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Ford: trouble shooting
| Ford Laser (Meteor) KA to KE |
Faulty ignition switch. |
The failure seems to relate to general wear. The symptoms are not always the same. Most times the vehicle has an intermittent no crank condition but the other related faults can vary. Different circuits and systems that are switched 'on' through the ignition switch can fail to operate either all the time or intermittently. Of particular concern is the engine cooling fan circuit. On a Laser that displayed a no crank condition, a mechanic had isolated the fault to the ignition switch. To mobilise the vehicle he bypassed the switch to start the car, all seemed well. Unfortunately the engine cooling fan circuit was not operating correctly and the engine overheated. . |
Replacement of the ignition switch solved the cooling fan problem. Be aware, when attending these vehicles with similar symptoms, of the likelihood of further intermittent problems in related circuits. Pay particular attention to confirm the correct operation of the cooling fan circuit and repair or replace the ignition switch. |
| Ford Laser KJ /KL with automatic (built prior to March 1998) |
Incorrect shift points, excessive shift shock or excessive select shock from Neutral to Drive or Neutral to Reverse. |
Faulty wiring in the transmission temperature sensor circuit. |
return to vehicle to Ford dealer. Normal warranty applies. |
| Ford Laser Auto 2000 |
Key stuck in ignition barrel. Engine will not crank. Unable to remove key from ignition barrel(not turning fully to Lock position) Key is bent from being forced. |
Park has not been engaged properly with the transmission gear selector. |
Depress the brake pedal and push the gear selector into Park. Turn the key to the lock position and remove the key. Check the key for damage. |
| Ford F250 2002 |
Engine stopped. Vehicle cuts out whilst driving. No dash lights or ignition power. Blown main ignition fuse located in the engine compartment. Fuse blew when replaced. |
Main ignition wire from the ignition switch rubbed through on steering column under dash. Caused by an incorrectly fitted retaining plug. |
Use tie wire to secure the wiring harness away from the steering column. Replace the blown fuse. |
| Ford Fairlane NL 1996 |
Horn staying on and continuously sounding. |
Two plates in the horn switch, located under the steering wheel cover, cause a short in the circuit when the insulating foam wears away. |
Fit suitable insulating material between the plates. |
| Ford Falcon EA |
Transmission goes into limp mode, locked in 3rd gear whilst driving. Speedo reading was erratic. When the engine was switched off and then restarted, the transmission would operate normally. |
Faulty speed sensor. |
Replace speed sensor. |
| Ford Falcon EA |
Engine stalled while driving, starts intermittently. Intermittent backfire while starting, intermittent high tension spark. |
Intermittent short circuit between the "Tacho" wire (Pink/Blue) at the right firewall area. The plastic tie securing the wiring had rubbed through the wiring insulation. |
Repair and relocate the wiring. |
| Ford Falcon EA to ED (fitted with ABS) |
ABS warning light illuminates and stays on. This can occur when the vehicle has displayed a discharged battery and may have been jump started or the vehicle battery has been replaced. |
This is identified as either a faulty ABS circuit diode located under the dash, taped into the wiring loom to the left of the steering column or a faulty ABS Control Module. These faults may be caused by an Open Circuit battery causing a voltage spike when the vehicle is being started. It can be caused by poor earth connections at the battery negative terminal and Bus Bar. Incorrect jump starting procedures ie; removing the jumper leads too quickly after jump starting. Leaving the ignition switch in the on position when disconnecting the battery terminals. |
Determine if the vehicle is equipped with ABS. Ask the driver if the ABS warning light has been illuminated. Follow the recommended battery testing and jump starting procedures. Check for open circuit battery. Check earth connections at battery negative terminals and Bus Bar. If jump starting ensure jumper leads are connected for a minimum of 5 minutes before disconnecting. |
| Ford EB on with Multipoint Fuel Injection |
No or low idle speed after a battery change. Auto models stall when put into gear. |
Faulty earth points. |
Check all points, not just at the battery. There should be less than 0.5 volts drop across any earth point. |
| Ford Falcon EB 1992 |
No spark, injector pulse or fuel pump operation. Engine cranks but will not start. Main relay (Brown) clicks. |
Faulty main relay. |
Replace main relay. |
| Ford Falcon EB 1992 |
No start, engine will not crank. Same symptom as dirty or loose battery terminal connection. Clicking noise from starter motor. |
The bolt securing the driver side engine mount also secures the earth cable. The bolt has become loose. |
Tighten the engine mount bolt. |
| Ford Falcon EB 1992 |
Smartlock not operating. Smartlock light flashes continuously with key turned in the ON position and a clicking noise may be heard under the dash. |
The Smartlock Module (located below the dash near the handbrake assembly) has condensation built up inside causing a relay to be activated in the module. |
Remove the Smartlock Module and attempt to dry it with compressed air. If unsuccessful, replace the module. Advise owner of the possibility of water entering the passenger compartment and further repairs are required. |
| Ford Falcon EB / ED |
Vehicle would not crank and the Smart-Lock indicator light was flashing a code "5" when the ignition was switched on . |
Voltage surges caused by a loose alternator drive belt. |
Remove the interior light fuse for a few seconds and attempt to start the engine. If unsuccessful the vehicle has a 30 minute timed over-ride. |
| Ford Falcon EF 1994 |
Engine will not start. Smartlock light not flashing, vehicles remote not working and no ignition pulse. |
Radio was fitted, signal return to smartlock wire cut and used as radio power. |
Rectify wiring problem. |
| Ford Falcon EF 1995 |
Uneven idle and engine running very rich. |
Vacuum hose to MAP sensor has fallen off. |
Check hose for splits and refit to MAP sensor. |
| Ford Falcon EF |
Coolant leak. Coolant dripping off the transmission bell housing. Leak appears to be from the top of the engine. |
Loose hose clamp on the engine end of the bottom radiator hose. Coolant dripped onto the alternator support bracket, then onto the engine block and runs down channel to the rear of the engine block, where it drips off the bell housing. |
Tighten the hose clamp. |
| Ford Falcon EF |
Engine stopped while driving. Would not restart. |
Faulty air con compressor clutch causing the 30 amp engine fuse located in the engine compartment fuse box to blow. |
Replace the fuse. Disconnect the harness plug to the air con compressor clutch to prevent the driver switching the air con system on until problem is rectified. |
| Ford Falcon EF |
Ignition switch spins in the barrel but does not start the vehicle. |
The ignition switch on the back of the ignition barrel has fallen off. |
Reposition the switch and gently tap around the flange to secure the switch to the barrel. |
| Ford Falcon EF Station Wagon |
Engine fails to start. Engine cranks, high tension spark and injector pulsing ok, fuel pump operative. |
High resistance at the fuel pump earthing connection located in the spare wheel compartment. |
Clean and tighten the fuel pump earth connection. |
| Ford Falcon EF |
Engine will not crank. The 30 amp engine fusible link had blown. |
The wiring loom had chfed and shorted out where it passed over the radiatior shroud. |
Repair and relocate the loom. |
| Ford Falcon EL |
No up shifts in automatic transmission. Speedo not working and has poor acceleration(feels like starting off in 3rd gear). |
Speedo transducer faulty. |
Replace speedo transducer. |
| Ford Falon EF & EL |
1. Blown 30 amp engine fusible link. 2. Engine fails to crank as if attempting to start with a faulty starter motor. |
Both of the above symptoms were caused by seized air conditioner compressors. |
Remove serpentine belt to confirm the seized compressor. |
| Ford Falcon EF-EL Variants |
Brake clonk / knock. Evaluate the vehicle for brake knock by simultaneously braking and turning into a 90 degree corner from approximately 15 kph. The knock can be heard either in mid corner or as the vehicle comes to rest. It is not necessarily to carry this out in an aggressive fashion. Turning into a driveway from a quiet suburban street is the typical driving condition that provokes the brake knock. |
Movement of the brake calliper. |
Re-work procedure of the calliper slide. |
| Ford Falcon EL 1996 |
Rough running and excessive fuel consumption. Vehicle would start and run but idle rough. The instruments would fluctuate intermittently. |
Engine running rich. Main harness plug at the rear of the engine near the number 5 cylinder is loose. |
Main harness plug has a centre bolt to secure it. The harness plug can pull apart if the bolt is not correctly tightened. |
| Ford Falcon AU |
Fuel leak from the sender area of the fuel tank when the tank is full. |
Split seal under the sender unit. |
Remove the cover to gain access to the sender unit,. Remove the sender unit and replace the seal. |
| Ford Falcon AU (LPG) |
Vehicle stalls after startup. Sometimes backfires during cranking. |
OEM spark plugs not compatible to LPG fuel. |
Replace original spark plugs with 1 stage hotter spark plugs. |
| Ford Falcon AU 11 |
Engine does not crank. Smartshield light on. |
Fault with Smartshield module. |
Turn the ignition key in the "on" position. Push the vehicle 1-3 metres. The smartshield light should extinguish and engine should start. |
| Ford Falcon AU Built after 6/1999 |
The vehicle will not start and the security warning light (a hand with a car symbol) is flashing continuously on the dash. |
The glass encapsulated microchip transponder may have fallen out of the key. |
If possible find the transponder microchip and insert it back into the key as temporary repair. Order a new key from Ford dealer. |
| Ford Falcon AU S/Wagon 1999 |
Engine stalls when the brakes are applied or reverse gear is selected. The engine may also run rough. |
Bad earth to the fuel pump located at the drivers side inner guard area. The fuel pump shares the same earth point as the brake and reverse lights. The fuel pump back feeds through the brake and reverse light circuit. |
Locate and repair the earth point or supply an alternative earth to the fuel pump connector. |
| Ford Falcon BA 2002 |
Noise in drivers side rear wheel when driving. Clicking noise from the rear wheel when driving at slow speeds. |
Incorrectly secured rear brake flexible hose, causing the hose to rub on the wheel weight and causing damage to the hose. |
Secure the hose away from the wheel. |
| Ford Falcon BA 2003 |
Engine running rough. Engine splutters as if running on 4 cylinders. Fault occurred after hard acceleration |
Faulty variable cam mechanism. System activated on acceleration but failed to return to the rest position due to a blocked oil gallery. |
Tow vehicle workshop for repairs. |
| Ford Explorer |
Battery runs flat with ignition off. |
The rear electric window in the tailgate is operated by turning the key in the tailgate lock. The key was not returned to the vertical position before removing causing the motor to continuously operate. |
insert the key into the tailgate lock and return the lock to the vertical position before removing the key. |
| Ford Explorer Sep '96 - Mar '98 |
Risk of damaging the fuel line when jump starting vehicle. |
Ford Motor Company has initiated a recall of Ford Explorers built between Sep '96 and Mar '98 fitted with the 4.0 SOHC engine. If you connect the negative cable of your jump leads to the fuel line bracket near the alternator you run the risk of damaging the fuel line. The results of this damage range from the owner reporting odours, up to a fuel leak which ignites during the jump start procedure. |
Do not use this bracket as an attachment point during jump starts. Ford are modifying this bracket. |
| Ford Explorer (5 speed auto pre Jan '98) |
Erratic gear change operation. |
Faulty overdrive speed sensor. The sensor is located high on the left side of the transmission towards the converter housing. |
Ford Dealers are deleting the sensor and insulating the connections. To confirm the problem on an inspection disconnect the sensor and re-evaluate transmission operation |
| Ford Explorer XLT |
The headlights will not go off. The auto sensor circuit was still active with the ignition turned off. |
Remove the wiring loom to the rear view mirror and the lights will turn off. |
Return the vehicle to Ford dealer for repairs |
| Ford Festiva |
No start, no fuel pump operation. The fuel pump has power during crank but no earth. |
Open circuit in fuel pump earth wire located below the base of the rear seat. |
Remove the base of the rear seat and the fuel pump access cover in the floorpan. Locate the Black wire or make a temporary earth for the fuel pump and advise the drive further repairs are required. |
| Ford Festiva 1995 |
Precaution when testing fuel pump operation., due to pump inoperative. |
A diagnostic connector is located on the passenger side of the engine compartment. Do not supply power to the FP (fuel pump) terminal as this will cause damage to the ECU. |
To test fuel pump operation supply an earth to the FP terminal. |
| Ford Festiva 1996 |
No start, no dash lights or accessories. |
Below the battery between the battery carrier and the inner guard are the main fusible links with 3 to 4 main wiring connectors. One of these was damaged by battery acid. |
Repair and clean the wiring loom connector and test the circuit. Make sure to check all connectors for possible acid damage. |
| Ford Festiva KA |
Product recall - Brake hose. |
Wear marks on the front brake hose. The brake hose detached from the retaining clip and rubbed against the wheel rim or tyre. |
Return the vehicle to Ford dealer for repairs |
| Ford Festiva 1997 - 99 |
No fuel pump operation. Fuel pump does not operate. Pump has power when engine cranking. |
Poor connection to fuel pump earth located below the rear seat. |
Remove the rear seat base and fuel pump cover plate in the floor pan. Locate the black earth wire for the fuel pump and repair or make a new earth for the fuel pump. |
| Ford Mondeo (All) |
Horn staying on and continuously sounding. |
Two plates in the horn switch, located under the steering wheel cover, cause a short in the circuit when the insulating foam wears away. |
Fit suitable insulating material between the plates. |
| Ford Mondeo 1998 |
No start, engine has spark but no fuel. |
Fuel pump not working. Terminals spread open at the fuel pump assembly harness plug located at the fuel tank and causing a poor connection. |
Tighten the terminals to make a good connection. |
| Ford Taurus |
No start, the fuel pump does not operate. |
The fuel pump wiring in the fuel tank had rubbed through and earthed to ground causing the fuel pump fuse to blow. |
Rectify the faulty fuel pump wiring. |
| Ford Taurus |
Engine cuts out while running and will not restart. |
Due to a blown fuse. Fuse number 10 (20A) located in the distribution box in the engine bay. |
Check the fuse. If the fuse is damaged it would indicate a fuel pump circuit problem. |
| Ford Taurus |
The malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) remains illuminated and a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P0303 (a cylinder misfire detected) is logged. The engine doesn't misfire and the DTC can be cleared. |
Intermittent fuel or electrical problem. If the DTC is logged again indicating another misfire it may be a fuel quality related problem. |
Instruct the owner to drive the vehicle through two tanks of good quality fuel with a bottle of Interjectron added to the tank. |
| Ford Transit |
No crank. Good battery voltage when tested across battery terminals. No voltage when the engine was used as an earth |
Poor connection at the main earth causing a large voltage drop. The main earth is located on the starter motor mounting bolt. |
Remove, clean and refit main earth wire. |
| Ford Transit Van (Diesel- Built between Oct '96 to Feb '98) |
Water trap light stays on and or fuse No 7 blows. |
The wiring loom running to the water trap can chafe on the starter motor brush connection terminal. |
Repair the loom as required and secure the loom away from the terminal with an appropriately placed cable tie. |
| Ford Transit (Automatic) |
ECM light coming on around 100kph. After stopping and restarting the engine there is no drive from the transmission. Cycling the key on & off a number of times, start the vehicle and drive until transmission returns to normal. |
The kickdown cable was incorrectly adjusted and had no free travel. This caused the transmission ECM to receive incorrect input. |
The kickdown cable requires adjustment to the correct specification. |
| Ford Transit 2001 |
Engine does not crank or is slow to crank. Passenger side battery tests ok. Drivers side battery test low. No alternator voltage output to drivers side battery after jump starting. |
Large moulded plastic plug on positive terminal on the drivers side battery had a bad connection. |
Secure the connection. |
| Ford Transit 2000 |
No throttle operation. |
Engine starts but does not rev when depressing the accelerator pedal. Pedal position sensor and the throttle motor are out of sync. |
Switch the ignition on. Slowly depress the accelerator pedal to its full travel and then release slowly. The accelerator operation should now be restored. |
| Ford Transit 2002 |
No start, no crank. The vehicle starts when jumper leads are attached to the battery with the jumper lead earth to the chassis. When the jumper leads are removed the vehicle stalls. |
Blown 350amp fusible link on the negative battery lead. The fusible link is located near the battery behind the drivers seat in a white plastic cover. |
Renew the fusible link. |
| Ford Transit Diesel |
Engine starts but no acceleration. Vehicle equipped with a FLY-by wire. |
Unknown |
Remove fuse located below the drivers side dash and identified by a key symbol. Depress the brake pedal. Refit the fuse and restart the vehicle. |