Not very new

[ndjidem]

I am happy to be a member of this group. I have been here since March 2024 but this is my new post. I have an issue with my 2006 Ford Explorer. I parked it for 2 months and now it refuses to start. When I insert the key, the dashboard lights up, but the radio and other buttons near the radio do not. Is it the battery? or what should I check?

 

[410Fortune]

Check battery voltage first should be over 12.0v

 

[ndjidem]

Check battery voltage first should be over 12.0v

Thank you. I will check that. It is my first Ford vehicle. I will let you know the result tomorrow. I am writing from Africa

 

[J_C]

I'd just assume the battery is very low after 2 months, and bring a charger, spare battery, or jump vehicle and cables with me for the next try.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Clean the battery terminals, and apply an anti oxidant. Put the battery on a slow charger. Wait until it's recharged, and then start it.

 

[ndjidem]

I went with a new battery, but the car is cranking but not starting. Therefore I guess that it is not a battery issue. It seems that fuel is not coming into the engine. What do you think I should check then: fuel filter? fuel pump or something else?

 

[Mike65]

Welcome.

 

[J_C]

I went with a new battery, but the car is cranking but not starting. Therefore I guess that it is not a battery issue. It seems that fuel is not coming into the engine. What do you think I should check then: fuel filter? fuel pump or something else?

Is "seems" an assumption or have you checked for pressure on the fuel rail and/or in a scan tool?

Is there a theft or similar PATS security light on your dash, and does it flash regularly (slow) when the vehicle is off, but then flash rapidly when you attempt to start it? I don't know what level of PATS security that vehicles in Africa have, and if any, if it has kept up year-by-year with the changes to US vehicles, but in its most basic form, PATS will keep the fuel injectors from firing even if you have fuel pressure. In latter versions of PATS, it will also disable the starter from cranking. If there is no theft light blinking rapidly when you try to start it, then it is not a PATS issue.

If you are getting no fuel pressure then check the fuel pump fuse. Can you hear the pump cycle on if you turn the key from off, to the run position instead of start/crank position? It should energize and run for a few seconds when you do that, at which point you should be able to detect fuel pressure as mentioned previously.

Is it showing any signs of cylinder ignition at all, firing at all, like possibly it is just very old and now bad gasoline?

Do you have any starter fluid, or even gasoline in a spray bottle that you can spray into the intake while cranking to see if it attempts to start?

 

[ndjidem]

Is "seems" an assumption or have you checked for pressure on the fuel rail and/or in a scan tool?

Is there a theft or similar PATS security light on your dash, and does it flash regularly (slow) when the vehicle is off, but then flash rapidly when you attempt to start it? I don't know what level of PATS security that vehicles in Africa have, and if any, if it has kept up year-by-year with the changes to US vehicles, but in its most basic form, PATS will keep the fuel injectors from firing even if you have fuel pressure. In latter versions of PATS, it will also disable the starter from cranking. If there is no theft light blinking rapidly when you try to start it, then it is not a PATS issue.

If you are getting no fuel pressure then check the fuel pump fuse. Can you hear the pump cycle on if you turn the key from off, to the run position instead of start/crank position? It should energize and run for a few seconds when you do that, at which point you should be able to detect fuel pressure as mentioned previously.

Is it showing any signs of cylinder ignition at all, firing at all, like possibly it is just very old and now bad gasoline?

Do you have any starter fluid, or even gasoline in a spray bottle that you can spray into the intake while cranking to see if it attempts to start?

Thank you for your reply.
We did the last question you asked. after putting gasoline in the intake while cranking the car started but shut down. I don't think there is a antitheft issue but I have little knowledge about that.

 

[J_C]

Then you're getting spark and should consider the other things I mentioned.

 

[ndjidem]

Then you're getting spark and should consider the other things I mentioned.

The mechanic concluded that the fuel pump was bad, but I don't believe it. How do you deactivate the antitheft? "Can you hear the pump cycle on if you turn the key from off to the run position instead of the start/crank position?". I don't know how to listen, but the gauge shows that there is fuel in the tank when you turn the key.

 

[J_C]

The mechanic concluded that the fuel pump was bad, but I don't believe it. How do you deactivate the antitheft? "Can you hear the pump cycle on if you turn the key from off to the run position instead of the start/crank position?". I don't know how to listen, but the gauge shows that there is fuel in the tank when you turn the key.

How did the mechanic determine that?

You cannot deactivate the PATS security system, short of reflashing the PCM with a "tune" firmware that has deactivated it. Do you have the theft light that blinks slowly at all times, with no key in the ignition? If so, that is the same light that would blink rapidly if PATS is preventing it from starting while cranking it. Also if PATS is preventing starting, a code scanner capable of Ford-specific codes, would pick up the PATS error code. It would not set the dash check engine light like some other codes do.

When you turn the key to the on position, there are only a few noises that would happen. Perhaps a chime from a door, the HVAC blower motor, relays clicking, but from the rear of the vehicle there is nothing that makes noise except the pump making a soft whirring sound. It might help to have someone else turn the key while your head is under the fuel tank.

However you don't need to do that if you have a fuel rail valve that you can put a pressure gauge on to see if it shows pressure, or a scan tool that can show live data and then shows the fuel pressure. I mean an '06 should have either the fuel rail valve or the pressure sensor, if not both.

 

[ndjidem]

How did the mechanic determine that?

You cannot deactivate the PATS security system, short of reflashing the PCM with a "tune" firmware that has deactivated it. Do you have the theft light that blinks slowly at all times, with no key in the ignition? If so, that is the same light that would blink rapidly if PATS is preventing it from starting while cranking it. Also if PATS is preventing starting, a code scanner capable of Ford-specific codes, would pick up the PATS error code. It would not set the dash check engine light like some other codes do.

When you turn the key to the on position, there are only a few noises that would happen. Perhaps a chime from a door, the HVAC blower motor, relays clicking, but from the rear of the vehicle there is nothing that makes noise except the pump making a soft whirring sound. It might help to have someone else turn the key while your head is under the fuel tank.

However you don't need to do that if you have a fuel rail valve that you can put a pressure gauge on to see if it shows pressure, or a scan tool that can show live data and then shows the fuel pressure. I mean an '06 should have either the fuel rail valve or the pressure sensor, if not both.

I will go there very soon and I will check. I am really confused. The car didn't get there for an engine issue. It was just to do some work on the rusted parts. I drove the car to the mechanic and 2 months later. It refuses completely to start. Can the fuel pump get bad when the car doesn't start for a while? I will try to listen. I will also try to clean the battery wire as one seems to have rust. I will also change the battery to see.
The mechanic just controlled the electrical circuit to check if the pump was getting powered. after he had put some gasoline in the intake the car tried to start. He concluded that the fuel pump was bad.

 

[J_C]

Better to not try to figure out the "why" just yet, instead just treat it like any other vehicle that won't start. For example, if it is cranking good and fast, or if you have tried enough times that it needs the battery recharged, then you can measure battery voltage, but it seems there is no need to do this since the vehicle tried to start with the gas added to the intake, but only then, correct?

As already mentioned, check for a PATS theft light, and for a fuel pressure reading. Further, if you have fuel pressure, you can check for short voltage blips on a fuel injector connector while cranking, to see if the fuel injectors are being powered.

A fuel pump could seize up after sitting without use for months, but it is not as simple as just jumping to that conclusion. Perhaps the mechanic has done more than just that to arrive at the conclusion, but nothing more had been mentioned. If it is a good mechanic, then a fuel pressure reading should have been done to confirm the suspicion of a bad fuel pump.

 

[ndjidem]

I will go there very soon and I will check. I am really confused. The car didn't get there for an engine issue. It was just to do some work on the rusted parts. I drove the car to the mechanic and 2 months later. It refuses completely to start. Can the fuel pump get bad when the car doesn't start for a while? I will try to listen. I will also try to clean the battery wire as one seems to have rust. I will also change the battery to see.
The mechanic just controlled the electrical circuit to check if the pump was getting powered. after he had put some gasoline in the intake the car tried to start. He concluded that the fuel pump was bad.

He didn't check fuel pressure. He just check the electricity and said that electricity is going to the pump but fuel is not coming to the engine. He didn't check the voltage either. Our main issue is that we don't have good mechanics around. It is just guess and trial. I have got an OBD 2 equipment. I will use that to check if anything is wrong. I use one yesterday but it is Bluetooth one. The diagnostic showed that everything is normal. I will use another one today. I am guessing that during working on the rust they have touched an electric wire somewhere. Is it possible that it is because of the fuel I used? How to check the antitheft blinking?

 

[ndjidem]

Better to not try to figure out the "why" just yet, instead just treat it like any other vehicle that won't start. For example, if it is cranking good and fast, or if you have tried enough times that it needs the battery recharged, then you can measure battery voltage, but it seems there is no need to do this since the vehicle tried to start with the gas added to the intake, but only then, correct?

As already mentioned, check for a PATS theft light, and for a fuel pressure reading. Further, if you have fuel pressure, you can check for short voltage blips on a fuel injector connector while cranking, to see if the fuel injectors are being powered.

A fuel pump could seize up after sitting without use for months, but it is not as simple as just jumping to that conclusion. Perhaps the mechanic has done more than just that to arrive at the conclusion, but nothing more had been mentioned. If it is a good mechanic, then a fuel pressure reading should have been done to confirm the suspicion of a bad fuel pump.

I need to update what I have found so far. When I insert the ignition key, the anti-theft keeps blinking repeatedly. I tried it many times. Now, the car is not even cranking. I have also found on a window something like "Sherlock anti-theft." The car is a second-hand car that I bought in Canada and shipped to Africa. Everything worked fine until I immobilized it for two months.

 

[J_C]

If the vehicle has an aftermarket anti-theft system that is preventing it from starting, then you must either reverse engineer how it works and fix it, or remove it from the vehicle and restore the original factory wire connections that it disrupted.

However it is strange that it is now not even cranking unless this is only due to draining the battery after repeated attempts at starting.

There are too many unresolved variables for me to assist further. I have already stated the order in which I feel this needs to be handled, which was first to determine if you have fuel pressure, then you know whether the pump is working, and whether it is producing the right pressure which I would assume should be roughly 65 PSI... but I could be wrong about that number, yet would think that much lower than that pressure is a sign of a problem.

 

[ndjidem]

If the vehicle has an aftermarket anti-theft system that is preventing it from starting, then you must either reverse engineer how it works and fix it, or remove it from the vehicle and restore the original factory wire connections that it disrupted.

However it is strange that it is now not even cranking unless this is only due to draining the battery after repeated attempts at starting.

There are too many unresolved variables for me to assist further. I have already stated the order in which I feel this needs to be handled, which was first to determine if you have fuel pressure, then you know whether the pump is working, and whether it is producing the right pressure which I would assume should be roughly 65 PSI... but I could be wrong about that number, yet would think that much lower than that pressure is a sign of a problem.

I was reading that the security system will disable the pump. Therefore, oil will not flow to the engine. The issue of not cranking may be related to the battery but may be related to the PATS. I have put the battery to charge. I will try it tomorrow.

 

[J_C]

I was referring to the fuel pump. The security system cannot disable the oil pump.

I am doubtful that it is now not cranking due PATS because it did crank previously, using the same key I presume? Either way, if it has PATS, and PATS is preventing it from starting, then the slow blinking light seen flashing when the key is out, will become rapidly flashing while trying to start it, and it will set a code that a scan tool capable of Ford-specific codes can read. A regular OBD2-only scan tool will not read that code, only one capable of Ford-specific codes.

On the other hand, there is vague evidence that in some cases, people have let their battery drain too low or left it disconnected, and somehow the PATS key programming was lost. I am not aware of the mechanism or reason why that happens as it is not supposed to happen, but if it does, then again, the PATS theft light on the dash should begin blinking rapidly instead of slowly, when you try to start the vehicle.

It is also possible that your aftermarket Sherlock is a problem, but all info I found suggests that it only disables the ignition system if anything. You might want to investigate that for future reference, and if it is an active system, you may need the key fob associated. I know almost nothing about their security systems but saw some links on their website:

Les Produits électroniques

 

[ndjidem]

I was referring to the fuel pump. The security system cannot disable the oil pump.

I am doubtful that it is now not cranking due PATS because it did crank previously, using the same key I presume? Either way, if it has PATS, and PATS is preventing it from starting, then the slow blinking light seen flashing when the key is out, will become rapidly flashing while trying to start it, and it will set a code that a scan tool capable of Ford-specific codes can read. A regular OBD2-only scan tool will not read that code, only one capable of Ford-specific codes.

On the other hand, there is vague evidence that in some cases, people have let their battery drain too low or left it disconnected, and somehow the PATS key programming was lost. I am not aware of the mechanism or reason why that happens as it is not supposed to happen, but if it does, then again, the PATS theft light on the dash should begin blinking rapidly instead of slowly, when you try to start the vehicle.

It is also possible that your aftermarket Sherlock is a problem, but all info I found suggests that it only disables the ignition system if anything. You might want to investigate that for future reference, and if it is an active system, you may need the key fob associated. I know almost nothing about their security systems but saw some links on their website:

Les Produits électroniques

I have sent a message to the first owner. I hope He will give me more information on the Sherlock antitheft system. I have also seen while reading on this forum some people were talking about the ground wire. So much possibility for this issue. Tomorrow, when the battery gets charged, I will go and try to fix it. I am learning. Thank you very much for your assistance. Merci beaucoup.