98 contour, will crank but won't fire

I just purchased a 98 contour 2.5 (non svt) with auto trans last week. It ran perfect when I drove it. I noticed the fuel pump was getting real noisy when the car key would turn. It still ran fine. No problems driving. Coming home, the car shuts off while I'm driving. I had it towed home and found the eec 20a fuse was blown. So I replaced it turn the key and it blew. I jiggled some wires around and finally got the fuse to not blow but it still will not start. It turns over but doesn't start. I replaced the fuel pump and the camshaft position sensor and still won't start. Also, the overdrive button didn't work either. Now when I turn the key, the fuel pump does not come on and the plugs are not firing but the car will still turns over. I checked all the fuses again, the fuel shutoff button, and any visual broken/touching wires, everything is ok. I'm thinking it might be the pcm or the pcm for the fuel pump if applicable. Any ideas?

That sounds like one of the early '98s with the bad wiring harness eh. It's unlikely that you'll locate the problem(s) without the aid of a multimeter, and even then it could still be a difficult job. I'd say it's too early to condemn the PCM, because you don't even know if it's receiving its supply voltage, or if it still has a good ground connection, etc., so you could fit a replacement and still be in exactly the same position.

Since you know that the fuel pump should come on when the ignition is switched on, but it's failing to do that, I'd make that my starting point. I'd check first for 12V at the inertia fuel shut-off switch, and if that was missing then I'd move up front and check the voltages at the fuel pump relay. If that was all in order then I'd check the ground end of the fuel pump relay coil, which is switched to ground by the PCM when it wants the relay to be energised. If the coil wasn't being grounded by the PCM at ignition switch-on then I'd start looking at the supply voltages to the PCM itself, and the ground connections for the PCM.

Depending on the condition of the harness though, you might get the fuel pump working once more, only to find that you have another fault (or faults) which still leaves you with no spark.

The fuel pump circuit would be the obvious starting point though. If you need the wiring diagrams, follow the instructions in the first post on this thread and you'll find them there - when you reach the Wiring Diagrams section, look for Engine Controls and Power Distribution.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=890909

Well I took it to Firestone and the tech hooked it up to a computer and it said the pcm was bad, in a nutshell. My new pcm should be here Tuesday. I still think there is a wiring problem though because the fuse kept blowing and as soon as I jiggled some of the wires, the fuse for the fuel pump stopped blowing. I'll know something Tuesday I hope.

Well I took it to Firestone and the tech hooked it up to a computer and it said the pcm was bad, in a nutshell. My new pcm should be here Tuesday. I still think there is a wiring problem though because the fuse kept blowing and as soon as I jiggled some of the wires, the fuse for the fuel pump stopped blowing. I'll know something Tuesday I hope.

I doubt its your PCM. Hopefully you didn't pay much for a new one. You can get plenty of used PCMs for sale on the CEG classifieds.

Btw, you could check the schraeder valve on the fuel rail to see if your getting fuel pressure.

I'm not getting any fuel pressure or spark. The pump does not even prime itself. The computer was new for $130 just waiting for it to get flashed, should be here Tuesday. Where do the wires by the radiator and under the intake usually short out? I don't see how the eec fuse kept blowing and as soon as I jiggled some wires around it stopped. Any help....

I'm not getting any fuel pressure or spark. The pump does not even prime itself. The computer was new for $130 just waiting for it to get flashed, should be here Tuesday. Where do the wires by the radiator and under the intake usually short out? I don't see how the eec fuse kept blowing and as soon as I jiggled some wires around it stopped. Any help....

What wires are you talking about? The harness under the upper intake manifold attached to the fuel rail? Not sure what wires your talking about by the radiator.

Your PCM could be bad, but if it is, its probably wiring caused. Im fearful, your going to get a new PCM and your going to left with the same problems since the wiring is the culprit.

Check the main harnesses back by the passenger strut tower. Thats where it connects to the PCM. You may want to pull your UIM and check the fuel harness. Those crack due to engine heat and can arch off the LIM.

Disconnect the battery ground and pull up the relay center. Look for corroded or wires rubbing against something. Also check anywhere the plastic cover for the wiring harness rubs against something or goes through the firewall.

I'm afraid that if I put the computer in and there is a short, it might damage the computer again. I don't see any corroded wires...

You are going to have to look harder wher you wiggled the wires and it changed. Remove the plastic loom and inspect each wire. It will take some time but save you big money if you find it.

Well is it safe to put the new pcm in and see if the car starts or should I take the whole harness out and look for touching wires?

I don't think your computer is bad I would check the wires. Use the old computer and check voltages. Check the relay for the fuel pump is good. The relays go bad sometimes.
http://www.alldata.com/ sells a yearly subscription for $25.00 they have detailed wiring diagrams print one off and check all grounds.
Ford has bad wiring and I had to pull the harness and physically inspect it. I used terminal tools and another harness from a scrap yard. The car worked fine after this. It took the better part of a day. I also ohmed each wire.

My relay is good i switched it with the horn relay and checked. I'll pull the harness and check the wires.

Well I replaced the PCM and it still does not start. I look at most the wires and relays but none of them are corroded. What next?

Should I just pull the whole harness out the car and start over? My car does not have ABS but will a wiring harness with ABS work?

You have to use a wiring diagram and with the wires unplugged. Ohm each wire on the fuse. Get some copper wire so you can reach from one end to the other end. Touch the two wires of the ohm meter together and this is the reading you should get. If a wire is going to ground it will be different. Then on one end only put one end on the wire and the other end on the body ground. You should get the same as when the wires aren't touching. They are hard to find.
Normally the manufacturers use the same harness but not everything is plugged in but I haven't been doing it for a few years and they might have changed.
You can look at a yard to find one but they have a habit of cutting rather than unplugging.
Ohm the wire to the fuel pump it could have shorted out.

I'm kind of lost. I understand I'm looking for a short. I also have a ohm meter. I need to place a piece of wire on each fuse in the fuse box or I need to follow the wires coming from each fuse to where it meets a terminal and check there?

You are checking the wire from the fuse to whatever it is supplying. One test checks the wire isn't broken or bleeding off somewhere some where. The other checks for a wire going to ground. Also touch the one wire and put the meter on other wires next to it to check for two wires touching.
It has to be unplugged on both ends and a diagram is needed to check for splices.
I found two wires touching on my sons Toyota Supra. My Ford had wires with insulation coming off and a broken wire. On the Toyota I slit some small vacuum hose and covered the wire where it touched and taped it up.

Well my plan is to completely take the harness out and start there or would it be easier to just check it in the car? I have another vehicle and 4 day vacation so I should have plenty of time either way.

Its easier to work on when its on a big table with room to work. It takes time to R&R the harness. You will have to use your own judgement. Hopefully you will find the problem. I had a Mazda 929 that had a problem in the wires between the distributor and computer. I couldn't find what it was but run a new section of shielded pair wiring which fixed the problem. Once I knew where the problem this was the easiest fix. Any wiring in a wiring shield has to be repaired with a shielded wire or the vehicle won't run correctly.

Well I took the harness out and only found one wire with broken insulation. It was right under the fuse box. I took it back to the dealer. I will keep everybody posted.

So the dealer said the fuse box is bad now. What are the chances of that?

I would assume you would have fixed it yourself if you went to the trouble to pull the harness. If you used your fingers and wiggled the wire to see if it is broken you would know.
The labor to replace a wire would be about one hour shop time. R & R the fuse box install a new one is worth more.
You did save yourself some future problems by finding the problem.

I had to take it back to the dealer because I couldn't trace the wire. They said the computer is getting power going out but there is a problem with a relay under the dash that isn't putting the power to the rest of the car. They are tracing it now.

The new diagnosis with the car is that the anti theft system is bad. Either the key with the computer chip is bad or the system is not allowing the car to start. That really doesnt make sense though because I don't see how the car would die while driving if the system was bad. Anybody have other ideas?

Well they finally found the problem! I took it to another Ford place. The junction box? is corroded and some of the wires aren't touching to the electrical connections. Labor to diagnose it the first time, labor to install, part #F5RZ14A067AA, and diagnose after install runs $485. Part should be here tomorrow and hopefully everything gets fixed.

Well the fuse box under the hood didn't fix the problem. There is still a short in the wiring harness.

I would really complain that you paid the money you expect the car to run.
The more you complain they will press the mechanic to fix the problem. Go to the dealership owner.

Wow, it's finally fixed. Here's the whole story by the tech. The harness was shorting out so it burned the computer, which shorted the computer, the underhood fuse box was shorted because of the broken relay points inside it, and there were about 20 other wires that were not a complete wire anymore. So long story short. The computer, engine fuse box, repair the broken wires, and with labor was just shy of $1300. I also did a prevenative maintenance and just replaced the cps sensor and fuel pump before I took it there. I let them keep it awhile and it's $89 an hour at Ford to look at it. I didn't rush the service manager and he helped me out alot and put an experienced tech on it after the other one failed out. Anyway, my $3000 beater car turned out to be more than expected but it runs now and hopefully it stays that way.

I'm glad they fixed the problem for you even though it was expensive.

WOW. Ok the car runs good now. In the process of making it run, Ford broke the trim piece that goes over the seatbelt, the fuel gauge works right when it wants to, and the steering is messed up. I think somebody didn't put something back in place. I have to turn the wheel almost halfway left to go straight and when I push the gas any bit at all it pulls hard right but the wheel doesn't move. Once you get off the gas, it goes back straight. When it hits bumps in the road, sounds like running over railroad tracks. Never did that before.

You have to complain to the dealership owner or general manager.

Well the shop fixed the problem. I think they didn't tighten something up. Regardless, I got an alignment, put the old fuel pump back in because the used one I bought was bad, and now the car runs great. It has less than 75,000 miles and I'm finally done with the problems. Thanks for the help guys!