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97 Escort Won't Start

8K views 31 replies 4 participants last post by  thefonz 
#1 ·
First of I own a 1997 Escort SE Wagon 2.0L. When I first purchased the car used, it ran fan until one day it stalled out. It kept wanting to go but eventually just cut off. It didn't do it again for a long time. Then all of a sudden it won't run without it happening every now and then. Sometimes it won't crank for hours after it stalls and other times it cranks right up. I took it to a shop and the mechanic said it didn't stall for him once, so he replaced what he thought was wrong. As soon as I paid the man and left, it stalled. About a week later it stalled in my driveway and it has never started since. It rotates, but won't start. I've notice that the Cooling Fan Module makes a buzzing noise. Could a faulty Cooling Fan Module keep my car from starting? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
#2 ·
Its sounds like its a sensor or a relay. The best starting point on it would be to have the codes ran and go from there. Around $60.00 to have it done and on the newer cars will normally pinpoint a problem. It doesnt sound like it's a mechanical problem. Anytime a newer model car is having problems like this it's best to have the codes ran before doing anything. Process elimination is way to expensive on one. I'm surprised the mechanic you took it to didnt do this already.
 
#3 ·
The mechanic did run the codes and charged me around 60 bucks. He said nothing showed up except for the problem with my power steering, which I already knew needed to be fixed. I might get it towed to a shop that specializes in electrical work. I just don't know if it's worth it or not.
 
#4 ·
well, there are a few things you could try. First verify that its getting a spark. An inductive timing light is good for this if you have one. Check all the wires. Also check the fuel rail and make sure its getting fuel. There will be a little cap on the fuel rail you can remove and it has a valve similar to a tire valve. With the key on, push it in and if fuel squirts out its ok. Be careful not to spray yourself in the face. You may have a pump trying to go out or a bad connection. Possibly even a clogged filter. You should be able to bypass the fan relay so the fan runs all the time. Just for test purposes, hook it back up normal afterwards. That shouldnt keep it from starting but its a free check. Its hard to trouble shoot one without putting my hands on it. You may also want to check the timing. If by chance it did get hot because the fan didnt kick on, it may have jumped time.
 
#5 ·
I'll try that stuff first thing tomorrow. I replaced the fuel pump assembly just the other day and I didn't have to releave any pressure because there wasn't any. I don't know if that's normal for a car that hasn't been running for a while or not. I was suspecting it not getting any fuel, but I haven't checked to see if there was a spark.

And if this helps any when I would remove the Fuel Injector fuse the Cooling Fan Module would stop buzzing. I thought that was weird.

Thanks for the help so far and I'll post back what I find out.
 
#7 ·
Yeah, I would guess the pump is bad or the filter clogged. If its all in the tank and probably is, replace the whole thing while your in there. Make sure the connections are tight and when putting it back together be sure the o-ring on thetop of the tank is in place correctly. That should solve your problems.
 
#10 ·
I've checked to see if the inertia switch was tripped but not if it was broken. I checked most of the fuses as well. I've checked for power to the pump and it's getting 5v on a crappy battery tester with the key on. I don't know where the Fuel pump relay is on my car though. I've looked for it in the Haynes manual and it only breifly talks about relays in general.
 
#17 ·
If you haven't checked them yet, make sure you check the fuses under the hood. There may be relays under the hood as well. I don't know if the Escort has the additional small ground wire coming off the battery or not, but if it comes un-hooked for some reason, the fuel pump will not run. Check all fusible links you can find.
 
#19 ·
Ok, still chasing this gremlin lol. I can suggest a fix that will get you going. Its up to you if you want to do it or not. I have done it in the past on older vehicles. You can pick up a (key on) hot wire, fuse it with a 15 amp fuse and run it to your fuel cutoff switch. That should get the pump going. Not a preferable fix over finding the problem and correcting it, but it will work and does not bypass the crash safety feature. Keep looking for the problem to correct it like you are doing, thats the best way. But if all else fails you can make it work.
 
#21 ·
If I were you, I would run down to an electronics store and buy a cheap volt meter. They really done cost much and even the cheap ones work pretty good. No power at the fuse block? The earlier posts about the ground wires and such would be in line with this. You could also do the key on hot wire to the fuse block itself if you cannot find the problem. Just be sure and remove the old hot lead and tape it off. You can unhook existing hot wires with no power and use a fused hot to check circuitry. Or if you had a volt meter you can hook leads to the hot on the pump and go back wards through the car until you find the source of the problem. I think your getting close. Not much left now if your to the fuse block. A volt meter would be a good investment.
 
#23 ·
ok got a volt meter and I am getting power at the fuse. The connector directly connecting to the pump isn't getting power neither is the top to the sending unit. I made a mistake and tested the connector that plugs into the sending unit. There's power through those connectors but maybe I'm testing the wrong wires(red and black) but there's about 6 wires connecting just through that one connector.
 
#24 ·
I'm guessing the fuel gauge works, right? If so, then the ground to the tank should be ok, otherwise the gauge wouldnt work. We know the pump works if you hook a hot lead to it. You have power at the fuse block but none to the inertia switch. Is that power to, or power from the inertia switch?

The pump is in the tank isnt it? Or is it fender/frame mounted?
 
#25 ·
The pump is in the tank and the fuel gauge works. I think I'm getting power to and from the inertia switch. I haven't check the power at the inertia switch though. Also, I never did check for a spark and there isn't any. Could that keep the pump from working or should it still get power with the key on?
 
#26 ·
Yes, the pump should kick on when you turn the key on. The no spark is something else. Not to say the two are not connected in someway though. I did read something where Ford was having some trouble with the escorts, whereas water could get into the harness where it runs through the firewall and cause all sorts of problems. Stalling was one of the problems listed. Not sure if that has anything to do with this or not. You might check the harness where it runs through and look for corrosion. You may end up taking this thing to a shop if you think its worth it. Trouble shooting one like this is tough. The frustrating part is, its going to be something very simple when its finally found.
 
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