Car won't start… what could it be?

Ford Models Forum Ford Fusion Club
1

The car has a brand-new battery. Key fobs seem to work fine, brake switch is being pressed, and the shift cable is still attached to the transmission. Weird thing is, this car won’t let you start it in neutral.

I can hear relays clicking in the engine compartment. When I jumped the starter relay, the motor turned over, but the relay isn’t getting a signal to crank. I’ve ruled out everything I can think of. Could it be an ECU or PCM issue? Are these problems common?

The battery is only three weeks old, showing 12.7 volts yesterday, and the car worked fine until just the other day. Anyone faced something similar?
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I’d try jumping it and getting someone to follow you to a car parts store to use their code reader.

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Tara said:
I’d try jumping it and getting someone to follow you to a car parts store to use their code reader.

I’ve already used a code reader. It connected fine, which makes me think it’s not a PCM issue, but I’m still stuck since there are no codes and it won’t start.

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@Troy
I’d still try jumping it, maybe the alternator is the issue?

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Tara said:
@Troy
I’d still try jumping it, maybe the alternator is the issue?

He has power, the issue is the relay not activating the starter.

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Tara said:
@Troy
I’d still try jumping it, maybe the alternator is the issue?

Yeah, the battery is showing 12.7 volts. Jumping it was the first thing I tried.

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What’s the battery voltage right now?

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Micah said:
What’s the battery voltage right now?

When I hooked up the scanner earlier, it showed 11.9 volts.

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Troy said:

Micah said:
What’s the battery voltage right now?

When I hooked up the scanner earlier, it showed 11.9 volts.

Check the amps too. Even if it’s showing 12 volts, a battery without enough amps won’t start the car. Dropping to 11 volts might mean the battery is bad. Jump it and have it tested at a store if you can’t test it yourself.

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Can you charge the battery for an hour or two, then disconnect the charger and check if the voltage holds above 12 volts? Make sure no lights or doors are left on or open. Also, check that the battery terminals are tight and not corroded. Can you share pictures of the terminals?

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Here’s a placeholder image of what could help: https://placehold.co/600x400.png

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Have you checked all the fuses?

13

Brock said:
Have you checked all the fuses?

I’ll take another look. Didn’t notice anything before, and I already swapped a few relays around. By the way, where’s the passenger-side fuse box?

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@Troy
It should be to the left of the steering wheel, under the dash. Also, check the bottom side of the engine compartment fuse box for fuses.

15

Are you behind on payments? Could be an immobiliser kicking in.

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Check all the ground connections. Based on everything said, this might be the issue.

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Alexander said:
Check all the ground connections. Based on everything said, this might be the issue.

That’s the best suggestion I’ve heard so far, honestly.

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Troy said:

Alexander said:
Check all the ground connections. Based on everything said, this might be the issue.

That’s the best suggestion I’ve heard so far, honestly.

Hope it fixes the problem.