No Start Long story

B

Blue Mkn Dan

Registered
Enjoy the site! Finally became legal, been lurking for a while.

I have a 97 LSC w/ 76k on it and it won't start, no fuel pressure, I think. It has been a garage queen for a few months and it's past time to be driving it.

Back in February I quarter car washed the engine bay, as I have done before. It had a couple of plug wells with water and was missing on a couple of cylinders. I drove for it three days, 5 miles to work, before I could take the covers off and dry them out. Drove it into the garage, dryed everything as before and then it would crank fine, but no start. I also get the following messages on the interior vehicle message display: Engine Temp Data Error; Check Trac Control; Gear Display Data Error and sometimes a Fuel Flow Data Error. These were not diplaying before I parked it.

The things I have done or checked include: new cam and crank sensors;
whacked and reset trunk fuel cutoff; checked all the fuses and relays,
one 10amp inside the car was bad, don't know what it was to as my owners manual has a different graphic than the actual fuse block, switched the trunk and fuel pump relays; tried two different OBD II testers and neither would connect to look at codes; left battery disconnected for a few days to see if I could wipe put any memory problems; twice cleaned and checked for dryness in the connectors by the M/C.

The DVD service manual says that all of the message error are connected to the PCM network and mentions J1850. It also says that the Fuel Pump Data Error can cause the fuel to be shut off to protect the engine. Still can't figure out why the messages and no start happened after I took the coil/plug covers off.

Tried most of things the other board's members suggested and unless somebody here has an idea that works, I am going to have it towed to the dealer next week.

While I wouldn't wish it on anybody else, maybe someone here has had a similar problem. Either way, I'll let everyone know what cures it.

Thanks
 
RE: No Start Long story

I believe your PCM isn't powering up.

That's why you're getting those errors on your message center; it can't get the necessary information from the PCM.
That's why you get no codes. The PCM isn't alive to link with the scan tool.

You can test my theory simply by turning your key on and looking for the "Check Engine" light.
The initialization sequence is:
-Key in Run position, PCM relay energizes.
-Relay brings PCM to life.
-PCM immediately proves out "Check Engine" light to indicate it's awake.
-At the same time, the PCM energizes the fuel pump relay. If it sees no RPM signal after 1 second, it turns the fuel pump relay back off.

What to do about this?

Remove the PCM relay from the underhood fuse box. It's the one furthest from the fuel pump relay. Probe the contacts with a test light.
You should have one female powered at all times. This comes from fuse 15 (30A maxifuse)and fuse 1 (10A minifuse) of that box.
Turn on the key. A second female should now be powered. This comes from fuse 11 (10A minifuse) of the interior fuse box.
If you have those powers, push the relay back in with the key on. Does it click when it makes contact? If not, try swapping in the next relay--it's for the power trunk release;you can live without that long enough to see if the car starts!

If you don't have those powers or the relay clicks but the PCM still won't power up, we'll have to go further.

For example,I have seen corrosion set into the bottom sides of underhood fuse boxes of vehicles that sit for a long time. There's no engine heat to dry off condensation that forms...
It might be a PATS problem if the Antitheft light is flashing...
The PCM may be alive, but is getting no crank signal...

Let me know what you find, and we'll keep going if we have to.
 
RE: No Start Long story

Wow, Frankie, that's great info there! When you first said a probable PCM, I said to to myself 'this ain't good (news)'. Gotta be tough to diagnose a PCM problem, but you have the likely problem narrowed down and explained in just two brief paragraphs! Man, I'm glad you decided to hang out here, with us!

Hey, Dan, follow Frankie's advise, he KNOWS his ford tech!

Jeff

'94 Mark VIII
 
RE: No Start Long story

Frankie is the Man! Your call was right on!

With his superior knowledge of how the electronics are interconected,
I saw what I did wrong. The PCM relay port had only one hot, key on or not. The fuse inside the car had a 10amp fuse blown again, position # 11. So I figured that I must have crimped a wire. Went back through everything I did to cure the wetness and sure enough under the right cover was a low tension coil wire that had got crushed between the coil
pack cover and the boss. This shorted out the inside power supply fuse to the PCM, hence no run.

Of couse till you told me how the the systems fed each other I couldn't
believe that I had made a mistake! LOL I remember making sure the wires were out of the way, but before I tightened the bolts, I pushed the loom in the back up into the galley a little bit.

So this could happen any that takes the coil packs cover(s) off.

If you were close at all I would send you a case of your favorite beverage!

This is my third post thanking people, I don't know why they didn't show up yet.

Thank you again Frankie!
 
RE: No Start Long story

Glowing posts like that are all I need! Makes me feel all warm and gushy when I can help out.

Information exchange is never in one direction. I know all my shop manual/Ford training stuff, but working at a dealership, I don't get a lot of "hop-up" knowledge. I've learned sooo much about mods and performance boosting from everyone at LOD.

Being a member has expanded MY knowledge base a ton!
 
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