I am currently attending and automotive coarse.

Tiny
DANNYCARPENTERIII
  • MEMBER
  • 2002 FORD TAURUS
  • 170,000 MILES
I am currently attending and automotive coarse and, I have a 2002 Ford Taurus 3.0l non overhead cam. It my car that was given to me for graduation. I drove it one day and I was loosing power on the freeway, I pulled off the freeway, opened to hood and steam was present and steam through the water radiator cap, with no water in it. After trouble shooting, I found out the head gasket had blew and was loosing compression in cylinder 3. I had replaced the head gasket and put the engine back together, tried to turn it over but there is no ignition, and no initiation of the start. Not to mention that isn't my only electrical issue, when the key was put into the ignition, and is turn to the on position the cluster lights do not work, along with the radio, and the windows. But the first time I tried to turn on the car after repair the head gasket all the lights worked, the radio and the windows worked too, I tried to crank and no response from the starter, and all the lights turn off and never cam back on after several try's to turn over the car, each time no response. So what I'm asking is what errors does it look like that I have made and if possible a easy to read diagram of all the electrical connection in the engine compartment, because I know I connected them wrong in some way.
Monday, March 4th, 2013 AT 7:22 PM

1 Reply

Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,737 POSTS
Congratulations on your graduation. Which school did you go to? Was it UTI or Wyotech?

The place to start is by turning on the head light switch so some current is trying to flow, then grab a test light and start right at the battery. Put the ground clip on the negative battery post and the probe on the positive post. It will be bright if the battery is fully charged. Move the ground clip a half inch to the cable clamp, then move the probe to that cable clamp. The light should still be bright. Move the ground clip to a paint-free point on the body. A non-painted bolt head works good. Move the probe down the line on the smaller positive wire, usually to the under-hood fuse box, but on Fords that's often to one of the larger studs on the starter relay on the fender.

You're looking for the first place the test light is not bright. That will be the point of the bad connection.
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Monday, March 4th, 2013 AT 11:22 PM

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