No-start, good battery, odd interior symptoms.

[Science Abuse]

Yesterday, the car started right up and ran fine.

Today, I get a "chunk chunk chunk", but no sustained effort to turn the motor.

When I turn the key off and remove it, everything inside the car stays on: data center, accessory button lights, I can cycle the windows and locks from either seat. It's as though he key is still in the run position. Also, the radio comes on by itself, in the cassett function.

The Anti-threft light is either on or blinking the whole time.

Jumping had no effect, good battery.

Unhooking the battery to try a "reset" had no effect.

The only thing I'd done to the car between shutting it off yesterday and turning it on today was prying out the switch lever from the passenger side door. The cap is gone, so I pried it out to glue it.

Did I trip the anti-theft or something? What can I do to disable it?

 

[topher5150]

Everything in the interior stays on for about ten minutes or until you open the door

 

[Science Abuse]

Everything in the interior stays on for about ten minutes or until you open the door

Well, nuts.


What about the radio-cassette turning itself on?

The click is loud, and listening from the engine bay, it's got a "clank" sound to it. Comes slower than I'm used to hearing from dead cars, about a 1 second interval. How do I diagnose a bad starter? Still confused by the radio.

 

[NetKeym]

Like I told you on TCCoA, tap the starter with a hammer, then try again. If it finally starts, you're gonna need a new starter.

 

[NoLimit95]

I have seen this a few times on here, well, really more than that and usually it ends up needing a starter but there have been a few times when someones starter connections were loose and or corroded. Disconnect battery and check all starter connections to make sure they're tight and clean. Connect battery and try again.

 

[Science Abuse]

Update: The lock pictured above.
I pressed the switch in, and now the power locks and keyless entry pad don't work at all, ever, regardless of key position.

I glued the switch lever back together and pressed it back down into the lock. As I was pressing, the lock was rocking back and forth and working fine: locks were locking and unlocking.
The last push, up over the rib and the switch snapped into place... the locks stopped working that exact moment.

How do I get the door skin off? :/

Edit, got the door skin off to fish for a short circuit. Is it normal for everything to not work once everything is disconnected? Putting the key in now does nothing at all.

Additionally, any cheap crap known to break that I should reinforce while it's off?

 

[Science Abuse]

Tapping the starter with the hammer worked

Because it sat so long, that airbag (the only one with a leak) drained and I couldn't get the jack under there without some serious effort. Finally got that done today and it started right up with a jump from my other car.

 

[96 mark viii]

Your starter relay is on the right side behind the glove box. You might want to look at that too.

 

[Science Abuse]

I tapped the starter solenoid with the hammer and not the body... any chace that the solenod comes off of the starter and is replaceable on it's own? I'm not looking forward to messing with that third bolt.

 

[chris2523]

I tapped the starter solenoid with the hammer and not the body... any chace that the solenod comes off of the starter and is replaceable on it's own? I'm not looking forward to messing with that third bolt.

it is replaceable separately. very common solenoid. a millions of Fords have them. but i dunno if you can get it off in the car. never tried.