Haven't started in a couple of Month's Help

[Ssstang]

Hey guys, I have a 2000 base model that I haven't used in a few months. Now that the winter is almost over, I wanted to get it up and running. When I tried starting it up, "Theft" light turns on. I also tried opening the hood and, nope, that won't open as well. I know this is such a Newb question but I tried doing searches for the past hour and can't find anything specific to my problem.

What do I need to do first?
Will the key need to be reset? If so, can I do that?
Is the key affecting the hood latch?

Thanks for taking a moment to read my post, hope you guys can help.

[SpectorV]

no you should have no issues poping the hood, when you pull the lever in the inside of the car the hood should pop up then you can just push the little lever at the front of the hood and raise it up. It sounds like your battery is dead. I would also put some gas stabalizer in there just to be safe~ and check all fluid levels (coolant, power steering, brake fluid, etc) and when you start it let it warm up 100% and keep an eye on it for anything out of the ordinary and also an oil change might be a good idea before starting it up.

[bbunt302]

Yeah, the hood should be mechanical, not electrical. You shouldn't have a problem popping the hood regardless of what state the battery is in.

[Ssstang]

ok, thanks for the info. I'll try the hood release and work on all fluids. It seems that this forum has a bunch of info that will be extremely helpful to me in the future, therefore, it seems you'll see more posts from me. Hopefully, I can contribute at some point.

[Ssstang]

OK, well, thanks for your help... I was in panic mode thinking I needed a trip to the dealers for a reset of some sort. I just jump started my car and"presto!" she started up. THe latch seems not to be catching so I have to start working on that but overall, I thank you for your help, it just needed a firm tug on the hood release from inside.

[bbunt302]

No problem, that's what we are here for.

Next time you put it away for a couple of months, you should strongly consider starting it up and letting it idle once every couple of weeks or so. Not just for the battery, but more so for all the rubber hoses, seals and o-rings. If you let them sit too long without any type of lubrication, they will begin to harden and crack.

[lowflyn]

Yeh, it's definitely worth it for preventative maintenance to take 10 minutes out of your weekend and crank the car up and let it run. If nothing else I do that at least once a week on the stang.

[bluemustang]

Quote: Originally Posted by bbunt302 Next time you put it away for a couple of months, you should strongly consider starting it up and letting it idle once every couple of weeks or so. Not just for the battery, but more so for all the rubber hoses, seals and o-rings. If you let them sit too long without any type of lubrication, they will begin to harden and crack.

to add on what B said, you would also wanted to disconnect the battery just reconnect it whenever your gonna start the car. Also its wise to have the tank filled with gas stabalizer already in it.

Some people also likes setting their car on jackstands so the tires dont get flat spots on them for sitting.

[Ssstang]

OK, so here's the scoop, the day I started her up, it was fine except when I tried starting her up again. Here's what I've done so far and pardon for such a noob post.

I've cleaned up all the old dried up acid that was in there prior to replacing the battery. The battery was replaced last November. Connections are nice and clean. There seems to be enough water in the battery. So I let her run for about 45 min to an hour then I turn it off and try and start her up again immediately after I shut her down and all I get is the door bell chime and this repeated ticking sound. And that's it, she dies shortly after. I know it's been awhile since my last post from this original thread but I got into a work related accident shortly after so I had to put this project on hold.

One of my buddy seems to think that it can possibly be the starter. What do you guys think? I'm about to take it to a local mechanic.

[Ssstang]

local mechanic said- Need new battery. Battery I had went bad, it was still under warranty, so it wasn't that bad, but I had already posted on this board asking how to replace a starter ...Hopefully, this helps someone out...Geez..sorry dudes and thanks for the info.

[lowflyn]

Glad to hear you got it figured out.

Electrical problems are always the hardest to diagnose, especially across the internet.