My 2000 Ford focus will not start, you turn the key over and the dash lights come on just like normal but where the mileage is supposed to be there is only dash marks like this ----- so you turn the key to the start position and it does also nothing. Here is everything on the car that I can tell you won’t work since this started. Headlights won’t burn, fan for heat/ ac won’t work, and neither front or back window wipers work. The things that do work are the park lights, turn signals, CD player, and door locks. I would greatly appreciate any help on this problem. Also it is the zx3 if that matters. Thanks in advance.
Sounds like a dead engine control computer. Focus is a simple car so I’m not sure it has a seperate body control computer. You need to plug in a scan tool to see if it can communicate with the ECU.
Bad battery. Headlights don’t connect to the ECU. If you turn on the headlights it should come on same with brake lights. Get a new battery or jump start it and take the one of the terminals off see if it will still run.
I do think I read here on this forum that removing a battery cable while engine is running is not recommended anymore. Apparently it can cause electrical problems .
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Its a Ford Focus & Escort not much to this cars, since I have had 4 of these 1996,1997,2003,2005 I have done this on all of them all are still running with no problems.
If the battery is bad, how do the headlights/brake lights work?
Tester
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Just because you did it does not mean you should tell someone with unknown mechanical ability to do it…
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OP says the headlights don’t work. They say they “don’t burn”, which I presume means the same thing.
Running the engine w/out the battery connected is a very bad idea, the battery provides a huge capacitance (buffer) against voltage spikes, and running the engine w/ no battery in the system could damage expensive to replace electronics.
I’d start with a basic battery/charging system test for this problem. They’ll start by charging up the battery w/a battery charger most likely. Not as good of a test as what a shop provides, but if OP has a voltmeter, a simple test is possible for diy’er types: before the first start of the day the battery should measure about 12.6 volts. After starting the engine , at idle it should be in the range of 13.5 - 15.5 volts. Since it won’t start you can’t do the second part, but even doing just the first part may provide a clue.
The sun rises on my side first that means your in the dark still
I’ll put a little more light on the subject maybe it will help out some. I should have included this info in the original post but when it happened I was on my way home from work and the car just cut off just like you turned the key off for just a second then I got power back on everything but the engine wasn’t running, turn they key over and it will do nothing. Had to have it towed home and it has been the same way for a few weeks now.
Sounds like a dead battery or alternator problems if there is no clicking,starter, motor sounds. Try to get a boost and start the battery if it ain’t still working have it checked.
I just hooked the jumper cables to it, nothing changed. I have a scan tool ordered should be here tomorrow. I’ll try that and go from there.
Have you checked the battery cables to be sure they are tight and clean?
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I hooked up my scan tool, and it powered up and everything, but it said linking to car, and after it loaded for a minute it said connection failed. Should be a bad ECU right?
Certainly sounds like a bad ECU to me! It is possible the comm wires have been damaged but that is less likely. Play around with it a bit to see if you can get it to connect. Some scanners can be finicky.
I’d also check to see if the ECU is getting power by probing the power line - direct from the battery and also from the switched ignition source to make sure that isn’t a problem. You can probably find a wiring pin-out online.
Yup that is it. Bad ECU.
DID WE WIN? what was the outcome??
If you don’t see an answer… I don’t see an answer either. If the iriginal poster doesn’t come back and tell us, we never find out.