Hi all! 1st post here.

My sister-in-law's Escort was running fine. When she tried to start it some hours later, it just cranked normally but wouldn't fire.

Also, she discovered that it won't shift out of park unless I engage the release under that little button beside the shifter.

I checked the little valve on the fuel rail and nothing came out, even while cranking. I could not hear any fuel pump noise. I could not locate a fuse labeled fuel pump, only one for the injectors. I also verified the emergency fuel-cutout in the trunk is engaged. I am not 100% convinced there is any spark, either.

I understand the fuel pump can be reached by removing the back seat.

Is there a separate fuse just for the pump and if so where?
And what's with the shifter?

Sorry if the post is too long, just trying to be thourough. :)

If you don't have an owner's manual, do a search for Ford manual and you should find a link for that and hopefully that will have the fuse location for your fuel pump. It certainly sounds that a fuse may be involved. Worst case, pull and check every fuse. For some reason, your symptoms make me think of the brake light switch interlock isn't working, but I may be wrong on this idea. See if you brake lights are coming on. If not, that should point you in the right direction, fuse or switch. If not fuse then be sure switch is hot. etc

Okay, thanks for the tip.

I've also heard that if the timing belt is broken, all these symptoms would appear.

Gonna go have another look at the car in the morning.

Anyone have any tips on doing the timing belt? (Just in case? :banghead: )

On some vehicles, you can look inside the valve cover through the oil fill hole and look for the valve train and rockers to move when the engine is cranked, if you are really concerned that your timing belt went. Another method is to pull some plugs to see if the cylinders are getting compression when you crank the engine or leaking out the stuck open valves by putting a finger over the plug holes. I am not personally familiar with that vehicle, but I wouldn't expect the fuel pump to be disengaged due to the timing belt, but these cars are becoming so rediculously smart, they can tell when's the last time you waxed it, so anything is possible. But it doesn't seem to track either when you are also having a shifter problem. I'm not familiar with exactly what you are doing to get it to work, so I can't make any conclusions there. Overall, I am suspicious of an electrical problem. Fuse, relay, ground. I''m not sure if they put a constant control relay module(ccrm, a relay control for several things in one unit) in your year or just a fuel pump relay. I see both in the diagrams for that year. Either way, it may be the problem. For your info, the fuel pump is listed as a 30 amp fuse. So, you can check those in your fuse block with confidence it's one of those. This is at http://javascript:pop("0900823d8013c8d2","gif_large","no") (http://javascript:pop()") which is part of Autozone.com, a very helpful site. After searching the parts they have available for your car, it appears that you may have individual relays for the fuel pump and other things rather than several things controlled just by the ccrm. I hope that it is that and not the timing chain. Good luck!

If you have no fuel pressure and don't hear the pump engage when you turn the key, then focus on the electrical possibilities... or maybe just a bad pump.
While your belt may have broken, it has nothing to do with the fuel pressure so it is an unlikely problem.

Thanks again guys.

I have confirmed the timing belt is NOT broken. :smokin:

It has been suggested an ignition-control module may be at fault. Appearantly that will account for no spark or fuel and somehow prevent the shifter from moving unless the override is engaged. :screwy:

I think I`ll check the fuel pump first. :runaround:

Damn Fords. :banghead:

BTW: Brake Lights are functional.

I agree. Ignition Control Module could be the problem.

That would be the module right beside the fusebox in front of the driver's side strut?

Is there any way to test it besides putting in a new one and hope the P.O.S. starts?

There is a test procedure listed in my Haynes for two of my Fords of that vintage. I would expect the same for yours. Some of the parts stores can test them. I didn't look, but at autozone.com they may in their repair section explain how to do that. I am not very familiar with the specifics of a 93, but the first icm/tfi where bolted to the base of the distributor. But for newer models, I have also read they are where you described. I used to replace the icm/tfi on my escort like changing a belt. Ridiculous!

also check the key switch ( the electrical side, oppisite the key side) I had this same problem & one of the contacts inside the SW burned off. It would crank but wouldnt get juice to the ign, or fuel pump.

With a bad ignition control module you can still have spark, my cavalier had a bad one and still sparked, had to have a shop test it. Your symptoms sound the same as I had with my cav with bad module.

As I vaguely recall, all of the IMs I had to replace on my early model Escort, I didn't have spark. So it was a guessing game what was bad, coil, cap and rotor, distributor, wires, plugs....coil was the deceptive. Either way, you can get it easily figured out at AA or AZ if they are near you or whoever, or Haynes has test procedure. Wished they had a test for mine by either method besides a leap of faith that it was defective. They were expensive back then and once you try it, its yours.

:ylsuper:
Got the bugger!

Wolfe, you win the prize! It was the key switch! :worshippy

Took it apart and sure enough, burned out and melted. It looked like it had been done once, but the lazy wank cut off the little white module and spliced the new switch to the old one. I can see why, it was a pain in the @$$ to get at. I replaced the entire set and the P.O.S. fired right up.

Thank you gentlemen, I appreciate all your help!
I hope I can return the favor sometime! :thumbsup:

I've been thru similar problems. I had the starter contacts in the switch stick and made the engine crank constantly. I first replaced the selinoid and then the whole starter with some extra parts I had. In the end it was the easiest thing that I should have thought about first instead of going for the hard stuff to replace. Fred