94 Ford Taurus - won't start

Hi, just wondering if you guys could help me out. I have a 1994 Ford Taurus that presently won't start. For a while, there were problems with the power cutting out - e.g. I'd be driving, with my foot on the gas, and suddenly there would be no response to the gas pedal, then after a little while, it would kick back in. Also, every so often, the car would just die as I was driving. This seemed like it was more likely to happen if I was driving at residential speed, or was at a stop light.

I've talked to some people, and they suggest it might be the ignition control module. Any ideas? It's a 1994 Ford Taurus GL, 3.8L btw.

Thanks!

 

it could be ecm but start by reading any stored troublecodes first, is check engine light on ? take it to autozone they'll read the codes for free, then you can post the results here,
my personal advice is taurus'es are a lot of trouble with pretty much everything, try to trade it in or fix it and sell it

 

Agree with Lou on that one.

Could conceivably be a fuel problem, too - pump or filter, although i don't recall Taurus fuel pumps as being particularly problematic; we mostly tow them for blown head gaskets and smoked trannies.

 

Check for all four above. Same checks needed for last 100 years worth of autos.

Check under hood for loose wires. Make sure battery is good and ground is good. I assume it cranks and won't start.

Gas in tank?

Turn key to run (not start) and listen to fuel pump run for about 2 seconds. Find service port on fuel line under hood and press valve stem (it looks like the one on your tire). If gas sprays all over you have gas.

Pull a plug wire and hold it about 1/4 " from end of plug. Have a helper crank car. You should hear a snapping sound(just like in the movies). If you hear it you have spark. If you don't take off your cap and make sure your rotor looks ok and turns when you crank the car.

If it sounds normal while cranking chances are you have compression and the timing chain is still good. Feel at the tailpipe for very slight pulses of air (and gas) while your helper cranks.

Write back w/ results of above and buy the Haynes book for this car. Teach yourself how to read CEL codes.

your cutting out problem sounds electrical. with a gas problem you often get a cough or gasp and then nothing. with electrical problems it is often like someone turning out the lights.

i wonder about ignition switch, but do above first.

the car is a P.O.S., but you know that. Since it was still on the road, chances are good the tranny has been rebuilt and head gaskets replaced. if the ac works it might be worth spending up to $100 ($85 if you bought the book) to fix it. If the ac does not work and the tranny is original walk away now!

Ford's problem's today result in part from the millions of Tauruses they sold in the '80's and '90's. I have a '94 and I will never step into a Ford showroom again.

Good luck

 

you said it wont crank none not even start right, well change your starter seloniod and if that dont work, i know you've tried the battery by now right, if not then do that either by charging it or getting a new one (one of the cells could be dead and it wont work then), if it still dont crank then it's probably your starter, take it off and carry it to advance auto parts and they will check it for free, if you want you can also take your alternator off too and they'll check that for free too, it might be your alternator, you did say that sometimes all of a sudden it would just cut off, well thats a big sign that it could be your alternator, you could check your alternator yourself but it wont crank up. if none of these solutions fix it then you need to carry it to a good machanic.

 

You can work forwards or backwards in your testing. I like the backwards method. Check end of run by checking for spark,as suggested. If no spark even out of the coil tower, then check to see if you have 12 volt power coming into one of the skinny wires that go to your coil, when the ignition is in the on position. If you have no power there, then you know you have an electrical problem and that it is somewheres even before that...at perhaps where a junction is with the starter, or the ignition switch, as others have suggested.

If you find you have no 12 volt power at one of the coils small wires coming into it, then I'd say it's time to get a wiring diagram of your car to help you trace the problem. That and really being observant and looking at as many electrical wires as you can see under the hood and even in the starter area for corrosion (really look in the area of the battery as that acid can travel and affect a lot of wires there and I have had to redo wiring in that area to cure similar problems) or where it cold have got burned.

 

red-
Will it crank (turn over) but not run, or will it not even crank?

Will the headlights turn on and the radio work?

Answer these first, and we can take it from there

 

I have the same problem as the originator of this thread with my 2003 Taurus. It will suddenly die, with the electric cutting out completely. Hazard lights do not work, automatic windows/locks are utterly unresponsive, no sound AT ALL is made when the key is turned.

The power generally cuts back in and I am able to restart my car. One time, however, it did not cut back in and my car had to be jumped, which fixed the problem for a while.

I have taken the car to a mechanic and he was unable to identify anything wrong with the car.

 

dwee13:

I'm no car expert, but to me that sounds like either a bad battery connection, including a bad ground, or a bad battery. I know even the simplest mechanic is supposed to check for these things, but you never know.