1998 windstar electrical problem???

[JJJCOLON]

When i open the drivers door, there is a clicking sound in the relay section, then the interior lights turn off and the battery is drain. Won't start, took starter to advance auto, check out ok. Check battery terminals and clean them, borrow an ignition switch, won't start. What else can i try???

[northern piper]

if this is an OEM battery I'd be checking it for sure. Any auto parts place will be able to do a quick evaluation of the starting, charging system, usually for free. Before getting too deep, that's where I'd start.

[serge_saati]

Charge the battery with a charger/booster and check the parasitic drain. It should be around 50mA.

If it's too high, try to remove the interior light fuse at I/P to see if you have a drop.
If it doesn't work, try to remove other I/P fuse to locate the problem.

I don't understand, your battery is drain, so you check the starter??? Or it doesn't start even if you boost it?

[JJJCOLON]

I tried jump starting it, with the battery booster cables (heavy duty ones) wouldn't
start, that's why I was checking starter.

[serge_saati]

Ok, but windstar engine needs a LOT of power to start. Your discharged battery is like a short-circuit and steal the power of the other battery.

So when you boost a big car like that, you need to connect cables and wait at least 5 minutes before trying to start. The time to your battery charges a bit and raise voltage. Each fail attempt will increase the wait time of 40 secs. So don't start too much. And don't espect that work immediatly. I suggest you to be boosted by a big car or light truck.

Don't forget to measure the current from the battery + post to the red cable (to test parasitic drain) when everything is turned off.
Also measure the batt voltage. It should be at least 12.2V to start easely.

[tomj76]

Check the voltage on the battery. Check it on the alternator. Check with the key off, key on, and attempting to start.

It should always stay above 13 volts, except when attempting to start.

If it stays high, then check for continuity though the transmission lockout switch in the ignition circuit.

I see you borrowed an ignition switch, which should have bypassed the transmission circuit if you wired it into the vehicle correctly.

[serge_saati]

When key is off, 12.2-12.6V is a very good voltage battery. Below 12-12.2V is too weak.

[drzoidberg]

If I remember correctly, 12.7V is right about where the battery should be at 100% charge. My 98 has a relay that clicks when you open the door also...but it will also do it if you wait about 30 sec after turning off the car. Probably power to windows, since they won't roll up/down after the click. Does the starter even make a clicking noise when you attempt to start? If not, it may be the solenoid that engages the starter, or the battery is so dead it can't even run that. It's not unheard of for a battery to seem OK one day, and dead the next.

[JJJCOLON]

The starter was checked at Advance auto, it was working perfectly, solenoid was engaging. I did try my battery from my 1994 Crown Victoria, still no crank on starter. Tried my Windstar battery on Crown, Crown did turn on.????

[serge_saati]

Ok, so it can be a problem with the TRS, try to start in neutral.
It can be an anti-theft issue. Do you have an alarm/remote starter system?
Or the ignition switch.

Check the schematic:


this one is not copywriten.

[JJJCOLON]

Tried to turn on with setting on neutral, no go, did not start

[JJJCOLON]

No anti-theft either.

[serge_saati]

What it does when you try to start, all instrument cluster appears on the dashboard but no crank?
Or no dashboard light?
At least other accessory work, power door, interior light, wiper...?

[Selectron]

If you've no anti-theft then I'd suggest you temporarily bypass the starter solenoid circuit just for test purposes. There are three connections at the starter solenoid - two cables are large diameter and the third is a much thinner wire which I think should be red/light blue on your model - that's the one that you're interested in. Get a length of wire and connect it to that smaller terminal and route the other end up to near the battery - strip a quarter inch of insulation from the end but don't actually connect it to anything.

Then ensure that you're in Park or Neutral with the parking brake applied, switch the ignition on and then go around to the engine bay and touch the bare end of that wire to the battery positive terminal - the engine should crank and run - remove the wire as soon as it's running.

If it cranks and fires then there's a problem with the 12 volt feed to the solenoid, and since you've already tried a replacement ignition switch then it's likely to be the Transmission Range Sensor/Switch although it could also be a bad connector or wire in that circuit.

If it still doesn't crank then the problem is with either the battery or the starter/solenoid assembly.

[JJJCOLON]

When I turn ignition key, everthing, dash, interior lights, etc, turns off. When I let go off key, second and 1/2 later, all lights come back on.