I have a 1999 Escort SE. I went to start after work last night... completely dead. No lights, power, nothing. Had a work colleague try to jump start, and still nothing. Now, the battery is new as of exactly 6 months ago. The strange thing is this. When I had the hood open and after attempting to jump it... I heard a "click.... click.... click" every three seconds or so and it was coming from the Under Hood fuse box. I pulled the cover, and could physically feel it when I touched the "HEAD" fuse. I tried to remove that fuse but it would not easily pull out. At that point, I stopped as I didnt want to break it off in the fuse box. First question... is there a special tool to remove that specific fuse? Second... any ideas on what would drain a battery like this to make it seem as though there is absolutely no electrical system working (completely dead car) yet would cause the "clicking" sound from the fuse box under the hood? Would a blown fuse linking the fuse panel cause the battery to drain? OR is this a simple bad alternator that ran down but allowed the car to start and drive 23 miles to work on a cold morning but die after the car alarm was set when exiting the car?
The clicking is probably the clue . What ever that relay powers up is draining the battery . This is called a parasitic draw on the electrical system .An there is a way to find the problem . The BEST Way TO Perform Parasitic Draw Test
There should be a tool in the fuse box to pull fuse's with !
SOURCE: Blown Fuses - Dead 1998 Ford Escort
Try changing the fuel filter first we always change them when servicing the fuel pump anyway,its easy and cheap,if that doesnt solve the problem you will have to perform an amperage draw test on the fuel pump to insure your not replacing a good pump. Check the fuel pump relay and inertia switch and wiring also.Although possible its unlikley the fuel pump would blow a fuse consistantly without displaying any driveability problems.There may also be another component running off the fuel pump fuse have your mechanic pull a wiring diagram to find out. Good hunting keep me informed
The first thing I'd check would be the starter solenoid. I'm not familiar with the location on that particular model, but it'll look like this:
There will be a positive lead running from the battery to the starter solenoid.
Solenoids are usually fairly cheap (<$20), and because they die eventually in older vehicles it can be handy to have a replacement on-hand. As a result, buying one as a first step to diagnosing an electrical non-start issue really has no downside. If it fixes the problem, you know the cause. If it doesn't, you have a small, cheap replacement part you're almost guaranteed to need at some point in the future.
If, however, it is not the starter solenoid, you likely have (in order of ease of fixing) a locked-up starter (hit it hard with a hammer and attempt to start the vehicle again), a bad starter, or significant corrosion in the electrical leads running between your starter and the battery and/or solenoid.
The next step would be to remove the starter and take it to an auto parts store for testing. In the event it tests good, you'll want to test the resistance of the battery cables. Frequently there will be signs of corrosion somewhere along them in the form of bulging or split insulation and accumulations of white powder around and between the strands of copper inside the cable. Unfortunately, external signs of corrosion are not always present even in cases where significant corrosion resistance has built up in one or more electrical cables.
SOURCE: total dead no power-tried jump-then new battery-then nothing
Older model cars (1980s) would use fusible links in the wiring harness; don't know if they're still used in the 2000 years. These would be used to protect primary circuits that would not be expected to fail under normal conditions.
My 2006 Ford has the usual interior fuse block, but the higher capacity circuit fuses are under the hood in the engine compartment. Check your owner's manual to see if there are fuses in multiple locations for your car.
If you're mechanically inclined and willing to do some work yourself, a repair manual can be a very good investment. Even if you're not so inclined, it would provide much information on troubleshooting any problems that crop up in the future.
You can get them at any auto parts store
1,769 views
Usually answered in minutes!
×