My 2000 Ls won't start.

[ghuffer]

I washed my car yesterday and upon finishing it didn't want to start and the third time it finally did. I then drove about 8 miles and stopped to pick up laundry samething 2x's wouldn't start 3rd time it finally did. Stopped one finally time and it took 8-10 time to get it to start. Now I can't get it started for the anything. It make the noise like it is trying but not get gas or a spark. I have replace a starter relay becuase 6 months ago it wouldn't even attempt to start and when replaced it started right away till now. I also along the way replaced coil packs due to it missing. I did not spray in the engine compartment just washed the extrior of the car. Like I said it cranks but doesn't start. Local car part store will not loan me a scan to get a code someone please help.

[discnik]

Unfortunately without a scanner or test equipment it is hard to tell what your problem exactly is. It could be your crank position sensor, cam sensor, fuel pump, etc. . Your best bet is to take it to a shop, grit your teeth and bear it.

[lumberjak1984]

Originally Posted by discnik

Unfortunately without a scanner or test equipment it is hard to tell what your problem exactly is. It could be your crank position sensor, cam sensor, fuel pump, etc. . Your best bet is to take it to a shop, grit your teeth and bear it.

i have a few problems with my 01 ls and auto zone put in a scanner or whatever it is under the steering wheel area and pulled 4 codes 4 me...try autozone they did it for free.

[shorod]

Welcome to the forum!

How old is the battery in your LS? The LS seems to be well known for having an electrical system that is very sensitive to having an extremely healthy battery.

-Rod

[34Ford]

Happened to my wifes '01. Replaced the battery and it fixed it.

[nflea7]

This is starting to happen to me, I purchaced a new battery a few days ago, stepped up from 650 cold cranking power to the biggest I could find 850 and the same problem of not starting until the third time happend after it rained. There has to be something to do with the rain getting something wet and causing this issue. I am thinking a few things, one could be the fuel pump or a leak in the fuel lines, the distributor getting wet from something. The starter sounds like a mack truck on mine but it turns over. I'm thinking either something is getting wet, or for some reason its taking longer sometimes for the fuel pump to get the gas thru the line to the engine. Thoughts?

[shorod]

Your LS uses Coil on Plug (CoP) ignition, so you can rule out a distributor issue.

It would certainly be good to determine if you have a fuel pressure issue or a spark issue. If you have a fuel pressure gauge, you can do this quite easily.

You don't mention if you have a V6 or V8, so checking the coils for water may or may not be easy. On the V8, some people have experienced water leaking from the cowl into the valley on top of the valve cover gaskets and down into the spark plug wells, causing the coils to arc through the cylinder head rather than through the spark plugs. This seems to be after someone removes the coil valley cover and fails to put fresh RTV in the area where the coil primary wires pass into the valley.

-Rod

[xlu]

Hi, my 2000 Lincoln LS V6 had been running great until a few days ago. I don't drive it all the time because I have several cars. It has 45000 miles.

After parked for over a month, it would not start. I checked ignition coils and found the one for cylinder 5 had moisture on it. After cleaning and drying, the car started and ran very smooth.

I drove it in local for 2 days, and the car cranked but wouldn't start again. I found the fuse for the fuel pump open. I replaced the fuse and the fuel filter. It still cranked but would not start; even with a jump from another car. I checked the fuel shutoff switch, but I didn't know how to reset it (I found the switch but could not see any button to push for resetting); but I used a multimeter to check the 12 V after the switch and it's there. I also used a multimeter to measure the current in place (across) the fuel pump fuse; it was zero; which means the fuel pump does not run. When the car key turned on, I could hear two relay clicks from the rear electronic module, then one click from the fuel pump relay in the rear fuse box but no current thru the fuel pump fuse.

How can I troubleshoot further? I have a scanner but since I erased last error code of cylinder 5 miss-fire, there' no more new code recorded. How to check fuel pressure? How to confirm it's the fuel pump? What else to check?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[shorod]

If you just attempted to measure the voltage across the fuse, that doesn't help you determine current through the fuse. The drop across the fuse will be negligible, therefore you cannot calculate current flow through it. Per Ohm's Law, I=V/R. So if you were to assume the resistance drop across the fuse were 0.01 ohm (which I think is probably about right), then a 0.01 V drop across the fuse would equate to a 1 amp draw. You'd need a milliohm meter to accurately determine the resistance through the fuse and a very sensitive multimeter to accurately measure the drop across the fuse this way as even a reading of 0.1 V across the fuse would be a 10 amp draw on the circuit. Also, the fuel pump circuit should only be energized for a second or two when the key is in Key On Engine Off (KOEO) which doesn't give a lot of time to make a measurement.

A more accurate way to measure the current draw on the circuit would be to install a precision low ohm power resistor in series with the fuse, use a series current meter, or purchase something like this.

All of that's great, but all that will tell you is if the fuel pump circuit is drawing current. Even if it is, that doesn't mean the pump is providing sufficient fuel pressure at the fuel rail. Since the fuse blew once, you might have a low resistance path to ground other than through the fuel pump. For checking fuel pressure you need a fuel pressure gauge with the Ford adapter. Many of the chain auto parts stores will sell such a gauge.

-Rod

[xlu]

Hi Rod, I actually removed the fuel pump fuse and place a current meter in series with the circuit (plugged in the current meter in place of the fuse).

You wrote that the pump is energized at the moment the key is inserted? That means I measured at the wrong moment. I did when the key is turned to utility on position.

I'll get a pressure gauge and check it soon. Thanks

[shorod]

Nope, the fuel pump is energized momentarily at KOEO, not as soon as the key is inserted. Insert key -> Turn to "Run" position -> Fuel pump runs for a second or two to prime the fuel rail -> Fuel pump shuts off until engine is cranked. I don't recall the specifics as to if the Crankshaft Position Sensor needs to detect rotation in order to enable the fuel pump when cranking the engine or not.

-Rod

[xlu]

I bought a fuel pressure gauge; plugged in the test point next to the injector and read zero pressure. I also did not hear the pump engaging when the key was turned on. Are these enough to conclude the fuel pump being the problem?

[shorod]

They point toward to the fuel pumps, but to conclude the pumps are the problem, you'll need to check for power to the pumps. Hopefully Joegr will clarify/correct this. There are actually two fuel pumps in two system, the main/primary pump and a jet pump. For both of them to go out at the same time would seem unlikely. If one of them were to go out I think you'd have driveability issues leading up to the total failure for some amount of time longer than "worked one day just fine, tried a month later and it wouldn't start" scenario since with only one pump the pressure would be low, but possibly enough to get the car started and certainly enough to show some current draw on the circuit.

You might try checking for battery voltage after the fuel pump inertial shut off switch using a test light rather than you multimeter since the test light will provide some load to the circuit.

-Rod

[joegr]

Check for power to the fuel pump (for the first few seconds when you turn the key to run). The fuel pump in on the passenger side, under the rear seat bottom.
At the fuel pump connector...
Pins 2 (green with orange band) and 4 (black with red band) are the power to the pump. You have to measure the voltage with the red probe on pin 2 and the black probe on pin 4. Both power and ground are switched to the pump, so either could be faulty.

[Pin 1 (white with red band) is the fuel level sender signal. Pin 3 (brown with red band) is the ground for the fuel level sender.]

The jet pump (on the driver's side) is not electrically powered (the electrical connection is for the other fuel level sender). It operates from the fuel coming from the electric pump. If the electric pump fails, then this one won't work either.

If the electric pump is working, failure of the jet pump can cause a loss of fuel pressure too.

[xlu]

I fixed the car by replacing the fuel pump. Thanks rod and joegr for the help.