Ford Enthusiast

[bumper72]

I preappoligize that every first letter is in caps. I don't know why, I cut and pasted this from another forum that I posted the problem in. Sorry.

Car 1993 Ford Escort LX
Description Car Would Not Start. All Other Internal And External Electrical Systems Worked. When Turning The Key I Got The Rapid Clicking Sound From The Starter. I Cleaned And Replaced The Battery Connectors. I Had Good Connections And I Tried To Jumpstart The Car Using A 12volt System From Another Car. I Connected, (in This Order), Positive Jumper Lead To The Positive Post On The Dead Battery. Positive Jumper Lead To The Positive Post On The Good Battery. Negative Jumper Lead To The Negative Post On The Good Battery. Grounded The Negative Lead To A Ground On The Non-starting Car. Nothing Happened, Car Still Would Not Start. All The Lights And Bells Were Still Working. After About 30 Seconds The Jumpercable Got Way To Hot And Started To Smoke And Melt. We Disconnected Them. I Replaced The Battery With A New One. All Connections Are Correct, Clean And In Excellent Order. However, Now When I Insert The Key, Turn On The Ignition, And Try To Start The Car I Get Nothing. No Bells, No Dash/idiot Lights, No Alarm To Tell Me The Keys are In The Ignition With The Door Open. No Radio, No Doom Light. Only Two Electrical Items Work. The Front Left And Front Right Headlights. I Get No Clicking From The Started When I Turn The Car Over. Again, Only The Headlights Work, Nothing Else. The Connections Are Correct, And Clean. I Did Get A Spark/arc When I Connected The Positive Terminal To The Good Battery. I Connected The Negative Lead First, Then The Positive Lead, This Is When I Got My Only Arc. It Was Small And Seemed Normal, Since I've Had This Happen In The Past. Any Insite On The Problem Is Greatly Appriciated. Thanks.

Today I I checked the ground on the car side, from the battery. I used a wire connected to the battery's negative post and then connected the wire to a known good ground. I got a good spark but still no start, no bells, no idiot/dash lights. Still only the headlights. All fuses and battery connections have been checked and are correct/not blown. I am going to try a starter solenoid next. Any help is greatly appriciated, Thank you in advance.

D.