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Ford Escort Electrical Problems

138 messages,  Last post on Apr 03, 2013 at 5:04 AM

You are in the Ford Escort Wagon Forum.

What is this discussion about? Ford Escort, Electrical, Wagon

Messages Page 2 of 14

#9 of 138 Ford Escort si 1995 by suss

Sep 23, 2006 (8:27 pm)

Hello
I own a 2nd hand UK version of this car and had trouble with heater blower,i took the fan out and bought a second hand one.I tried and tested all the wiring to the heater switch and to cut a long story short i joined a live wire from the cig lighter(red one) to the main fan switch and hey presto it works ,but make sure you turn it off as this is continuous voltage so will continue blowing even if engine is turned off.

#10 of 138 Ford Escort needs help(!) by msteinbrenner

Sep 25, 2006 (10:45 am)

Lookin' (grasping actually) for ideas here---about 18 months ago the car began having trouble starting--just dead (no clicks or power to lights or radio) w/o any notice. So I checked the battery terminals & cleaned & removed the corrosion & all was well again for a couple of weeks. Then it began happening again. I had the battery checked & it was shot, So I of course replaced it & changed the cable terminals the same time. This cleared the problem again for a few weeks, then it restarted. Once again, just nothing to the starter. Now at this time we noticed that w/ multiple attempts the starter would eventually engage & start the car. but over time the trouble went from an occasional start difficulty to multiple times a day. Took the car to the shop & it was diagnosed as a flat spot on the starter. I had that trouble w/ a car many years ago so ok let's change it. No trouble for 3 months & then the same old thing getting progressively worse. We put up with it until spring & took it back into the shop. they replaced the starter (new as opposed to a remanufactured) again. all ok again for 3months. The trouble then restarts & we notice that now the power locks are intermittently locking when the ignition is tried during these episodes. bottom line is that we have also replaced the ignition, fuel modules & alarm system on separate occasions & w/ each action the trouble has cleared for a time only to resurface in 2-3months. The last change was the alarm was removed by the dealership 2 months ago & last week the car simply stopped running while driving on my wife & she was unable to restart. 20 minutes later by the time I got there it started right up but then failed on trying to restart home. The dealership then had it for 3 days w/o any success in duplicating the trouble. Other notes: the car has approx: 145k miles but has no ( I really mean no) smog emissions. ---- my wife doesn’t trust the car anymore due to last weeks engine stall while driving & wants a new car now (she has been putting up w/ this for 18mos) but financial timing could be better. Any ideas? --mike

#11 of 138 no dashboard/back lights by ottoman1

Oct 08, 2006 (11:50 pm)

Hi folks, I when turned my '96 mk6 escort on I've got no back lights,or on the dash board also the buzzer to let you know the lights are on doesn't work when the door opens.But my head lights,brake lights,radio,cigarette lighter still okay.
I've checked the fuses & they seem fine.
Could anyone help please as dark nights are here...

#12 of 138 Re: Dimmer? [pf_flyer] by ottoman1

Oct 12, 2006 (6:13 am)

Replying to: pf_flyer (Jul 13, 2006 1:47 pm)
hi...
i had the same problem,it's caused by a faulty light switch on the steering opposite the indicators. it has to be replaced...

#13 of 138 Interior lights and radio issue by ambriana

Oct 16, 2006 (12:38 pm)

I have a 93 ford escort lx, 5 speed; I was trying to repair my driver side sun viser when I cut the wires to the mirror (apparently a bad idea!!) When I did that the radio died and the dome light and the two interior front lights (for the driver and front seat passenger), and possibly the trunk light died too (the trunk light sparatically worked before this). I've tried reconnecting the mirror (that hasn't lit up for years) but that doesn't help. I've checked and changed the fuses still nothing. The dash board lights and all exterior lights are still functioning. I also have a sun roof and that is working too. Any ideas on what maybe causing this and what to do or check?? I can deal with the lights not working but not having radio really stinks!! Thanks in advance for any input.

#14 of 138 Trouble starting car by mstar67

Oct 22, 2006 (1:39 pm)

We have a 95 escort 5 spd with a 1.9 engine. This past week our car totally died. Tried to start and nothing happened, we had headlights and horn but no radio and no clicking or anything. We checked the starter and it was fried. So, we replaced it and now all we are getting is clicks. Coming from the relays on the firewall. We have replaced them both and still only getting clicks. Still have lights, horn, fan turns, no radio. Took the battery and had that replaced and still not getting anywhere. Just clicks! PLEASE HELP! Getting desperate here!

#15 of 138 Re: No dash lights [nlamont] by madcityjack

Nov 06, 2006 (10:29 am)

Replying to: nlamont (Jul 07, 2006 11:19 am)
I have a '97 Ford Escort wagon with a dash light problem. Here's what I know - Every fall the dash lights start to "act up." (Is this problem related to cold weather?) This usually happens right after I've adjusted the brightness of the dash lighting (when will I learn to leave it alone?) For a few days the lights will occasionally come on, change brightness, and then go out all by themselves. Then its no lights forever more. I have waited as long as to March to fix the problem. At least part of the problem is the dimmer control and replacing the control module mounted on the dash fixes the problem. I have experience in replacing it. Using a chisel pry the trim frame around the switch away from the dash, breaking the frame. When the frame is broken away you can maneuver the switch out of the opening. [Be careful not to drop the switch back behind the dash face, I suspect it would be impossible to retrieve it.] Unplug the defective control. Plug in a new one purchased from your Ford parts dealer. [The price is skyrocketing, I've paid $27, $38, and last year $52 for a replacement switch.] Push the new control into the opening in the dash, it will click into place. Takes maybe 15 minutes tops. I have done this successfully four times, but don't yell at me if I haven't been clear enough or you are too forceful and damage something. Use care and common sense. {PS, a Ford technician told me to do this to replace the control.} Here's what I would like to know. Why does this happen? [I've tried contact cleaner and circuit cooler on the control with very limited results.]

#16 of 138 Re: No dash lights [madcityjack] by madcityjack

Nov 06, 2006 (10:43 am)

Replying to: madcityjack (Nov 06, 2006 10:29 am)
I see a couple things in my prior post that are not clear.
 
The control that comes from the Ford parts department includes an integral frame as part of the control so breaking the old one off the defective control doesn't destroy anything important - it gets thrown away with the old control it was a part of.
 
The control connects to a fairly long cable which will pull out from the dash along with the damaged control you are replacing. I've had no difficulty unplugging it from the defective dimmer control and connecting it to the new control switch. For me the cable has not tried to retreat back through the hole into the innards of the dash, but take care on this point as I think it would be as difficult to get the cable out from behind the dash surface as it would be to get the defective switch control out if you let it fall back behind the dash surface.
 
When I refer to "lights" in my prior post I am referring to the illumination of the instrumentation (speedometer, gas gauge, etc) and the radio and clock, not headlights or tail lights or the interior lighting.

#17 of 138 PROBLEM SOLVED by mstar67

Nov 12, 2006 (6:30 pm)

I want to thank everyone for their suggestions. We have a neighbor whose brother in law came by and rigged a temporary wire from the cylanoid straid to the battery, it started right up. However it was only a temp fix till we could get it somewhere else. We did some checking around and found that an ANIT-THEFT system was installed. We removed this system and have not had a single problem with the car since. It appears that the anti theft device had a broken computer chip in it and that is what was keeping the car from starting.

#18 of 138 Re: PROBLEM SOLVED [mstar67] by 1bosshog

Nov 23, 2006 (1:55 pm)

Replying to: mstar67 (Nov 12, 2006 6:30 pm)
Can you please send me a dyagram. I have a 93 with same problem. Intermintent starting problems Iv replaced the relay on firer wall and also the starter thinking it was the silonod. Still same thing, it seem's to be intermintent some times it starts up and runs fine and sometimes it does not but problem has got BAD!lol Can you please let me no what post to run the wire to the batt there are the large post with nut or the little one that plug's on? please im in desprit need this car gets me to work! I NO WITH OUT A DOAGHT ITS THE SAME PROBLEM I READ YOUR'S AND I THOUGHT I WAS READING ABOUT MY CAR. And please if possble can you let me no where anti theft device is installed. Ill Be waiting for your reply please hurry thank you so much for understanding my dulema. With out a doght its the same problem.

Messages Page 2 of 14

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