Escort w/fuel cutoff light on, not starting but engine turning over

[annscott]

Hi
All help is appreciated on this one. This is a used 94 Escort wagon, 4 cylinder (I think) with about 150,000 miles and an automatic transmission. Only had it a couple months as the run around town car. I made a 120 mile round trip this AM. Came back, parked it and my husband went out to go somewhere and it wouldn't start.

The fuel cutoff light is on. It turns over and the engine is trying to engage but doesn't. It has about a half a tank of gas. He found and did a reset on the fuel cutoff switch. Still not engaging the engine although starter is turning fine.

(1) Not a clue where the fuel pump is or,
(2) where the ground at the tank is (or how to get to it or how to remove a seat as suggested on another site) near the "access panel (where and what is that, no idea) or,
(3) what someone was talking about who wrote about this problem and said "escorts with the power line shorted to ground where it actually goes through the top plate of the fuel sender itself. To check just unpluge the harness, and check for resistance between the top of the sending unit and the positive wire. It should not even register. If it shows any amount at all it is starting to short out."

I considered just drowning it in the lake (we live on Lake Michigan) but thought better of it and found this forum!

HELP! My 1 ton pickup is stored for the winter and we are 4 miles from town with daily errands! Any ideas with answers phrased in terms of "Mechanics For Idiots"? My husband can check wiring, connections and other things, and replace some parts but without a detailed manual he doesn't know where to find these things or what kind of problem to look for.

Many thanks in advance, Ann

[GTP Dad]

It may be as simple as the fuel pump cutoff switch needing reset. Check your owners manual as is should show you where to look. There should be a small access panel somewhere in the rear of the vehicle that covers the inertia switch. Others are in front of the fuse panel. Once you find it push the button and try to start the car. If the car does not start then there is a possibility that the pump has gone bad. Although I would check the fuel pump relay located in the power control center under the hood. The relay should be shown on the label on the inside of the cover.
The fuel pump itself is located inside the fuel tank and the access panel should be under the rear seat on the face of the slope leading to the back or it may be under the carpet in the same area. If you need to change the pump, simply bleed the fuel pressure, undo the locking ring and the fuel lines, remove the electrical connections, pull the pump out of the tank and replace. Reinstall the locking ring, lines and electrical connections and you should be able to start the vehicle. Of course remove the battery cable before starting. I hope this answers some of your questions.

[annscott]

Thanks. It turned out to be a blown fuse that was labelled for a fuel sensor. Weird that it turned on the fuel cutoff light. Found it by turning the key and listening for the click and then whir of the fuel pump. No click, didn't even get to the point of whirring. So no power to pump. Checked all the fuses whatever the label and the one marked "fuel sensor" showed a break in the copper part of the fuse. "Borrowed" the headlight fuse marked headlights to try it. Car started.

[panzees36]

Isn't it nice when the problem entails an inexpensive,simple repair?Never happens that way for me!LOL

[Jim@HiTek]

Yeah, I gotta ask, what caused the fuse to blow in the first place??? Get that checked at a shop, run an electronic diagnostic. Don't tell them you've had a problem.

Good luck!

[annscott]

Hi all,

I usually never get that lucky with a problem on cost. My beloved 1 ton pickup is 1 of only 12 built to certain specifications. When it needed a new fuel pump, even my mechanic went into price sticker shock at how much the part cost for that truck.

Jim - Actually the mechanic has heard all about it already and provided the new fuse plus spares. This is a very small place - a village right in the middle of a National Lakeshore with only 350 prople in non-tourist season that has 1 grocery store (really good!), 2 banks, 1 ice cream shop, 1 antiques shop, 1 art gallery, 1 custom furniture shop, an excellent library, 1 hairdresser, 1 barber, 1 gas & conveinence store, 1 hotel with sundry B&Bs, and 1 mechanic with shop and towtruck.

I wasn't completely accurate on the identity of the fuse as I said sensor. It was the main fuse for the fuel injection system. What the mechanic said was (1) fuses do pop after they get old - 150,000 on car (2) not a big deal at this point and (3) if starts blowing the fuses regularly (like in zooming through the new one plus starting in on the 2 spares that he supplied), then we'll do something with it. He is pretty familar with the Escorts. I walked out of the grocery store one day in January and had to stand there and try to remember which of the 3 matching Escort wagons neatly parked facing the sidewalk was mine. (The big white dog in the back of mine was a good hint.) There are about 5 matching Escort wagons (color) running around the village and all of them are his problem to fix: and I haven't really notice how many there are that are not the same color or body style as mine!