[mustang kid 1989]

ya ticking lol that explains it
well anyways yesterday i was getting gas went in and payed came out and the car wouldnt start and there was a ticking when i try to start it, its not battery i know the radio and clock were working and i had my guy test the battery for me
this is the 2nd time this has happened last time i was at school came out after school it wouldnt start and same thing radio n clock were fine had the guy tested the battery for me and it was fine
just had some1 jump me both times
but the weird thing is that they happened like 2 months apart
other than that it has been running perfect

dunno if i should really be worried about it or not
im thinking its the starter
any advice if i should do something or wait n see if it happens again o watever
and is there a way to test the starter to see if theres something wrong with it
today it started fine and i drove it to school and other places and its fine
so maybe ill just drive it and keep the jumpercables in my trunk

also radio stations reset on my deck before the guy jumped me and that only happens when the battery disconects
so maybe it was the battery?
and no i didnt have my headlights or dome light on

[chevy_killer]

that could be numerouse things....you should check your starter, solinoid, wires (if any are frayed or any holes in them) you could check your fuel regualtor....and do you know where the ticking is coming from

[HMUSN]

yea check you starter man.. you can use a voltmeter to do it.

[mustang kid 1989]

not sure were it was coming from it only happened when the car wouldnt start and i had to get somewhere so i just had some1 jump it right away

[chevy_killer]

so is it making a ticking when its trying to start or when its runing after you jump it

[mustang kid 1989]

when i was trying to start it b4 the jump or anything

[chevy_killer]

the only thing that i could think of is its your starter.....but i could be wrong

[scubasteve041186]

k so start the engine and disconnect the battery if it runs fine still your alternater is good. otherwise check oil levels cause if it's low it will make a ticking noise, also loose valves. but as far as it not starting.. err how many miles on it? cause something could be failing

[stanged out]

that same thing happened to me like twice and the problem was the alternator i got a new one and i have'nt had a problem since...

[ssajdowitz]

When you say it didn't start, does that mean it didn't crank?

If so, I just had the same problem spanning about 3 months.

If your car started with a jump, it is not your starter.

Watch your voltmeter. If you have more voltage with the car running, the alternator is charging.

If you know the alternator is charging, replace your battery.

My problem turned out to be a bad Optima Red Top that was still under warranty.
Oh yeah, the battery test is different for a gel-cell battery than a regular one. Most people, even repair shops, don't know that. PS, my dad lives in greenfield.

[mustang kid 1989]

ok so my dad thinks its the starter and well he is usually right lol and seeing as me n him put in the engine our selves he is probally right......oils fine, ill try the battery thing, and the car has 105k miles but the engine not sure because i bought a rebuilt engine and we put it in about 3 months ago, the battery isnt gel celled but its under warranty and my mechanic told me since i bought it from him i could bring it back n get a new one if it happened again which it did

for now i think im just gunna get the battery thats under warranty and just drive it till it happens again
im 17 and dont feel like wasting money on more pointless things
already waste to much on girls lol

[scubasteve041186]

hah ayeah i can see it. anyways yeah do the alternator check i wrot up there and if the car stalls well you knwo the problem but if it doesn;t then change the battery and hope for the best

[mustang kid 1989]

ok well i think its the battery
ive been driving it everyday and everything and its been starting fine and running fine
but my deck keeps turning off and tonight when i was driving my headlights, deck, and the clock on the dash all went out wile i was driving luckily i was only a block from my house cause no headlights at night =bad news
woudlnt it have to be the battery? nothing else could make all that cut out could it?

[scubasteve041186]

yeah sounds like a battery.

[Cricket]

No, that could be the alternator. Your alternater may not be keeping a charge.