car wont start? click here! (troubleshooting guide)

[vor_tec330]

thats the ignition fuse, the green one right?

[20focus03]

ok i got a question when i turn the key there is just a clicking sound coming from in the tranny (5pd) zetec.....what could it be it has a brand new clutch,battery and coil...starter relay?,solenoiD or starter itself?

[glowboi87]

Just a heads up for all other focus owners with a manual tranny.....

the switches the gets pushed down with the clutch cause my 01 zx3 to not start. after replacing the starter... a few relays. and hours of labor and cut up arms... i found out that there is a switch that gets depressed when the clutch is pushed down and another that gets pressed down when the clutch reaches the bottom. well the metal piece on the clutch that holds a rubber circle type thing was bent a lil and wasnt pressing the 2nd switch at the bottom that lets the starter engage. so... after about 200 dollars... i found out that i could just bend the piece of metal
back with some pliers. wow... i noticed this prob wasnt up here so yup a heads up!!




after reading this thread over.. the 3rd question in the FAQS sums it up. lol easier than testing wires tho... i pushed the 2nd switch down all the way with my finger. yup. thank god for this forum tho.

[Turbo_Focuz]

MY CAR WONT START

The car has been haveing problems starting i replaced the computer crank sencor the coils and the fuel pump when u disconnect the injectors the car starts and it shuts off becouse the car gets no fuel when the injectors are pluged in the car wont start i replaced the injectors also becouse it gets to much fuel the car is also turbo i replaced the injectors also

[Jeff726]

I recently bought a 00 Ford Focus ZX3 that had been sitting on a lot for over 2 yrs. I had a major tune up done, incl plugs, cap, filters (air and fuel) pcv valve new fluids and new batt. In the morning somtimes the car will not start. It cranks very well, and somtimes turns over, but dies with in seconds or when gas is applied. I then had the Fuel module replaced with the fuel pump and have the same results. It will start up with spray starter fluid but then dies out. Some days the car works great starts, runs and has no problems, others wont start at all. And of course every time I get it to the mechanic it runs fine.... One mechanic near work (where I got stuck) said to replace the fuel pressure regulator on the coiled hose by the engine fuel rail.... Any thoughts ? Thanks Jeff

[shikatoi]

Looks like I'm going to have fun tomorrow going thru the steps. I left to grab a bite tonight, it hesitated to start, then putted a couple times backing down the driveway. I put in the clutch to go into 1st, and it died. Now it cranks but won't start. It would not take a jump. It sounds normal just will not turn over.

I remember Marc telling me the CEL comes on from the MAF and throttle body, and I just need to disconnect the battery for a second to fix the light. I tried that also but nada. Luckily some neighbors were near to help push me back up the driveway and into the garage.

crap.

[PantherGurl21]

My car won't click, turn over, start, nothing. The PATS light flashes rapidly. I have a 2002 Ford Focus LX with about 83,000 miles on it. When I called my Ford dealership they are telling me they have no idea what I am talking about when I mention PATS and they keep telling me it's my starter and that I'm going to have to pay over $300. When I called Tire Kingdom they knew exactly what I was talking about (PATS) but said they can't do anything about it. I'm just wondering what I should do because I don't want to be charged a fortune. I need help!! Please help me!!

[RICHARDYA]

Have 2002 Focus
Wont Start
Wont Turn Over
Wont Display Millage Just " - - - - -"
Acc Power Ok (radio Ok)
Head Lights Ok
Bat Voltage 12.5 At Pcm(no Load Pcm Removed)
Going At 55 Mph And Engine Just Quit


Power To Pcm (25) Ok
5 Grounds Ok

Can Some One Please Help?

[Jacen_Solo]

It rained really hard at my house last night, and my Focus was in the alley, which apparently got really soaked. I'm pretty sure the problem is water-related because it started just fine yesterday. I can roll-start the car, but even after driving it around for over half an hour, it was unable to crank-start, so I had to roll it down a hill again.

While driving, two of the dash lights would periodically flash on and off (when I hit harder bumps). What are some possible places that I could check for water, since this seems like an issue caused by a water short somewhere in the car's electrical system? Basically, where should I start looking for my electrical problem?

[Jacen_Solo]

I tested the voltage on the battery (while connected to the car) and got a reading of 10.68V. I removed the battery from the car and tested it again with the multimeter and got a reading of 12.76V. Something in my car's electrical system is pulling down the voltage.

[kiyt13]

2001 ford focus zx3 manual transmission
Car will not start or even click. I bought a new battery and tried that and still not working. Then I purchased a new starter and it still doesn’t start. We tested the terminals on the starter and it reads 12.73 volts same as the battery. All the fuses are intact and the relay clicks but the starter doesn’t even click. Sometimes when we try to start the car, the wire that runs to starter from battery, that should not have constant power, but has constant power. All the terminals have been cleaned. Still not starting and starter still doesn’t click. When clutch is depressed switch is heard. Please get back to me ASAP, I just don't know what it could be...HELP!!!

[kiyt13]

YOu won't believe what we found! THe car won't start or even click when I tried to. We found that when the Transmission was replaced Over 1yr ago(the car wasn't driven much after the transmission was put in-DUI), the tech didn't reconnect the ground. The car ran after the transmission was put in only because it must of been touching the engine to arc off of. When we just replaced the starter, we must of moved that ground off the engine or what ever it was touching. Once we noticed it, reconnected and now the car started. Now its running really bad.. we just replaced the plugs,brakes,starter. We are going to get a new gas filter, i'm sure that is going to make a difference. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know what else could be make the car run really rough and want to stall.. Thanks again...

[gafocus]

With the recent rains in Georgia my car was driven into a deep puddle (really deep!) after being cut off by a MARTA bus. The engine died almost immediately. I had the car towed to the house and replaced the MAF, Air Filter, spark plugs (after making certain that no water was still in the cylinders). The engine cranks and has compression on each cylinder, I can smell fuel, but the engine won't start.
After looking at the checklist I have a question:
How can I tell if I'm getting a good spark? In the old days - before electronic ignition you could pull off a spark plug wire and watch the spark arc to a ground on the engine block. I'm afraid if I do that I may damage the coil pack. Is this a concern?

Thank you for any help!