Troubleshooting Help Needed. VCG change, turn key, nothing...

[Explorer_LOL]

Background: Running and driving 99 with the V6 OHV, 125K miles. Purchased with a VCG leak.
Had a Craigslist mechanic change the VCG. Nice guy, but young guy and might have been a bit more of a job than he was equipped for.

Known problems with the car: EGR was bypassed, VGC leak, needed to replace the oil pressure sensor.
Work performed: VCG replaced (after a few restarts, installing them wrong), oil sensor replaced, EGR not replaced due to just running out of time, not having a 1 1/16 crowsfoot and the bolt being seized however whatever bypass the original owner did was undone and the lines reinstalled.

Got everything put back together, turned the key for the initial start after all the work, starter engaged, car fired, tried to catch, puh puh puh puh puh.... puh.... died,

Here's the weird part.
Tried to restart it again, turn the key and NOTHING. No starter, no clicking, just nothing.
When I turn the key, in addition to the other lights that are on, the "Brake" light goes on and the "ABS" light goes on when the key is turned.

Any idea where to start here? I'll post a video the dash lights when I put in the key and turn it here in a bit.

 

[J_C]

Use a multimeter or test light to trace through this circuit. I'd start at the battery and once you get past the ignition switch you'll need a helper to hold it in start position -or- just measure for continuity out of the ignition switch to the starter motor relay coil tan/red wire, and to ground.

Similarly measure for 12V getting to the starter motor relay yellow input and with ignition in start position, power getting to starter solenoid. If 12V is getting to the solenoid but it's not switching the motor in then I'd guess the solenoid is shot.

 

[Explorer_LOL]

Great, will do. My multimeter skills are just a step above entry level, but seems like I'm at that time to up my game.

Is there anything that logically jumps out at you, based on the events of above, that might be a likely culprit?
As noted, this was a running/driving car, the VCG repair was entirely preventative in nature, this occurred on reassembly from a VCG change, so it's not like a failure under usage.

 

[J_C]

Likely culprit, no, it is odd that it cranked then did nothing, unless there's a short in the wiring and it blew a fuse during the first attempt. Nothing about the valve cover gasket or EGR is relevant to just cranking the engine. STARTING an engine successfully, you won't want a big EGR vac leak then so your fuel mix is rich enough, but it should crank just fine no matter the state of that.

I assume you're in the US. In your model year in the US there was no starter disabler built into the PATS2 security system, and if PATS2 was triggered it should be rapidly blinking the dash security light (it always blinks slow) but if you have an aftermarket security system, that could interrupt a starter.

I assume that you're sure the battery is good, both holding a charge and keeping voltage around 12V when it's doing nothing with ignition in start position.

 

[Explorer_LOL]

I think the security light was rapidly blinking. I am in the US.
Is there a way to clear this?

 

[J_C]

One thing at a time. Regular Explorer did not have starter interrupt until 2002. Explorer Sport did somewhere during 2001 models. An aftermarket alarm with starter interrupt would not flash the security light on the dash.

Any problem causing the dash security light to flash fast should not result in the engine not cranking.

You might as well get the engine spinning then see if there's a PAT2 problem, but if there is and you're sure you have the right key with the chip in it, the most common failure of those seems to be that the receiver module inside the steering column around the ignition lock breaks. That portion is not coded uniquely to the vehicle and any of same part # from a junkyard or wherever is plug plug and play, just energizes the key chip and reads the code off of it.

 

[Explorer_LOL]

OK, good advice. Thanks much.
So we can safely assume it's not a starter interrupt from the security features.

This is just so weird,... I'll post a video of the dash lights when there's daylight out. Maybe that might give an indication.

Do the "Brake" and "ABS" lights normally light up when the key is turned? That's what this is doing- those two dash lights go on- but absolutely nothing happens...

 

[J_C]

Yes the dash lights come on to show they work when the key is turned. The security light normally blinks slow, even with no key in, maybe once ever 1.5 seconds?? If PATS is tripped it blinks much faster, but again that won't stop the engine from cranking on a US '99.

Focus on the wiring diagram. You could take all those parts and spread them out on a kitchen stable and the starter should engage and spin. Nothing else on the vehicle matters to get the engine cranking, but of course an engine that isn't seized up but you don't even hear the solenoid clicking so it's either mechanical solenoid failure or failure of power getting to it.

Relating to power, make sure it has a good ground too. There is a forum topic about this:

How to: - Ford Explorer Starter No crank procedure