98 Taurus electrical system. Mechanic stumped.

[Springerrr]

My Taurus died completely. Turn the key and nothing...except...here's what happened:

• Drove 25 miles. Left the car an hour. Got back in. Turned the key and got nothing. Just as if the battery was disconnected.
• With the key turned to the on position, I put the car in gear. Suddenly the electronics (radio, air conditioning) came on. When I turned the key further to start the car, everything when dead again. I was able to do this twice, and then it remained dead no matter what.
• With the key completely out of the ignition, there was a ticking sound (flasher?) coming from the steering column.
• During the tow, the emergency lights, which I had left in the on position, kept coming on (flashing normally) and going off again.

The mechanic has had it for two weeks. He has called his mechanic friends. Everyone is completely stumped. Obviously he had the steering column apart. EVerything there is fine. he's gone over the car with a fine-toothed comb.

Has anyone ever seen anything like this?

Could you tell me how to describe this? I don't even know how to google the problem!!

Thank you!!!

Sandy

[shorod]

There are a few ideas that come to mind. When you tried to start it and nothing happened, did you happen to notice if any of the lights on the dash came on? If not, it definitely sounds like a power issues. Certainly start by checking the connections at the battery making sure they are clean and tight. Also, make sure the battery cables are in good condition.

How old is the battery? It's not unheard of for a battery to have a broken internal connection. After some bouncing around or heat the broken connection may go open circuit. If the batteries 4 or 5 years old or more, you might just replace it since it's near the end of its useful life anyway. If it's newer, you'll want to verify that is the problem and try to get the battery pro-rated under warranty.

Several other Taurus owner's have experienced problems with the Transmission Range Sensor (TRS) which can cause all sorts of odd electrical issues. That item would be obviously correlate to the odd issue with the symptoms changing when you move the shift lever. You can search the forum for "TRS" and/or "safety switch" (aka park/neutral safety switch) to read up on other experiences with the TRS.

If you have a spare key for the car, you might try that and see if it works a bit more reliably.

-Rod

[GPFred]

A couple of years ago my 98 Taurus began doing weird things as well low beams not workings, dash lights out, radio worked but not the blower fan for the AC, etc. It turned out to be the battery had a broken internal connection and since the battery was almost 7 years old, I replaced it. All systems have been go since. I agree with Shorod and start with the battery connections. I have had Fords for years and its the first thing I start with as Fords are famous for weird things when the terminal connection get corroded. Good Luck.

[fredjacksonsan]

I had a Ford several years ago that developed many weird electrical issues. Beat my head against the wall until I found that the positive battery cable had corrosion inside the insulation, all the way to about 8" away from the battery. Replaced the cable, no more issues.

[shorod]

Originally Posted by fredjacksonsan

I had a Ford several years ago that developed many weird electrical issues. Beat my head against the wall until I found that the positive battery cable had corrosion inside the insulation, all the way to about 8" away from the battery. Replaced the cable, no more issues.

That one must have had one of the replacement, temporary ends on it rather than an OEM-style molded cable. What you describe is pretty common with the temporary ends since they do not protect the bare copper from the elements.

-Rod