Why is my Ford Mustang clicking and won’t move?
A Ford Mustang clicks but won’t move because of dirty battery cables, a dead starter, poor battery post connections or bad battery cables.
An old bad battery, poor ground connection, wire connections not making contact or malfunctioning voltage regulator/alternator can also cause a Ford Mustang to click and not start.
Causes of Ford Mustang clicking noises
Some causes why a Ford Mustang clicks but won’t move because are listed below.
- Dirty battery cables
- Dead starter
- Poor battery post connections
- Bad battery cables
- Old or bad battery
- Poor ground connection
- Wire connections not making contact
- Malfunctioning voltage regulator/alternator
Dirty battery cables
Check if the cables used for connecting the batteries are clean. If not, clean them thoroughly.
Dead starter
Check if the starter is drawing more power than needed. If so, it’s quite likely that the starter is dead or failing and needs a replacement.
Poor battery post connections
Check the connections to all the battery posts. Tighten all the connections that are loose at the battery posts. This is a good chance to clean the posts and terminals as well, using a battery post cleaner or a knife and free them of crude deposits.
Bad battery cables
Look out for signs of damaged or fraying battery cables. Such cables must be changed at the earliest.
Old or bad battery
If your battery is old or has become bad, it may not be able to charge fully. This can cause a drain on the battery. Changing the battery can help. If this happens to be a new battery, you should check out for a shorted diode that triggers the drain.
Poor ground connection
Inspect the ground connection at the motor. If it has become loose, tighten it like any other connection. On the other hand, if you find that it’s dirty, clean it thoroughly.
Wire connections not making contact
Take some time and inspect all the wiring connections in your car. Tighten all the connections that have become loose and replace broken wires with new ones.
Malfunctioning voltage regulator/alternator
Get the car checked for a malfunctioning voltage regulator and/or alternator. It’s best to seek the assistance of a mechanic to look into this problem. You can use this opportunity to get him to check out the starter as well.
Troubleshooting tips
You can use the following troubleshooting tips to diagnose why your Ford Mustang just clicks but won’t move.
- Check the battery along with its cables and terminals for proper voltage as well as clean cables and terminals.
- Check if the starter solenoid is getting enough power as desired. You will need a digital multimeter and someone to help you with this.
- Check the motor and starter solenoid of the car by means of a starter bench test to both parts.
You will have to remove the starter from the car to do the test on it.
- Check the engine for mechanical problems such as seizing or locking up because of a closing starter motor relay or solenoid.
How to fix a Ford Mustang that clicks but won’t move
You can use the following steps to fix a Ford Mustang that clicks but won’t move if you have a faulty starter. In this case, the starter must be replaced. This is most likely to be the problem if the battery is in good condition.
Tools required
- Ratchet
- Metric socket set
Procedure
- Remove the ground cable connected to the battery.
- Raise the car and support it using jacks
- Take off the red starter solenoid cap from over the solenoid. This cap is used for the protection of the solenoid.
- Take off the nuts of the starter solenoid and keep the connecting wires aside.
- Take off all the three starter motor bolts. It’s recommended that you remove the concealed upper bolt first to ease the removal process.
- Take off the faulty starter motor from the engine.
- Place the new starter motor in place of the old starter on the engine.
- Tighten the two lower motor bolts first followed by the concealed upper bolt.
- Fix the starter motor solenoid and connect its wires/cables using the nuts removed earlier.
- Replace the red solenoid safety cap of the starter in position over the solenoid.
- Remove the jack and slowly lower the car onto the level surface.
- Connect the ground cable to the battery once again.
It’s worth keeping in mind that the battery input lead associated with the starter solenoid is always electrically hot. So, it’s a good idea to wear gloves, closed-toe shoes and safety glasses when you go about carrying out the above-mentioned steps. Also, you must remove the cable connection from the negative terminal of the battery to avoid electric shock.
Ford Mustang solenoid clicking but won’t start
The solenoid of a Ford Mustang clicks but won’t start due to a faulty solenoid, a bad ground connection at the block, a shorted starter or a defective neutral safety switch. A bad cable connection between the starter and solenoid or dirty battery terminals can also cause this problem.
- Get the solenoid checked to see if it’s functioning properly as desired. If not, replacing it should address the issue.
- Look out for a bad ground connection at the block. Getting this set right will most likely resolve the problem.
- Check if the wire connected to the starter moves around or gets hot when you start it. If so, the starter is shorted and needs to be changed.
- Inspect the neutral safety switch to see if it’s working as intended. If it doesn’t, consider getting a new one fitted in its place.
- Check if the cable connecting the starter and the solenoid has burnt and is grounded against the headers of the car. In this case, you should remove the old cable and connect a new cable.
- Check for dust and/or dirt accumulation around the battery terminals. Clean the terminals and the areas surrounding them thoroughly.
2005 Ford Mustang clicks but won’t start
A 2005 Ford Mustang clicks but won’t start because either the starter or the starter relay is faulty. In rare cases, both the starter and its relay may be faulty.
To identify if it’s the starter or the starter relay that is malfunctioning, you can try removing the starter relay and fixing another one with the same specifications in its place. If the car starts without any problem, the relay is at fault and has to be changed. If the car fails to start with the new relay as well, you might have to get the starter replaced.
2007 Ford Mustang clicks but won’t start
A 2007 Ford Mustang clicks but won’t start due to a poor or failing battery, dirty connections, a faulty starter or a malfunctioning solenoid. A blown-out fuse or a defective clutch safety switch can also cause the problem.
- Check if the battery is in good condition and is capable of retaining charge. If it’s more than five years old, it may be time to change the battery. If you have a new battery, check if it has 12.6 volts when idle and fully charged. This must be between 13.7 volts and 14.7 volts when the car is on the move. If the battery is not able to achieve this, it signals the need for a battery replacement.
- Check all the terminal cable and battery connections. Clean the cable connectors and battery posts well to remove traces of corrosion.
- Look out for a failing solenoid above the starter and also for defective components inside the starter. Replacing the starter assembly along with the starter contacts and solenoid will resolve the problem. Sometimes, it may be needed to repair the starter circuit.
- Check the fuse box below the hood and the fuse panel on the passenger side kick panel for one or more blown-out fuses. Replace such fuses with new ones of the same specifications.
- Check if the clutch safety switch is working properly and change it if needed. This is a small black switch that is located on the clutch pedal.
2008 Ford Mustang clicks but won’t start
A 2008 Ford Mustang clicks but won’t start because of a smart junction box failure or a passive anti-theft failure.
Get the car checked for a failing smart junction box and/or passive anti-theft system. Replacing the defective part or both if needed can help you start the car without any problem.
Apart from the above, you can also do the same steps mentioned above for a 2007 Ford Mustang car.
2009 Ford Mustang clicks but won’t start
A 2009 Ford Mustang clicks but won’t start due to a faulty alternator or a frozen or locked up engine.
- Jump-start the car. If the vehicle starts but dies or stops immediately or almost at once, it’s an indication that the alternator has stopped working and needs to be changed.
- Check out for a locked up or a frozen engine. This is a common problem during the cold season. If the engine is locked, you have to manually kick off the engine using a wrench and a breaker bar. If it’s frozen, turn the engine ON and allow it to warm up rapidly at its own pace.
You can prevent this problem by ensuring that the coolant is at the desired level before the onset of the cold season and parking your car in a shady area when it’s hot. It’s also a good idea to plug the battery charger each night.
Once again, all the steps that have been highlighted for a 2007 model regarding the battery, starter and solenoid hold good here too.
2010 Ford Mustang clicks but won’t start
A 2010 Ford Mustang clicks but won’t start because of a dead battery, corroded battery terminals, a dead starter motor, loose starter connections or hydro locking.
- Check if the battery is dead using a voltmeter and charge it. If it doesn’t exhibit the desired voltages when the car is stationary and moving, get it tested. Also, check the electrolyte level of the battery and do a refill if needed.
- Check if the battery terminals are corroded and/or have a blue or green deposit on them. The corrosion and deposit buildup must be cleaned as they can prevent the starter motor from receiving enough power.
- Inspect all the connections to and from the starter and tighten the loose ones. It’s best to avail the assistance of a mechanic to get this done.
- Look out for a dead starter motor due to a faulty or damaged trigger mechanism and do a replacement if needed.
- Check if water has entered the combustion engine. This will prevent the piston from coming to the top and suppressing the air. Getting the water drained out will fix the problem.
2011 Ford Mustang clicks but won’t start
A 2011 Ford Mustang clicks but won’t start due to a blown-out fuse, a dead battery, a failing passive anti-theft system, a defective crank sensor or a faulty starter or starter solenoid.
- Check all the fuses in the car and replace blown-out fuses with ones that have the same specifications.
- Look out for a nearly dead battery and recharge it. If it’s old and completely dead, it would be better to do a replacement.
- Get the car inspected for a faulty passive anti-theft system and have a new one fitted if the old system is defective.
- Check for a malfunctioning sensor in the cranking system and put a new one in place of the sensor that is not working.
- Inspect the starter and its solenoid to determine if one or both parts are not working. Do the appropriate replacement.
2015 Ford Mustang clicks but won’t start
A 2015 Ford Mustang clicks but won’t start because of a weak battery, corrosion deposits, a faulty alternator a bad starter or a broken starter motor.
- If the battery is over five years old, consider getting it changed. If it’s new, the problem will get resolved when it reaches its full capacity. This takes time in a new battery.
- Clean the battery posts and terminals thoroughly to get rid of rust deposits on them.
- Look out for a faulty alternator, a broken starter motor and/or a bad starter and replace the defective part or parts.
2017 Ford Mustang clicks but won’t start
A 2017 Ford Mustang clicks but won’t start due to a dead battery or deposits on battery terminals.
You can do the same steps mentioned earlier to resolve the issue of a dead battery or clear the deposits from both its terminals. It’s also worth looking into all the other problems mentioned if your car has any of them.