Greetings All...I am new to the forum but a quasi-regular at LXforums.com(I've got an '05 Magnum)

Anyway, trying to help out my son who's gotthe '04GT. It won't crank. It's been sitting for a while as we are trying to sell it. A few weeks ago it wouldn't crank (dead battery) so I charged the battery overnight and it started right up the next day.

A few days ago it was dead again (knucklehead left a dome light on) So I charged it again...this time no go; nothing.

The battery is reading 12.7V, all accessories work fine, I changed the starter relay and checked the fuse....all's ok but I don't even get a click when I turn the key to start.
If Itry to start it with the headlights on they DO NOT dim, and there is no voltage drop on my meterwhen I turn the key to start. Can't physically get to the starter to see if I can check to see if it's getting power or not...(is there another location?? close to the relay????)

I'm pretty handy with a wrench,voltmeter, etc.

Any ideas?

Could this be an issue with PATS? If yes, is there a way to re-set it?

Any help will be appreciated...thanks!

Paul

 

Hmm...Could be a PATS issue since the car doesn't attempt to turn over.

1- If you have a spare key; use it.
2- You can't reset the PATS system yourself; a Dealership can.

 

I think you may have a battery cable issue. Try turning on the headlights. Those work, all accessories work, but no start usually to me indicates a ground issue. A starter groundingpath in a car system consists of a circle: body goes to battery, battery goes to block, and block grounds starter. I take a set of jumper cables and clamp oneto the engine, two to the neg term on the batt, and one to the body making the above mentioned circle. If the car starts, it is a cable issue.

If the car worked before the battery change, I highly doubt the PATS is disrupted.

 

Thanks MC...I already tried both keys...same result: nothing.

I will try to ground the engine and see what that does....

It appears as though the starter is not getting power, because as I said in post 1 if I try to start with the lights on, they don't even dim. So my first thought was to see if I could jump the starter directly, but I can't get to it...is there a "best way" to get access to the starter?

Paul

 

The best way to test the starter is to remove it and bench test it. Use a battery and a set of jumper cables.

 

OK, I just grounded the engine...still no start.

I think I might have found the problem though:

I noticed the red "THEFT" light onhis dash is blinking rapidly at about once per second, even when the system is unarmed.....IS THIS NORMAL??????

I looked in the manual,the explanation isunclear to me about the blinking "THEFT" light, but it does say that the use of a non-coded key can result in a "no start" condition.He does have3 keys, 2 coded 1 uncoded. It is possible that I tried to start the car the otherday with the non-coded key...I really don't remember...they all look the same and I didn't realize that this would cause a problem.

So, if the blinking "THEFT" light described above is not normal, or indicates a "no start" condition, I assume I have no options but to have the car towed to a dealer??????

Paul

 

My 01 escape had the theft light come on one day at the dealer while I was getting parts. I did not have my key fob with me and used the key to unlock the door. Some how I must have tripped the anti-theft function by turning the lock cyl back and fourth a few times. I thought I erased my key and went in to service to ask. I went back out to the car and turned the key to the right in the door then left and for some reason, the theft light went out. I never touched the battery before or after.

Does the 04 have a key fob? If so, try a bunch of different combos of key seq.

The battery change must have set the theft light on. I doubt that your pats key is erased, you have two keys anyway. You might want to try removing the batt cable one more time and let it sit for a few minutes.