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Won't start, help!

energie

Well-Known Member
Joined
August 5, 2004
Messages
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City, State
Edmonton, AB, CA
Year, Model & Trim Level
2000 Explorer XLT
So i was doing the door control LED mod, i take out one of the buttons, do the led's come out, start the explorer, noticed my dash lights, instrument, etc didnt come on, so i plugged the door button i just did in, and nothing, so im like wtf, i play around with the lights, nothing. so then i shut it off, go to start it again, and it just turns over, doesnt start. checked the fuses/relays. checked the inertia switch. i dont have a good fuel gauge because theyre **** and it doesnt show what my actual fuel level is until 10 mins after driving but i have gas. when i turn it to ignition the fuel gauge starts to go above the full line..dont know if that helps. can someone help!
 



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from the way people are talking at looking at other threads, could be the fuel pump, i dont really hear a noise when i turn it to ignition, but how could the fuel pump just stop working within like 10 mins of starting again? like really.. not to mention its winter and a fuel pump replacement just for a *maybe* is not something i had in mind.
 






anyone?
can anyone tell me why my interior lights wouldnt work (interior being dash/door controls) the interior lamps and glove box and puddle lamps still work... i kind of need help asap
 






ok someone has to be able to help
 












i wish that was it, the theft light blinks normally. any other signs that it could be this?
im still not entirely sure why my dash lights dont come on.
 






so i dont think im getting fuel to the engine.. nor do i hear any noise down by the fuel tank when i turn to ignition ...fuel pump?
 






dash lights or warning indicators?

By dash lights are you referring to the night illumination or the warning lamps such as seat belt, air bag, etc?

Does your CEL illuminate when the ignition key is in the On position?

Have you checked fuse 10 (30 amps) and fuse 9 (20 amps) in the battery junction box?

The fuel pump sender is connected to PCM pin 12, the anti-slosh module in the instrument cluster and the message center. You may not have power to the PCM due to shorting out something. I haven't looked at what is in the door yet.
 






night illumination. my 'check gage' light comes on whatever that means. and if it helps when its on ignition my fuel gauge starts going up past full.
i believe i checked all the fuses in the junction box with a test light. they seemed fine.
sorry, pcm pin 12? wheres that? how can i check if i have power to the pcm?
 






Wow sorry to hear all this... maybe I won't be doing that mod after all..
 






Wow sorry to hear all this... maybe I won't be doing that mod after all..

thanks, maybe its my own stupidity, or just a freak chance that something went wrong as i did this
 






CEL not check gauge

By CEL I mean your check engine light or MIL (malfunction indicator light) not your check gauge light which I believe relates to your fuel level. I was trying to determine if you have power to your PCM. What about the seat belt light, the ABS light, the airbag light? Do they illuminate when the ignition is On?

I looked at the wiring for the interior lights and suspect you blew fuse 11 (15 amps) in the battery junction box. It powers the dimmer module via the park lamp relay located in the relay module. However, I don't see why that would prevent the engine from starting. Oh well, one thing at a time.

For troubleshooting via wiring diagrams it is important that you carefully read my questions and be exact in your answers or I will end up following an incorrect wire path due to miscommunication.
 






i apologize. the only lights that come on are the
check gage
battery
airbag
seatbelt
abs.
nothing else comes on. then after it does its cycle, only check gage and battery stay on. the battery isnt the problem, its just been dieing due to me leaving the doors open, trying to start it, etc.
 






There is your issue,
no power to PCM. You should see the check engine light when the key is swtched to on.

Check power to pcm.

There is a PCM power relay, and I assume it is protected by several fuses.
 












i checked the #11 fuse like you said. visually it looks fine. not sure if fuses can go anywhere other than the middle. could this be my pcm relay? i could go pick up a relay and find out? no fuses in the battery junction box are blown, as for relays..i cant say.
 






Is there a possibility a LED was installed backwards-?

it is possible yes... i followed a how to on this forum, the led's were reversed from original in his how to.. i found it a bit odd. what would this cause? i just assumed the LED wouldnt work, not blow something
 






Cel

According to the Owner's Guide the "CHECK ENGINE" light should illuminate when the ignition switch is turned to On to test that the buld is good. Was the light working normally before you started the LED mod?

Also according to the Owner's Guide the "CHECK GAGE" light illuminates when the engine coolant temperature is high, the engine oil pressure is low, or the fuel gauge is at or near empty. For now I'll assume it's lit because of your fuel gauge reading.

What do you want to accomplish first? I suspect that the first priority is to get the engine running and then fix the interior lights.
 






indeed it is, i want to get it running first. the check gage light was on since i bought the thing, oil is fine, i just filled up gas, and its cold as hell here in canada, so im assuming it could be a bad sensor with thatone.
would replacing the PCM relay do anything?
to be honest i didnt notice that the check engine light was on or not in the cycle. would all those other lights come on if it was the PCM or something similar?
 



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engine no start procedure

I agree with previous posters that there is a good possibility that your PCM has lost power. However, I'll be walking you thru my Engine No Start Procedure to use this opportunity to evaluate and improve it.

1. Does "THEFT" blink rapidly with ignition key in Off, On or Start?

The wiring diagram states the THEFT should blink at 2 second intervals with the key out and 3 second intervals with the key in the On position. I know from personal experience that when a bad key is in the ignition and On the THEFT blinks very rapidly.
 






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