Won't Start

[Oley]

Help,
I live in MN and keep my 02 in a heated garage all winter. I parked it last Nov and went out to start it this week and the Bat was about dead. (happens) It was so low that whenever I opened the door or trunk the permiter alarm went off. A touch of the alarm button on the key turned it off. I hooked up the charger and after the Battery was recharged the motor turns over fine but no ignition. Like it has no spark or no gas. I just checked the securilock system and it is working properly according to the owners manual. Any advice?
Oley

[Vintage Merlot]

Re: Won't Start

Is this your original battery? This sounds like the situation I had when our battery went without warning after seven years. It happened as we were preparing to pull out of the garage and head for the Gulf Shores event last fall. Alarms sounded, horn honked, lights blinked, etc, it cranked but would not fire. finally it stopped cranking. I think the computer sent a signal that it was about to be stolen and the gas was cut. It ran out of cranking power and died shortly thereafter. I ran to Auto Zone bought a new battery and the rest is history. No problems. I was amazed to have gotten seven years out of the battery. But if you read all the threads about battery life you will find that these batteries go without any warning around the seven year point.

[RQTBIRD]

Re: Won't Start

Started mine last week-end and still had power in the original battery. Like Oley mine has been in the (heated) garage since late October but I have started it each month for 5-10 min. Had a battery tender on it for a week but when I returned to the garage it was giving me a warning light that I have a problem. That was in the early part of the winter. I do plan on getting a new battery before I make the trip to "Texas Thunder" in May. Interesting what happens when it finally does fail, alarms and all.

[boss21078]

Re: Won't Start

There have been some reports of the fuel pump fuse blowing after periods of not driving the TBird. See the Thread of My Bird won't start that is in the How to Fix it section of the 2002 - 2005 Thunderbird Garage Forum.

Good Luck
Bob B.

[Oley]

Re: Won't Start

Thanks All,
Battery is good. that is not the problem. It will crank over without issue for a good 15 min or more if I wanted to. It has no fire. Like I said it is like the computer shut down the fuel or the spark. I will check the fuel pump fuse. Thanks Bob.

Any other ideas?

Any easy way to check for spark or fuel? Now I wish I had a distributer and a carb.
I am old school here.

[2K2BIRD]

Re: Won't Start

Had the same issue a few weeks ago - plenty of crank but no start. Had to have the car towed to the dealer (0.4 mile from my house per the wrecker driver). The fuel pump had given up the ghost. Replaced it under warranty and its good to go!

Good luck, with the repair.

[Oley]

Re: Won't Start

Thanks Paul. That may be it. I know more what it is not now. It is not the fuel pump fuse. It is not the COP fuse. It is not the fuel pump shut off switch. It is not the injector fuse.

I disconnected the battery for about 3 minutes and reconnect it. When I opened up the drivers door the alarm went off. It stopped with a touch of the red alarm button on the Keybob. But the car will not fire.

[Ediron]

Re: Won't Start

Could be the PCM (Program Control Module) .Mine went and had the same problem,cranked but no fire.Was replaced under a Ford warranty by my L/M dealer at no cost to me. Took a while for them to get one and they gave me a loaner car for free also.

[Kokomo]

Re: Won't Start

My original 2002 model had these symptoms and needed a fuel pump relay.

[Oley]

Re: Won't Start

Well,
If I spray starting fluid into the throtle body the engine fires. So it isn't an ignition issue. It seems to be a fuel supply issue. I found the fuse blown for the fuel pump and replaced. Still would not start. I checked the fuel pump relay and it is good and the contacts work fine. with the key on I can also plug in the relay and it clicks on and off as I put it in and out of the fuse box. I checked the emergency fuel cut off switch and it does not seem to be tripped as the button is down and i cannot push it in. I even checked the resentance of the fuel pump from the fuse box it is not open or shorted. ether it is the fuel pump or the fuel shut off from the security sytem.

Any one have some experance with them?

[Kokomo]

Re: Won't Start

Well,
If I spray starting fluid into the throtle body the engine fires. So it isn't an ignition issue. It seems to be a fuel supply issue. I found the fuse blown for the fuel pump and replaced. Still would not start. I checked the fuel pump relay and it is good and the contacts work fine. with the key on I can also plug in the relay and it clicks on and off as I put it in and out of the fuse box. I checked the emergency fuel cut off switch and it does not seem to be tripped as the button is down and i cannot push it in. I even checked the resentance of the fuel pump from the fuse box it is not open or shorted. ether it is the fuel pump or the fuel shut off from the security sytem.

Any one have some experance with them?

Could also be the fuel filter or a clog in the lines. Most likely the fuel pump though.

[Oley]

Re: Won't Start

Thanks Jimmy,
Don't belive so. It ran fine when I put it to bed in Nov. Now won't even try and fire. I would l think a fuel filter would not go from flowing fuel to no fuel that quick.

Anyone know how to find and check the fuel shut off switch that the security system uses?