from jumping, terminals , starter new battery ....nothing worked towed it home and had several car guys look at it and the basic conclusion was something in wiring system must have failed and all attempts to diagnose didn't work then one day I was sitting in it and just for the heck tried it and it started right up, Yeah I drove it buy left it running most of the time unless I was at home or work where I could leave iy after a year of trust I had forgotten about it and then it happened again at the beach and I just knew it would never start we tried jumps etc nothing then an older man came up and asked whats the problem I told him and he said can I try he got in and figiited a-bit and all of a sudden it was running he laughed and said he had the same thing under the carpet between gas and brake pedal was a little bump which was what looked like a hi beam switch over on the left it was an anti theft device option??? go figure.

8 people found this helpful.
20

my lincolntown car wont hold charge put five altor onit 4 battiers on it still the same thing can someone help me

2 people found this helpful.
50

2001 Town Car suddenly wouldn't start even with a jump, No power anywhere, no radio, door locks, etc., but could hear some relays clicking. Battery terminals looked somewhat corroded so I thought I'd start there. I cut off about an inch of the two positive cables and the two negative ones to. I got a new two-pigtail positive battery post assembly ($24) and reused (after cleaning well) the negative post terminal. Reassembled and the problem was gone.

5 people found this helpful.
70

My 2005 Lincoln town Car won’t start people advise it could be starter. I have. 2005 crown Vic at home. Will this starter work for my Lincoln town Car?

7 people found this helpful.
40

I’m having the same problem with my Lincoln 2005 towncar, where is the anti theft switch located? It isn’t the battery and i don’t believe it’s the starter either

4 people found this helpful.

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