Ford Mustangs are fun to drive and attract attention, but if they won't start, they're no use. If your Mustang won't start, you can try a number of steps to get it up and running. Start with the most obvious solutions, like a dead battery, and move to more obscure solutions if the obvious ones don't work. If nothing works at all, you will need to take the car to a repair shop.
Check to see if you are getting any power to the vehicle from your battery. Look to see if lights illuminate when you open your door or if the dashboard lights up when you turn the key to "Run." If you are getting no power, use your jumper cables and another car to jump start the car. If this starts your car, your battery is dead or you have lost your connection on one or both of your leads.
Remove the positive and negative leads from the battery with the socket set and clean them with a metal brush. Clean the posts with the brush until you can see no corrosion. Even if you don't think this is the problem, it is always good to do. Put the leads back on the battery and tighten them to get a good connection.
Turn on the lights and try to start the car if you are getting some power, but the car still won't start. If the headlights dim, you probably have a bad starter. If the headlights stay bright, then you have a bad connection to the starter.
Inspect the starter. If the lights stayed bright, check the electrical connections at the top of the starter. Look to see if the wires are broken or if there is corrosion at the leads. Tighten the connectors with the socket set and ensure you have a good connection.
Connect the leads on the top of the starter with a screwdriver if your connections are good. Hold onto the end and do not touch the metal. Connect the leads long enough to make a spark and pull the screwdriver away. This should revive the starter for a short time.
Check the wires from the battery to the starter if none of this helped. These wires are the thickest ones because they require the most power. Check the wires for shorts and change them if necessary.
