Dear Tom and Ray:

I have a 1977 Mercury Marquis, sold to me by a family friend, that has been a money pit and the bane of my existence for two years now. The car was getting more and more difficult to start. One day, I had the hood open while my sister was trying to start it. I heard a click, fizzzz, and I saw the end of the ground wire smoking. After that, when we turned the key, all we got was clicking from the solenoid, but nothing else. I had the 6-month-old battery charged. The lights and radio go on, but the car won't start. My brother-in-law replaced the starter, and sis and I replaced the solenoid and battery cables. Still nothing. It seems that we're not getting power to the starter. Do you know why? -- Colleen.

Ray: I think you are getting power to the starter, Colleen. The problem is it's not getting back.

Tom: For an electrical device to work in your car, current has to make a complete circuit. It has to go from the positive terminal of the battery, to the device, and then back to the negative terminal of the battery. And the typical path back to the negative terminal is through the engine block. And I'd be willing to bet my brother's salary this week that the ground connection between engine block and the negative terminal is faulty.

Ray: Here's how you verify this. Take half a set of jumper cables (for example, the black pair) and hook one clamp to the negative terminal of the battery, and the other clamp to some substantial piece of metal on the engine block. You can even wiggle the clamps around as you try to crank the engine. My guess is that it will fire right up.

Tom: Even though you've replaced the battery cables, you didn't fix the corrosion that's keeping the negative terminal from being properly grounded to the engine block. And in a car that's 20 years old, that's almost certain to be the problem.

In their pamphlet "Should I Buy, Lease, or Steal My Next Car?" Tom and Ray break down the strategies for buying a car, so you can make the most of your money. To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1997 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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