97 taurus won't start

[sweetinout]

[color="DarkOrchid"]Hi, my 97 taurus just died and would not start again. It acts like it is out of gas, but isn't. The instrument panel and the emergency lights were acting strange too. working, not working. My check engine light was on and the diagnosis for that was my vss. I had the vss changed but still my car won't start. Any guesses what might be wrong? P.s. I recently washed my engine. and I also changed my cigar fuse a few days prior and heard a sizzling sound for a few seconds.[/COLOR]

[shorod]

Welcome to the forum!

Your car seems to have a lot of issues currently. Let's start with your comment about it not being fuel related. How did you make that assessment? There are basically three things that will prevent the engine from starting: 1) Lack of compression, 2) Lack of ignition spark, and 3) Lack of proper air/fuel ratio. You'll need to identify which of these are a problem.

Does the starter motor spin the engine when the key is turned to Start? Do the bulbs in the instrument cluster illuminate when the key is turned to Run? Do you know the exact code number that pointed to the VSS (should be in the form of P0123), and if so, please post it here? And finally, which engine does your Taurus have (DOHC 24V V6, DOHC 32V V8, or 12V V6)?

-Rod