No start, no power

Tiny
MARK BIRCH
  • MEMBER
  • 2000 FORD TAURUS
  • 3.0L
  • 6 CYL
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 258,000 MILES
Car stopped while driving. Turn key on no crank, no dash lights, no radio, no heater. Theft light on, headlights come on, door locks work, mirrors work, trunk opener works, no power windows. Ignition switch tests okay. Battery has 12.9 volts. No blown fuses, no bad relays. What is up?
Wednesday, March 1st, 2017 AT 2:06 PM

12 Replies

Tiny
CARADIODOC
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Of the systems you listed, everything that works does not have the ignition switch involved in the circuit. Everything you listed as not working does have the ignition switch involved. How did you test the ignition switch, and what were the results?
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Wednesday, March 1st, 2017 AT 3:14 PM
Tiny
MARK BIRCH
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Took switch out and tested with ohm meter. In accessories position tested b1 and a1, good. In run position tested b1 -a1, b2 - a2, b3 - a3, b4 - a4, and b5 - i1, all good. In start position tested n1 - i2, b4 - sta, b5 - i1, p1 - grd, p2 - grd. All good.

Also used a scan tool (engine only) it came on but did not scan.
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Wednesday, March 1st, 2017 AT 4:09 PM
Tiny
MARK BIRCH
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Opps, b1 - i2 in run, not n1, there is no n1.
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Wednesday, March 1st, 2017 AT 4:11 PM
Tiny
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Ohm meter tests are not an effective method in circuits where high current is flowing. All you need is one tiny remaining spot of contact to get close to 0 ohms, but you will not get enough current to flow through that. Now that you have me here, lets do voltage tests instead.

I just started a conversation with another Ford owner with the same problem, so please forgive me if I get mixed up. A test light will be more accurate for these tests because it forces current to flow through the circuit. If you only have a digital voltmeter, we will get by with it, but when you take readings, turn the circuit on, then retake the readings. The circuit will try to draw current, and the voltmeter will show the results of a defect.

Your ignition switch connector can have up to four light green/violet wires. All of them must have twelve volts all the time. If that is missing, check fuse 107 under the hood. Leave the connector plugged into the switch, and back-probe the wires through the back of the connector.

If you do find twelve volts on those feed wires, turn the switch to "run", then back-probe the black/light green, the red/light green, then the green/yellow. All three should have twelve volts.
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Wednesday, March 1st, 2017 AT 4:48 PM
Tiny
MARK BIRCH
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Will do. Fuse 107 - in main box by the battery? All is good there. I did use a test light on the 175 amp fuse that leads into the box from battery, had power on both sides (in and out)?
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Wednesday, March 1st, 2017 AT 5:12 PM
Tiny
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Yup. 107 is under the hood. Only look there if the twelve volts is missing at the ignition switch.
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Wednesday, March 1st, 2017 AT 5:18 PM
Tiny
MARK BIRCH
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Will do. Also just tried a new switch. Same results, nothing.
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Wednesday, March 1st, 2017 AT 5:25 PM
Tiny
MARK BIRCH
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Okay, no power at light green/violet wires.

Thanks
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Thursday, March 2nd, 2017 AT 7:43 AM
Tiny
MARK BIRCH
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One question; fuse 107 - my Chiliton manual nor owner manual lists a fuse 107. I want to make sure I am checking the right one. All fuses in box under hood by battery are okay. I have power on both sides of the 175 main fuse going into that box.
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Thursday, March 2nd, 2017 AT 7:52 AM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
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Before we get too wrapped around the axle, there can also be a bad ground from the battery to the car body. Measure the voltage between the two battery terminals. Turn the head lights on so some current is trying to flow. That will make the results of a defect show up easier. Assuming you find 12 volts, leave the probe on the positive post, and move the negative probe to a paint-free point on the body. The best is to find a mounting bolt for something. You should find exactly the same voltage. If it is lower or 0 volts, the smaller negative battery wire has a break in it. You might have to scratch the bolt head with the probe to work through surface rust on it.

If that ground circuit is okay, the 40-amp fuse is blown, or there's a break in the light green / violet wire. As I recall, those 40-amp fuses are very large, and orange, and they have two test points on top. Just check for 12 volts on both sides of all those orange fuses. If they all have voltage on both sides, the light green / violet wire has a break in it.
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Thursday, March 2nd, 2017 AT 5:45 PM
Tiny
MARK BIRCH
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Body ground was bad. Replaced negative battery cables to engine and body, fired right up.

I had tested cables earlier with ohm meter and tested ok. Remembering what you said about only needing a small amout of "good" to test ok I rechecked the way you mentioned and got very poor results.

Thank you very, very much.
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Friday, March 3rd, 2017 AT 8:08 AM
Tiny
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All right! One in a row! Happy to hear it's solved.
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Friday, March 3rd, 2017 AT 6:51 PM

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