Hey everyone,

I've got a 94 Escort with a 1.9 litre engine & a manual transmission.

I went on vacation for one week. When I got back, my Escort wouldn't even crank over. I checked the battery and it seemed fine.

Here's some background.

1) My car was running really rough. I took it my mechanic & he said the O2? sensor was really dirty. He said he replaced it. The car seemed to run really good, except the dashboard lights seemed really dim when I got the car back.

2) Everything was fine for a month or so . ..

3) Then I went on a 1 week vacation & we took my wife's car.

4) When I got back, when I turned the key . . . all the lights on the dashboard go out, I hear a clicking sound and then everything goes dead. The starter motor doesn't even try to crank the engine.

5) Sometimes, when I turn the key all the way, and the all the lights don't go out, the lights on the dash light up & then the AirBag light goes out and then flashes once and then twice.

6) Background: I thought it was the Clutch pedal switch. I had some problem with this a few years back. It seemed that whenever the weather got cold, my card wouldn't start. Back then I tracked it down to the rubber stopper on the cluck pedal that pushes the clutch switch that allows your car to start. Whenever it got cold, this rubber stopper would shrink enough that it wouldn't be big enough to push the clutch switch far enough. I resolved this by taping two pennys to it. I tried taping a few more to it, but it doesn't seem to be the rubber stopper.

NOTE: I've check the contacts on the battery & they seem to be fine.

Does anyone have any ideas of what could be wrong or some test I could try to get this thing turning over?

The car is on its last legs, but I'd like to get at least 6 more months out of it.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanking you in advance!

Yours truly,

Dog Chew!

Just for kicks try a jump start. You could have a fine connection. The easiest way to test for a low or dead battery is turn on your headlights. If no or little light you have a dead battery. If they are bright then you have some other problem. All you need is a slow drain or perhaps have left some power on to run the battery down. My 93 if I leave it for a week it will do the same thing. So I must have a slow drain on the battery somewhere.
Just haven't had time to look for it.

Turtle725,

Thanks for the reply.

I did try jump starting it, but it is doing the same thing.

I don't believe the starter motor is even trying to engage.

Thank you, thank you, thank you though.

Cheers!
Dogchew!
:)

Posts are still greatly appreciated!

did you ever figure out problem im having exact same problem its driving me nuts

somethings maybe you could try and check...

-battery, but you said this already tested ok.

-fuel system (ie. fuel pump) You can easily check the fuel pump by turning your key to the ON position. You should be able to hear a whining noise near your fuel tank (i dont know the location of your tank cause I have a GT model. mine was under the rear seats)

-ignition system (distributor, cap/rotor, ignition coil, etc.) Theres a ignition system checking light sold at a store for like $5.

When your ignition system is not putting out some sparks, there are some things you should check. Is your timing belt okay? If you starter, etc. is okay, then theoretically you should be able to observe your timing belt move. If not you should try and check around that area.

I may not be 100% correct because I am just speaking from my own no start problem. Which happened to be my timing belt. I was not getting a spark, so I initially thought it was my ignition/fuel system, but it turned out to be my timing belt after I decided to check everything before I invest in some pricey parts.

Dogchew,
The symptoms you describe points to the possibility of a bad battery not holding a charge. Charge the battery then check the battery under 'load' to determine if it's good/bad. Also if the terminals are dirty, and/or the top of the battery is dirty the battery will discharge while it's sitting there. The other symptom you mentioned where there was no difference when you attempted to jump start sounds like a bad battery connection i.e. bad ground. The clicking you hear when you try to start the vehicle is the starter solonoid. Check the connections on the solonoid for cleanliness and tighness, and make sure the solonoid is grounded to the chassis.
Alvin

this thread is dead.

Hey everyone,

I've got a 94 Escort with a 1.9 litre engine & a manual transmission.

I went on vacation for one week. When I got back, my Escort wouldn't even crank over. I checked the battery and it seemed fine....

Check for a bad diode on your alternator... it may be allowing the alternator to drain the battery if it sits for too long without being run. If it drains it too many times, the battery will be bad.

The diode lets the alternator "charge" the battery when running but doesn't allow it to "drain" the battery when not running. The diode is like a 'one way switch'... if the diode is bad, it'll drain the battery over time so it'll never start.

An alternator rebuild shop may be able to change the diode, but it might just cost less to change the entire alternator. You can have the alternator diode tested at AutoZone for FREE!!!

did you ever figure out problem im having exact same problem its driving me nuts

Check for a bad diode on your alternator... it may be allowing the alternator to drain the battery if it sits for too long without being run. If it drains it too many times, the battery will be bad.

The diode lets the alternator "charge" the battery when running but doesn't allow it to "drain" the battery when not running. The diode is like a 'one way switch'... if the diode is bad, it'll drain the battery over time so it'll never start.

An alternator rebuild shop may be able to change the diode, but it might just cost less to change the entire alternator. You can have the alternator diode tested at AutoZone for FREE!!!