Because it needed a new windshield (cracked) and the low beams were not working anymore, which I thought was due to the LCM failure for which there is a recall, the Virginia safety inspection lapsed last year so I haven't driven it at all.
Today I had a new windshield installed.
And after the guy was done, it cranked but wouldn't start.
I plugged a scantool in and looked at the fuel pressure PID, was sitting at 30PSI. Cranked it and it dropped to 0PSI.
Then sprayed some carb cleaner into the throttle body then cranked it again and it ran a good 10 seconds off the carb cleaner.
Then looked at the headlights and noticed that someone had broken the locking tabs off the headlight connectors. Pulled one of the headlights out to check that the low beam filament was still intact and checked with a multimeter to make sure.
Put it back and tested the low beams again and that one was working now! Then plugged in the other headlight and that one works now too!
Then made arrangements to have it towed out my driveway tomorrow to get a new fuel pump installed.
Then did some reading and grew a brain and realized that I didn't check the fuel pump relay.
Went outside and swapped the fuel pump relay with the AC compressor clutch relay (the same style relay), then tried starting it.
It started right up.
Then called the towing company to cancel the tow for tomorrow.
I'll drive it to the shop tomorrow (well, today, it's 3:27am here) for a safety inspection and while I'm waiting for that, go get lunch at Hector's, a good Mexican restaurant across the street (Hint: If you're opening an auto repair shop, a good location is within walking distance of a restaurant...)
As far as the LCM goes, a long time ago when I first got this car, it was a total beater (still pretty much is) and the low beams weren't working which I fixed by removing the LCM and re-soldering the relay on the circuit board. So I may just not bother with the LCM recall, Ford's fix is to add an external module of some sort that bypasses the relay inside the LCM.
And I'll just order two of the Motorcraft headlight connector pigtails and pull the terminals out of them and use the connector shells to replace the broken ones (they are the same). That way I don't have to splice any wiring, since there is nothing wrong with it.
Today I had a new windshield installed.
And after the guy was done, it cranked but wouldn't start.
I plugged a scantool in and looked at the fuel pressure PID, was sitting at 30PSI. Cranked it and it dropped to 0PSI.
Then sprayed some carb cleaner into the throttle body then cranked it again and it ran a good 10 seconds off the carb cleaner.
Then looked at the headlights and noticed that someone had broken the locking tabs off the headlight connectors. Pulled one of the headlights out to check that the low beam filament was still intact and checked with a multimeter to make sure.
Put it back and tested the low beams again and that one was working now! Then plugged in the other headlight and that one works now too!
Then made arrangements to have it towed out my driveway tomorrow to get a new fuel pump installed.
Then did some reading and grew a brain and realized that I didn't check the fuel pump relay.
Went outside and swapped the fuel pump relay with the AC compressor clutch relay (the same style relay), then tried starting it.
It started right up.
Then called the towing company to cancel the tow for tomorrow.
I'll drive it to the shop tomorrow (well, today, it's 3:27am here) for a safety inspection and while I'm waiting for that, go get lunch at Hector's, a good Mexican restaurant across the street (Hint: If you're opening an auto repair shop, a good location is within walking distance of a restaurant...)
As far as the LCM goes, a long time ago when I first got this car, it was a total beater (still pretty much is) and the low beams weren't working which I fixed by removing the LCM and re-soldering the relay on the circuit board. So I may just not bother with the LCM recall, Ford's fix is to add an external module of some sort that bypasses the relay inside the LCM.
And I'll just order two of the Motorcraft headlight connector pigtails and pull the terminals out of them and use the connector shells to replace the broken ones (they are the same). That way I don't have to splice any wiring, since there is nothing wrong with it.