2002 Ford Explorer V8 Engine Problems

[2blue]

I just bought a 2002 Explorer that had it's steering column replaced, but it wasn't starting so I took it to Ford who told me to replace the starter. So I did this, but it still doesn't start. Ford techs spent hours trying to figure it out, it has spark and compression, but will completely drain the new fully charged battery in a matter of a few tries of starting the engine. Ford even hooked up three batteries at once to try and start it, and it would kill them all! It does crank over on the first turn, but dies instantly.
(I should also mention that Ford did check the steering column and nothing is showing up as faulty with it.)


Could the timing chain be broken? Or could there be too much compression?

 

[imp]

Symptoms do not exactly sound like it, but some who are more knowledgeable than I will confirm or deny-- Was the Passive Anti-Theft System within the old steering column transferred to the new one? imp