Engine will not crank

4087671247

MEMBER
2005 FORD FREESTYLE
3.0L
6 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
220,000 MILES

• Had battery tested, tested “good”.

• Changed starter, car started right up and ran for about a day.

• Shut off on me again, when car is in ACC position, I wiggle the key and there’s a clicking noise kind of sounds like the turn signal is on.

• Before noticing the clicking sound I thought maybe the alternator had gone out coincidentally with the starter but now I’m having doubts if even the starter was bad.

Any ideas as to what I should do next? Thank you

1 Reply

AL514

MECHANIC
4,131 POSTS

Hello, the first thing to check is what the battery voltage is and then what happens to the battery voltage while trying to crank the engine over. There may be a parasitic draw on the battery overnight and the voltage is too low when you go to try to start it. Another thing is having your battery checked at AutoZone or advanced auto isn't always a reliable test because they don't load test the battery. Batteries draw hundreds of amps on a Starter circuit. So, buy a basic multimeter that can read 20-volts DC. That will be one of your best tools for diagnosing vehicles. If you have a problem with the ignition switch you won't have any voltage, drop on the battery while cranking.
If you check the battery in the morning and its voltage is very low, it will need to be jump started and when it's charged up you can put your multimeter on the battery while cranking and see how low it drops. It shouldn't be lower than around 9 volts and then recover quickly.
So, start by checking the basic multimeter, they're not very expensive. And see what your battery is reading. If it has shorted cells inside, it won't hold a charge and can also possibly damage the engine computer (ECM).

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-use-a-voltmeter

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/symptoms-of-a-bad-car-battery

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-battery-load-test