Starting Issue

[ZeroHour]

I'm working on a 98 E0 SVT and have been troubleshooting a starting issue. The fuel pump primes, but there is no crank to start the car. Pats light is not flashing. Pulled and tested the starter, it is worn, but engages and turns. Clutch pedal and switch appear to be working. Battery itself is newer, was drained flat and recharged.

This car previously had battery relocated to the trunk, which due to bad ground did cause the Pats light to blink. I am currently powering the car from the engine bay using mostly OEM wiring.

I have been able to now run and start the car by bypassing the starter solenoid wiring and hard trigger to the battery. The car does run, but idle is horrible. It has two bad O2 sensors so I suspect this is the idling issue. These how would not prevent the car from cranking.

I have checked fuses and swap testing a bulk of the ECC and Ignition relay in another SVT.

Sort of pulling the harness, does anyone have any ideas?

 

[montrese04]

I'm not familiar with the " bypassing the starter solenoid wiring and hard trigger to the battery". Is that the same as "jumping the starter solenoid"? (taking a wire and touching the positive or big post on the solenoid to the ignition wire or small post). If so then perhaps something with the clutch sensor (if there is one) is not doing it's job

 

[FrancisPennysac]

This may sound odd but I have wire running from my starter bracket to my battery terminal (its a ground wire) and unless that wire is touching the starter bracket my car will NOT turn over. Fuel pump primes,e.t.c. but nothing else.

Maybe try that just to see, like run a big gauge ground wife (like 8 or so) from the NEGATIVE battery post to the body of the starter.. turn key get back to me.

 

[amc49]

The main large battery ground cable is supposed to bolt to engine/trans right close at the starter which should ground through engine block.

 

[ZeroHour]

No, no, no, you guys are headed down the rabbit hole.

The positive and negative cables to the starter are correct. We've been able to start the car "manually" with the key in the ignition and turned on, but the starter solenoid relay wire has to be connected to the posi terminal to start the car. It did run once this is done. So it is not a PATS issue (no blinky light).

We tested out the ignition tumbler on the steering column, the key does push out electric when tested into the starting position. However the starter does not crank. There is no signal coming from the fuse box to the starter solenoid. The relays were tested and fuses checked. It is almost like the ECU is not sending the signal to the starter solenoid.

I was curious if there was any reason (besides PATS), that the ECU would not sending signal to the starter solenoid.

I have also checked the "roll over" button under the driverside dash. The button is not popped up, so this is not engaged either.

I rebuild a wire harness last year (Happy new year!). I was hoping this issue may be something more simple, and I would not have to rebuild another harness again!

 

[larsofvt]

Hijack- Is the single pin plug that resides next to the battery available anywhere? It's weather tight connector that needs to be plugged in or the starter wont spin.

 

[SVTJON87]

(Untitled)

The negative cable should not be going to the starter. It should be bolted to the engine block if I recall correctly. It's a short wire. The positive goes to the starter then continues to the mega fuse then ends at the alternator. I no longer own my SVT but I sure as hell remember the routing.

 

[BrApple]

The negative cable should not be going to the starter. It should be bolted to the engine block if I recall correctly. It's a short wire. The positive goes to the starter then continues to tg mega fuse then ends at the alternator. I no longer own my SVT but I sure as hell remember the routing.

This is correct. The main negative battery cable should be attached to a transmission bolt that is near the TOB boot in the bell housing.

 

[amc49]

LOL.............while the cable has an obvious OEM attachment point, you can ground literally anywhere on the block or a starter lug and have the starter work fine. The ground simply has to be competent.

Rabbit hole? Thinking a terrible idle and bad O2s won't foul plugs to not start or run like crap is down the rabbit hole. Check the use of the word 'crank', it can mean more than one thing. No mention of battery volts at all, you can discharge a battery enough to damage it then not enough volts and engine then will run bad as not enough volts to power PCM, fuel pump and engine electronic ignition all at same time. Need 12.4 volts or higher and a loadtest to make sure battery still holds 100% power level.

Checking relays is worthless if the power flow to them at the terminals was not checked for too.

Onward, through the fog..............................ignition (or power hold) relay often then powers up starter relay to then power up starter itself. R11, R16 and, R6 possibly involved there. There may be a 'power hold' circuit that then powers other lower level circuits. Ford changes that stuff every twenty minutes.