Starting a car after 2 years - Ford taurus

Maintenance/Repairs
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How to Reset Anti Theft System Ford? - Useful Guide to Reset it - Best DIY Bedliner

How to Reset the Anti-Theft System on Your Ford | Auffenberg Ford North

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If the battery was still 12.6 volts, just a physically smaller size, unlikely. At least as long as was fully charged. Not much battery power required when parked, engine off. Cranking the engines uses a lot of battery power, so possibly smaller than normal size battery discharged upon several crank-but-no-starts, and that confused computerā€™s anti-theft system. Have you tested for spark during cranking? If anti-theft system is the cause , likely it would turn off the ignition system too, so there would be no spark either.

If carā€™s anti-theft thinks car may be in process of being stolen, youā€™ll likely have to visit a Ford dealership w/proof you are the owner to resolve.

23

I turned the car to the on position and the theft light went off after a few seconds. So I assume nothing is wrong with the anti-theft. I just recalled seeing it. I was sure if it was lit the entire time or blinking.

However today the car started. It ran very poorly for about 30 seconds and then shut off. So everything must be good with the fuses and relay. I am still not hearing the fuel pump so I am thinking maybe just enough old fuel was still in the lines to make it run for 30 seconds?

I turn leave the key in the on position for longer than the past few tires maybe 2-3 full minutes before cranking. That is when it started and ran poorly for 30 seconds and shut off.

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Iā€™m guessing your fuel pump is working. Sometimes you have to listen by contact method; i.e. place something like an old sawn-off broomstick handle right on the fuel tank , listen w/your ear at the other end of the stick, to be able to hear the fuel pump. The engine just isnā€™t running robustly enough, so it stalls. Suggest to check for any problems the 4 critical things that a car needs:

  • Fuel (fuel pump running? fuel pressure at rail ok? gasoline sample from tank forming layers?)
  • Spark (visible blue-ish/white spark at tip of spark plug during cranking?
  • Compression (At a bare minimum, all cylinders should be 140 or above (170+ better), and all within 20% of each other.
  • Exhaust system flows freely (ask shop to temporarily bypass exhaust system as a test)

Has computer been queried for diagnostic codes?

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George.

The battery on this car went dead.

That means all the readiness monitors have been reset and codes erased.

That means the computer canā€™t determine if thereā€™s a problem within OBDII operating system until the readiness monitors have been completed by driving the vehicle.

Donā€™t you pause and think before you start typing?

Tester

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Are you suggesting OP not ask their shop to not bother to check for diagnostic codes?

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What codes?

They were erased when the battery went dead.

Tester

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Poster says above

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Fuel system problem.

Tester

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No possibility a diagnostic code is present?

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Yeah. Just remember the pump will only run for a few seconds when you turn the key on, then shut off. You can do the key dance again after that. Might be your lines are empty and no pressure yet. Iā€™d keep at it a little to give it a chance to prime, then you can worry about the pump and condition of the gas.

On a Gm there is a green prime connector under the hood used to prime the system at the factory. No idea if ford has the same thing but if so you can energize it to run the pump without the key on and off.

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Weā€™ve already been through this.

Tester

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Hi Thanks for all the help.

I sprayed starter fluid in the air intake and the car starts for a few seconds. Long enough to put it in drive and confirm the transmission is still good which was great news.

I am sure it is the fuel pump but before replacing it could the fuel filter cause the car to not start like this. If so I will put that on first and also is there a way to test the inertia switch. It doesnā€™t appear to be tripped. But I just thought if it is the inertira switch I don;t want to put the fuel pump on and it be that,.

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You just didā€¦the fuel pump delivered fuel and the engine ran for 30 seconds. The inertia switch is OK.

1 Like
35

How did we determine the fuel was not stale?

36

You beat me to it!

1 Like