Car died when i stopped at a red light.
 

ok heres the story.

i was driving home this morning and stopped at a red light. as soon as i came to a complete stop the car shut off.(never happened before) I immediately tried to start it but all i heard was the clicking form the starter(assuming its the starter) so i pushed it into a parking lot and put it in park and turned off the ignition. then from under the dash i hear a vibrating(similar to a cell phone but much louder) the item which was vibrating looks to be a relay(yellow in color) i could give you the part number but im not sure what that would be exactly with all of the different codes listed on the device.

i really need this to run as soon as possible. within 24 hours as this is my only car and it is my daily driver to work. i am a full time student as well as a full time empoyee. money is tight so the cheapest possible solution would do great.

thanks in advanced and sorry for the long post but i figured you guys would be the best bet i have in way of mechanical advice.

-George


**edit** btw its a 1995 ford mustang 3.6L v6

anything at all would be appreciated. i am desperate to get this car working. i cant mis school or work.

Honestly, the first thing that would come to mind in this instance would be the alternator. If the alternator stops working, the car will run off of the battery, eventually the battery will die and the car will stop running.

If you are mechanically inclined, you can take the alternator off and take it to your local auto parts store (auto zone, advanced auto parts, etc.) and they should be able to test if it is working properly.

If you can't take the alternator off, an easy way to check would be to jump start the car. If It starts, then it is most likely the alternator.

There is a possibility that it could be a relay, but not likely given the circumstances..

Best way is to get a meter to measure volatage. Battery should have 12v when its off and 13v and above when car is on. You have a shorted battery causing the car to shut off,alternator is dead therefore not charging,corrosion around the battery terminals or a bad cable from battery. These are the most common issues.

Look at the battery termnials do they have white ash if so you need to take them off and clean them. How do the cables look? Have you tried to give car a jump start? The most important tool is a voltage meter which you can get for under $15 at radioshack, sears or any auto part store.

i almost had this happen to me. luckily i was able to get home before it did. i was on my way home when i noticed my battery gauge was fluxuating and my radio kept turning on and off. shut off all accessories and managed to get her home and died right in the driveway.

once i tried to crank it back up again there was nothing but clicking like you described. tried hooking it up to a battery charger, but nothing (didnt have a voltage meter handy) as my battery was still good. we ended up pulling the alternator and it was the culprit. but i couldn't find one for my '02 3.8L until i went to about 4 different stores. I would check the alternator first, its not too hard to take off, might need a buddy to help with the serpentine belt, but other than that its easy. good luck!

I would almost bet $$ on the alternator, but be sure to check all of what venom mentioned, and check your fuses as well..

yep, i'd bet the batt or alternator too. let us know what it is.

your starter is fine if your car attempts to turn over. Give your alternator a few decent whacks with a hammer. It should start and youll need to purchase an alternator because it will leave you stranded if you dont. You dont need a battery in your car if its running because the alternator will keep it running.

thanks alot guys.

opened the hood. and the connections had a lot of corrosion. went to the parts store. picked up some battery corrosion dissolver, and then coated the terminals with vasaline to prevent further corrosion. jumped the car and it started right up. thanks again guys. the thing that threw me was the relay vibrating like hell.

appreciate it all


-george

The clicking is the relay trying to do its job but it cant since it does not have enough voltage. Clicking under the hood is a common occurance in fox bodies when they have the same issue as you did since the Starter solenoid is under there next to the batt.

i actually had the exact same thing happen to me when i was driving our 94 ford Arrowstar. Was driving down the road and it slowly stoped, when we gave it gas nothing happened and all the lights started to go out. So it is definitally the altinator, on the van it wasnt to much so you probably souldnt worry about money.