1994 Taurus SHO

:banghead: is what this car has me doin. So I am just gonna say I am getting NO spark out of a Brand NEW Ignition system.... I say system by means of I have changed everything that causes or makes spark...Could someone please help me? I have 15 years of Experience, and I have....too much time invested and that may not be much but to me it is. I have a "few" dollars invested. So if anyone could help just by sharing and pickin brains maybe come up with some ideas I haven't thought of.

I am getting NO spark out of a Brand NEW Ignition system
Could you be a little more specific on what you mean by "New Ignition system"? New plugs? New ignition switch? New wires? New coil? ETC...

Everything, i.e...Coil pack, Cam Switch, Crank Switch, Ignitor box, Plugs, Wires...Everything, have also changed the "brain"

Do you live by a library? They should have a service manual on your car which would help you to trace down the problem. You've replaced all of the major parts, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they're not bad out of the box. The service manual will trace everything down step by step for you, and then you won't have to bang your head against the wall :banghead: :) About the only thing that you haven't checked is the wiring harnesses. If you had an open circuit on one of the wires that would cause your problem.

This started out as a simple tune-up and Valve cover gasket change...All the wires are connected...and there is nothing pinched...Could someone tell me if a Factory Alarm installed by a dealer would have some sort of "kill" switch?

Could someone tell me if a Factory Alarm installed by a dealer would have some sort of "kill" switch?
They have two different styles of systems. You probably have the earlier PATS system. It is designed to be completely transparent so that it requires no action at all on the part of a driver, and always remains active, even if the doors are left unlocked and the alarm is off. The PATS system was first a separate module mounted beneath the dashboard, and later became part of the engine management system, and is connected to a transceiver mounted around the ignition barrel (this is where it first ties into the ignition). When the ignition key is not present, PATS disables all of the EEC V engine management, and on some models the starter as well. The PATS receiver awaits an ignition key with a transponder which matches the code that PATS recognises. Even if a key is an exact physical match with the ignition lock and the key is turned, PATS checks the transponder code and if it is not recognised the engine is dead. Is your car cranking? I had just assumed by 'no spark' that you meant it was cranking over but you had no spark, but a factory alarm could certainly stop the engine from starting.

BTW check to see if your LED is flashing in the dash. It may be trying to tell you something.

The following checks can be made without WDS:

The engine does not start and LED remains off.

1. Check PATS system fuses

2. If alarm is fitted check if LED functions for alarm: if not check cigar lighter fuse (also used for LED)

3. If not go to Ford dealer.



Engine does not start: LED flashes rapidly. Leave ignition on until the LED starts to flash a 2 digit code: (sequence- pause-sequence) Check the following codes:

Code flashes:
1:3 Key code not received. Is key screened by other keys or objects? Try different key: if okay then first key is faulty. If not go to main dealer

1:4 Partial code only received. Try again. If not okay use different key. If not go to main dealer

1:5 Key not programmed into PATS. Program key as above using master key.

1:6 Faulty link between PATS module and EECV. Go to Ford dealer.



If the LED illuminates for 4 seconds but the engine does not crank, PATS is working correctly and there is a fault elsewhere. Try starter solenoid or battery. If okay go to Ford dealer.

If the LED illuminates for 4 seconds and the engine cranks but does not start, PATS is working correctly and the fault lies elsewhere. Check the Fuel Cut-Off switch. If okay go to Ford dealer.



If none of the above checks resolves the problem then the system will need to be connected to WDS at a Ford dealer for a diagnostic check.

If the engine starts normally but the LED stays on, wait for one minute. The LED may then flash a code 2:1. This is showing a ‘fault’ that there are less than 3 keys programmed into PATS. One of more keys need to be programmed to stop this code.

Any other code needs referring to the Ford dealer.

yes i have cranking, the transponder is aparent on the key my Grand Prix and GMC Truck has one...there however, isn't one on the key of my Taurus...

there however, isn't one on the key of my Taurus...
The Ford keys look much more 'normal' than the GM keys will, so it will be harder to detect if they're for PATS. However since a Ford dealer installed the system they should have given you new keys to go along with it, since the keys are a vital role in how it works. In fact you should have received two keys with the system. If they installed a PATS system in your car and didn't give you the matching keys, then first I'd find a new dealership to deal with :p Secondly you wouldn't have been able to drive the car home without the new keys. Verify that it was a FORD alarm system that was installed, and not an aftermarket system. Dealerships install BOTH kinds, and customers rarely know which one it is. Find out where the alarm brain is and verify what is installed in your car. If it's PATS then you must have the correct keys (unless you're using replacement keys). If it's an aftermarket system then you won't need special keys. If it is a PATS system then you would have to be using the special keys, even though they may not look special, but that doesn't mean that the ignition antenna for the system is working correctly. There is also the possibility that you have the PATS system but some of the ignition parts that you used are not the correct ones to work with PATS, and so it doesn't recognise them. You'll need to first verify what alarm was installed (make/model) and trace it down from there.

I don't think the 1994 SHO has the PATS system or a varient of PATS. My 1993 SHO did not have PATS, and I don't recall anyone on SHOTimes forum discussing PATS for the Gen 2 SHO.

How did you determine there is no spark? Did you actually use a spark tester, or just assume there's no spark since the engine doesn't start?

Did you make sure to plug the MAF sensor and IAC servo connectors back in?

Have you checked the spark trigger into the ignition module?

Have you double-checked all the connections? I assume you started out with the plug and valve cover change, got it all back together, then realized the car wouldn't start.

Did you make sure to get the ground wire reconnected to the rear upper intake bracket bolt?

If you attempt to pull codes from the PCM, what response do you get (flashing CEL, no CEL, code 12)?


Do you have an oscilloscope or multimeter that you can use to check the signal from the crankshaft position sensor?

While cranking the engine, what battery voltage do you read?

-Rod

I don't think the 1994 SHO has the PATS system or a varient of PATS.
The earliest I could find so far is a 95 Mustang so it's a close call, but the easiest way to verify one way or the other is to simply remove the steering column cover and look inside. PATS will be right next to the ignition switch. I'm guessing that it was an aftermarket system installed. Back then I used to install tons of "factory" alarms, only the fact is that Ford didn't make them :p If it's an aftermarket system then it's not the problem because they wouldn't allow you to crank the engine when they went bad. Another big clue that it's not a factory system is if the key is all metal.

I have done the "typical" tests for spark pullin a plug and turning the motor over. I have also ran a test light to all the components and have power to and from them, :banghead:

I have to go to the library today or tomorrow. I will see if they have anything regarding this on a 94 Taurus. They won't allow people to take the reference books out, but I can try to study them for you. Which engine do you have?

I have the 3.2, but they say that it has the 3.0 ignition system...which makes NO sense at all to me...

Alright if i changed the brain and the car I took it out of didn't have the alarm or the PATS for that matter could that be where the problem is?

Alright if i changed the brain and the car I took it out of didn't have the alarm or the PATS for that matter could that be where the problem is?
It could be the brain, but not for the reason you stated. Ford started using PATS early in 95. Your car is a 94. Depending on when your car was manufactured it's 'technically' possible that you could have PATS, but the odds are that you don't. We're not going to rule it out, we're just not going to focus on it having PATS at this time. The chances are VERY slim that it's your problem at this time. If your car was one or two years newer, then we'd be looking at PATS a little closer :wink:

The easiest way to trace something like this down is to start at the output and work backward. We know it's not the sparkplugs, so next in line is the wires. We know it's not the wires, so the next in line is the distributor, ETC. ETC. We keep doing this until we get to the key :)

Starting at the plugs and goin backward, Plugs(new) Wires(new) Coil(new) Cam switch taken of a "running" vehicle as well as the brain and the crank switch...alright with the PATS..."outta" mind, Could it be the brain from another car NOT compatable with this vehicle? The Donor car is IDENTICAL...From the motor to the color....year, but....the donor was in a "bumper thumper" the bags were deployed but nothing was crushed in the engine bay but the radiator. Due to the bags being deplyed would that have an affect on the brain

Could it be the brain from another car NOT compatable with this vehicle?
Yes.

Due to the bags being deplyed would that have an affect on the brain
Not as far as starting goes. Did the car it came out of still run? Depending on where it was mounted it could have a hairline crack in the circuit board, but that's fairly unlikely.

OK we've got to get this car started now because I have money invested in it (I photo copied some things for you) :p

I'm sending you the engine wiring diagram which should help you to trace down the problem :)

Did the PCM part number from the donor car match the part number that was in your car? There should be a 4 digit bold part number on it, something like D4U1 (I don't recall the two versions used for the automatic SHO). See the following eBay auction for the number location:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/95-Ford-Taurus-SHO-D4U1-ECU-Computer-UPGRADE-for-93_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33596QQihZ016QQitemZ 260057840669QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

Did you have the donor PCM in your car before the no-start condition started occurring (ie: did your car ever run with the donor PCM)? If not, since the conditions haven't changed, why not put the original PCM back in?

Also, your SHO should have the Constant Control Relay Module (CCRM) which contains the PCM relay, fuel pump relay, A/C relays, and cooling fan relays. Inspect the ground for the CCRM closely and make sure they are clean and good. Backprobe the CCRM connector to make sure the PCM relay is providing battery voltage to the PCM.

Have you tried jumpering the EEC diagnostic connector to see if the PCM will flash any codes? If you jumper the connectors, turn the key to run, and you get no flashes, the PCM is either not getting power or is faulty. That would certainly explain the no-spark condition since the signal to fire the coil primaries is provided by the PCM. That signal would be another good one to check.

When you try to start the car, pay attention to the Check Engine Light. Does it remain illuminated while the engine is cranking?

-Rod