Electrical problems..97 Wagon

Several months ago my car decided LOL..that IF they keys ever get left in the ignition..and the doors get closed it may or may not lock me out haha. Has factory theft,dlr,remote locks/alarm..and everything else too haha.
I fixed that by NEVER leaving the keys in the ignition. Again haha.
It gave my buddy a demo the other day when I went in for coffee. and he STAYED lol in the car haha. I heard this can be caused by stray wireless whatever. Seems ok to me.

Today it would not start.Dead battery. Boost. I keep a new battery for boosting others and one that will fit the car and serious hd cables in the car. When I shut it off the dlr lites would not go off and the door locks kept operating afer the doors were locked I started the car and ran it for a few minutes..shut if off. All ok. Came back dlr lites on and doors locked. HAHA keys in pocket.

I could not get the dlr lites off so I figured module. Where is the module? Anyone know where or where to look? Could not easiy find it Not listed in the manual. SOoo..is there a fuse? Yes. Listed in the manual. Nope. That space/fuse is for the rear wiper/washer..(SW). Anyone know where that fuse is? Or where to look?

I almost never lock my doors..never leave much of anything in the car..just saves having the windows smashed when someone wants to steal stuff. PLUS whenever I have used that remote thinggy I end up setting off the alarm by forgetting..and sticking the key in the door..or hatch and opening it..the having to remember to shut if off by putting the key in the ignition. Can the alarm,remote be disabled?

SOooo...I used the remote to lock it and dlr lites went off and all seems ok.

I dunno..the car is still really nice and well maintained..I would really like to keep it that way..within a reasonable cost/work.

I do ALL my own work..have forever. But I really don't feel like diddling with this..ski season is here..I am busy skiing. I don't mind paying to have it fixed IF I KNEW AN HONEST SHOP AROUND HERE that I could trust and could do this. I listen to this HUGE car show every week and the sheer number of people that have electrical problems,dlr lite problems.electric locks.remotes,alarms WOW!! and the WORSE problems and HUGE$$$ AFTER they have been so called "fixed" NEVER MIND their bank accounts being practically drained

HOWEVER DLR modules that cost stooopid amounts of money..have been victim to me with the wire cutters on the wires to them. Ditto fir grief with power locks. I don't need them either. Alarms,remotes..lol..they can go too.

Any help is greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks...
Arnold..

If the DRLs were working ok before the battery went flat then it's likely that the DRL module's internal logic circuitry became a little unstable when the battery voltage dipped below the module's lower operating voltage threshold. You can reset the module by removing the Rear Wiper fuse (10A, located in the interior fuse panel). Leave it out-of-circuit for a few minutes and then re-install. If the DRLs still behave unpredictably then I'd do a full reset by disconnecting the battery negative terminal for a few minutes. I think that's all that will be required, but for the sake of completeness here are the DRL wiring diagrams and module location diagram. Wiring diagram # 3 confirms that the module does indeed receive power via the Rear Wiper fuse.

'97 Escort DRL wiring diagram 01 (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-DRL-wiring-01.png)
'97 Escort DRL wiring diagram 02 (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-DRL-wiring-02.png)
'97 Escort DRL wiring diagram 03 (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-DRL-wiring-03.png)

'97 Escort DRL troubleshooting chart (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-DRL-troubleshooting-chart.png)

'97 Escort DRL module location (http://www.freewebs.com/selectron/images-over-1024x768/97-Escort-DRL-module-location-01.png)

'97 Escort DRL module removal 01 (http://www.freewebs.com/selectron/images-over-1024x768/97-Escort-DRL-module-removal-01.png)
'97 Escort DRL module removal 02 (http://www.freewebs.com/selectron/images-over-1024x768/97-Escort-DRL-module-removal-02.png)
'97 Escort DRL module removal 03 (http://www.freewebs.com/selectron/images-over-1024x768/97-Escort-DRL-module-removal-03.png)
'97 Escort DRL module removal 04 (http://www.freewebs.com/selectron/images-over-1024x768/97-Escort-DRL-module-removal-04.png)

I'm not really familiar with the remote door locking system so I can't offer much help on that one. I wonder if the remote keyfob has a faulty button which is sending a lock command even when the button isn't being pressed. I assume you keep the keys in the house, and if that's within transmitting range of the car then you might try placing the keyfob in a metal container, which should block or severely attenuate the RF signal, and if it then quits locking itself then that might suggest that the transmitter is indeed sending spurious signals.

Something else you might try - this might be a waste of time but it will only take you two minutes. You'll probably have an AM radio around the house - has to be AM, because it won't work on FM - tune it to a quiet spot between stations and then take your TV remote control, or the remote for the VCR or cable set-top box, DVD player, etc. - hold it a few inches away from the radio and press any button. You'll hear pulsing from the remote control's internal oscillator, coming out of the radio speaker. That's because those remote control handsets almost always use a 455KHz crystal in their internal oscillator, which is just slightly below the intermediate frequency (IF) oscillator of AM radios, so it can be detected by the radio's IF circuit. If that works then try it again but using the car's remote keyfob and see if it interferes with the radio. If it does then you'll be able to determine if it's transmitting unwanted signals. Might be a waste of time but it'll keep you amused for a couple of minutes, and I really don't have much else to offer. Here are some diagrams which may or may not shed some light on the problem.

'97 Escort RKE wiring diagram 01 (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-RKE-wiring-01.png)
'97 Escort RKE wiring diagram 02 (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-RKE-wiring-02.png)

'97 Escort PDL wiring diagram 01 (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-PDL-wiring-01.png)
'97 Escort PDL wiring diagram 02 (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-PDL-wiring-02.png)
'97 Escort PDL wiring diagram 03 (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-PDL-wiring-03.png)

'97 Escort RAP module location - sedan (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-RAP-module-location-sedan.png)
'97 Escort RAP module location - wagon (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-RAP-module-location-wagon.png)

'97 Escort RAP module description (http://www.freewebs.com/selectron/images-over-1024x768/97-Escort-RAP-module-description.png)

'97 Escort anti-theft module description (http://www.freewebs.com/selectron/images-over-1024x768/97-Escort-anti-theft-description.png)

If the DRLs were working ok before the battery went flat then it's likely that the DRL module's internal logic circuitry became a little unstable when the battery voltage dipped below the module's lower operating voltage threshold. You can reset the module by removing the Rear Wiper fuse (10A, located in the interior fuse panel). Leave it out-of-circuit for a few minutes and then re-install. If the DRLs still behave unpredictably then I'd do a full reset by disconnecting the battery negative terminal for a few minutes. I think that's all that will be required, but for the sake of completeness here are the DRL wiring diagrams and module location diagram. Wiring diagram # 3 confirms that the module does indeed receive power via the Rear Wiper fuse.

'97 Escort DRL wiring diagram 01 (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-DRL-wiring-01.png)
'97 Escort DRL wiring diagram 02 (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-DRL-wiring-02.png)
'97 Escort DRL wiring diagram 03 (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-DRL-wiring-03.png)

'97 Escort DRL troubleshooting chart (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-DRL-troubleshooting-chart.png)

'97 Escort DRL module location (http://www.freewebs.com/selectron/images-over-1024x768/97-Escort-DRL-module-location-01.png)

'97 Escort DRL module removal 01 (http://www.freewebs.com/selectron/images-over-1024x768/97-Escort-DRL-module-removal-01.png)
'97 Escort DRL module removal 02 (http://www.freewebs.com/selectron/images-over-1024x768/97-Escort-DRL-module-removal-02.png)
'97 Escort DRL module removal 03 (http://www.freewebs.com/selectron/images-over-1024x768/97-Escort-DRL-module-removal-03.png)
'97 Escort DRL module removal 04 (http://www.freewebs.com/selectron/images-over-1024x768/97-Escort-DRL-module-removal-04.png)

I'm not really familiar with the remote door locking system so I can't offer much help on that one. I wonder if the remote keyfob has a faulty button which is sending a lock command even when the button isn't being pressed. I assume you keep the keys in the house, and if that's within transmitting range of the car then you might try placing the keyfob in a metal container, which should block or severely attenuate the RF signal, and if it then quits locking itself then that might suggest that the transmitter is indeed sending spurious signals.

Something else you might try - this might be a waste of time but it will only take you two minutes. You'll probably have an AM radio around the house - has to be AM, because it won't work on FM - tune it to a quiet spot between stations and then take your TV remote control, or the remote for the VCR or cable set-top box, DVD player, etc. - hold it a few inches away from the radio and press any button. You'll hear pulsing from the remote control's internal oscillator, coming out of the radio speaker. That's because those remote control handsets almost always use a 455KHz crystal in their internal oscillator, which is just slightly below the intermediate frequency (IF) oscillator of AM radios, so it can be detected by the radio's IF circuit. If that works then try it again but using the car's remote keyfob and see if it interferes with the radio. If it does then you'll be able to determine if it's transmitting unwanted signals. Might be a waste of time but it'll keep you amused for a couple of minutes, and I really don't have much else to offer. Here are some diagrams which may or may not shed some light on the problem.

'97 Escort RKE wiring diagram 01 (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-RKE-wiring-01.png)
'97 Escort RKE wiring diagram 02 (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-RKE-wiring-02.png)

'97 Escort PDL wiring diagram 01 (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-PDL-wiring-01.png)
'97 Escort PDL wiring diagram 02 (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-PDL-wiring-02.png)
'97 Escort PDL wiring diagram 03 (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-PDL-wiring-03.png)

'97 Escort RAP module location - sedan (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-RAP-module-location-sedan.png)
'97 Escort RAP module location - wagon (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-RAP-module-location-wagon.png)

'97 Escort RAP module description (http://www.freewebs.com/selectron/images-over-1024x768/97-Escort-RAP-module-description.png)

'97 Escort anti-theft module description (http://www.freewebs.com/selectron/images-over-1024x768/97-Escort-anti-theft-description.png)


Selectron..THANKS! very much for that. I will try those things you suggested. I owe you. I hope one day to be able to help you out the same way

fwiw..The rear wiper motor blew a few fuses..I changed the motor(used one)..all was fine..then it started blowing fuses again. The fuse has been blown for a while now

You are right about the memory..the battery did go dead enough.

lol..it has not done that again since.

I am sortta thinking it might be the battery. Momentarily shorting out internally..(plate)now and again..allowing the..as you said battery voltage to drop too low for a second. I don't know how old the battery is?? Seems to work fine though..however i have seen batteries start to act weird before. LOL..ya..usually just before the die haha.

I don't mind putting a new battery in it..Walmart's Eveready's are very good and pretty cheap..I do not like batteries in cars more than 4 years old anyway. Around here..that seems to be the consensus..batteries last about 4 years. Iiirc..I don't think I have had one last 5 years. Those batteries with the 6-10 year warranties are just a waste of money. Costs you more when they pr0-rate what you have used than to just buy another half decent battery. As long as i have a less than 4 year old battery and a NEW one in the car as a spare for boosting then I am good

Thanks again!

Arnold..

If the DRLs were working ok before the battery went flat then it's likely that the DRL module's internal logic circuitry became a little unstable when the battery voltage dipped below the module's lower operating voltage threshold. You can reset the module by removing the Rear Wiper fuse (10A, located in the interior fuse panel). Leave it out-of-circuit for a few minutes and then re-install. If the DRLs still behave unpredictably then I'd do a full reset by disconnecting the battery negative terminal for a few minutes. I think that's all that will be required, but for the sake of completeness here are the DRL wiring diagrams and module location diagram. Wiring diagram # 3 confirms that the module does indeed receive power via the Rear Wiper fuse.

'97 Escort DRL wiring diagram 01 (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-DRL-wiring-01.png)
'97 Escort DRL wiring diagram 02 (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-DRL-wiring-02.png)
'97 Escort DRL wiring diagram 03 (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-DRL-wiring-03.png)

'97 Escort DRL troubleshooting chart (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-DRL-troubleshooting-chart.png)

'97 Escort DRL module location (http://www.freewebs.com/selectron/images-over-1024x768/97-Escort-DRL-module-location-01.png)

'97 Escort DRL module removal 01 (http://www.freewebs.com/selectron/images-over-1024x768/97-Escort-DRL-module-removal-01.png)
'97 Escort DRL module removal 02 (http://www.freewebs.com/selectron/images-over-1024x768/97-Escort-DRL-module-removal-02.png)
'97 Escort DRL module removal 03 (http://www.freewebs.com/selectron/images-over-1024x768/97-Escort-DRL-module-removal-03.png)
'97 Escort DRL module removal 04 (http://www.freewebs.com/selectron/images-over-1024x768/97-Escort-DRL-module-removal-04.png)

I'm not really familiar with the remote door locking system so I can't offer much help on that one. I wonder if the remote keyfob has a faulty button which is sending a lock command even when the button isn't being pressed. I assume you keep the keys in the house, and if that's within transmitting range of the car then you might try placing the keyfob in a metal container, which should block or severely attenuate the RF signal, and if it then quits locking itself then that might suggest that the transmitter is indeed sending spurious signals.

Something else you might try - this might be a waste of time but it will only take you two minutes. You'll probably have an AM radio around the house - has to be AM, because it won't work on FM - tune it to a quiet spot between stations and then take your TV remote control, or the remote for the VCR or cable set-top box, DVD player, etc. - hold it a few inches away from the radio and press any button. You'll hear pulsing from the remote control's internal oscillator, coming out of the radio speaker. That's because those remote control handsets almost always use a 455KHz crystal in their internal oscillator, which is just slightly below the intermediate frequency (IF) oscillator of AM radios, so it can be detected by the radio's IF circuit. If that works then try it again but using the car's remote keyfob and see if it interferes with the radio. If it does then you'll be able to determine if it's transmitting unwanted signals. Might be a waste of time but it'll keep you amused for a couple of minutes, and I really don't have much else to offer. Here are some diagrams which may or may not shed some light on the problem.

'97 Escort RKE wiring diagram 01 (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-RKE-wiring-01.png)
'97 Escort RKE wiring diagram 02 (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-RKE-wiring-02.png)

'97 Escort PDL wiring diagram 01 (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-PDL-wiring-01.png)
'97 Escort PDL wiring diagram 02 (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-PDL-wiring-02.png)
'97 Escort PDL wiring diagram 03 (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-PDL-wiring-03.png)

'97 Escort RAP module location - sedan (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-RAP-module-location-sedan.png)
'97 Escort RAP module location - wagon (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-RAP-module-location-wagon.png)

'97 Escort RAP module description (http://www.freewebs.com/selectron/images-over-1024x768/97-Escort-RAP-module-description.png)

'97 Escort anti-theft module description (http://www.freewebs.com/selectron/images-over-1024x768/97-Escort-anti-theft-description.png)


lol..Thanks again Selectron. I am not arguing with you..I SURELY don't know anywhere near as much as you do!. I did say in my first or second post(maybe both) that the rear wiper fuse was blown and the drl still worked. I did notice the power feed for it in my manual..and the links you sent me Thanks! This is a Canadian car AND a wagon. There is a difference in the fuseing/box and wiring/diagram.
That the drl worked when the rear wiper fuse was blown..it got power from somewhere..I dunno where??
I found the module! I was putting washer fluid in and noticed something HOT!..too hot probablly..but had some sort of protective shield. I looked again at the link you sent me..that was it.

I probablly should not have looked at it haha..the drl's don't work at all now. Oh well..

I guess I will check for power at the drl module,look at the color of the wires and work back. lol..pull all the fuses until I get no power there..or start pulling until I lose power there.

Thanks again..

Hmmm, the Ford manual does cover the Canadian Escorts, so the diagrams should be accurate for your model, and whenever there's a difference between sedan and wagon, that will be indicated either on the diagram or in the text. I don't know why the DRLs would be able to work with the fuse out-of-circuit, but maybe the power distribution diagram might help:

'97 Escort Rear Wiper fuse - power distribution diagram (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x64/Selectron/Escort/97-Escort-Rear-Wiper-Fuse-Distrbn.png)

As you can see, the Rear Wiper fuse feeds the DRL Module, Left DRL Relay (coil), Right DRL Relay (coil), Liftgate Washer Pump Motor, and Liftgate Wiper Motor, and it feeds all those items via blue/pink wires. It might be worth looking at the wiring back at the tailgate, where the wiring harness leaves the body and enters the tailgate - there might be some damage to the wiring inside the flexible conduit (the wiring for the washer pump or wiper motor).

If you're sure the module is obtaining power from elsewhere then pulling the other fuses one at a time is a good idea. I wouldn't have expected the module to run particularly hot, unless it had an internal fault. One item which will run hot is the DRL Resistor, which will be a large ceramic resistor, the purpose of which is to reduce the voltage applied to the headlamps during daytime operation. If that failed (and high wattage ceramic resistors are indeed very failure-prone) then that could cause the headlamps to not illuminate during DRL operation, although the headlamps would still work normally when switched on via the regular headlamp switch, for night-time operation.

It's probably illegal to drive without DRLs over there eh, so I assume you have no option but to fix them. Let me know if you need any help.