1993 SHO car won't start

[Brandon H]

I got a 93 Ford Taurus SHO about a week ago and it was running for about a day after I bought it then I went to get tires on it at Les Schwab and on the drive home it kept dying Everytime I turned a corner and would not start. I got it home the next day and my uncle told me it was my thermostat because it was leaking coolant when he parked it. So I changed that and all the hoses and it will turn over but not start. I heard it might be a crank position sensor or water pump? I don't want to dump anymore money unless I know for sure. Appreciate it guys!

 

[SHOdded]

Pull codes first.
http://web.archive.org/web/20110505224000/http://www.shophoenixproject.com/maint.htm
http://web.archive.org/web/20110505224000/http://www.shophoenixproject.com/eec/eec.htm

Could be a simple coolant leak, could be a head gasket. Have you checked both coolant and oil to verify?

Battery could be weak, as could alternator and/or wiring in between the two. Plugs/wires are always suspect, as is DIS. Fuel pump could be weak, does it prime strongly with Key On, Engine Off? Fuel pressure at the rail?

 

[Brandon H]

Pull codes first.
http://web.archive.org/web/20110505224000/http://www.shophoenixproject.com/maint.htm
http://web.archive.org/web/20110505224000/http://www.shophoenixproject.com/eec/eec.htm

Could be a simple coolant leak, could be a head gasket. Have you checked both coolant and oil to verify?

Battery could be weak, as could alternator and/or wiring in between the two. Plugs/wires are always suspect, as is DIS. Fuel pump could be weak, does it prime strongly with Key On, Engine Off? Fuel pressure at the rail?

I've checked the battery and it looks like he put a used Battery in that seems smaller than the original battery should be but the terminals are all tight and I checked the oil, seems clean. The guy I bought it from claimed he put a new gas tank and fuel pump in it before bringing it to Nevada from California. It's seems fishy. I read a little on the self diagnostic test with the paper clip but I haven't had time to go work on it until Monday. I hope it is not a head gasket haha

 

[sperold]

You have to stick to the facts about your car. It quit on the road a few days ago, and fixing an annoying leak and changing a thermostat will not do anything for your first issue.

Universally, when your crank position sensor is doused with coolant, it restarts when it dries out.

It is either electrical or fuel that is keeping you car from starting and running.

Squirt some Quick Start in the intake and hit the key, if it starts, you have a fuel issue.
When it does not start with the above, you have to do the tests for spark (like putting a plug wire on a grounded spark plug) and work through the steps to figue out what has failed.

Check out the engine compartment for disconnected things as sometimes the boys at the repair shops are so enamored by the look of the engine that they start pulling on things (had it happen at a hand car wash when I nipped out).

Does your 93 happen to be an automatic?

Your codes will lead you to the answer.

 

[NoSlo]

Call up the previous owner, and ask what's actually wrong with it.

 

[rubydist]

until you pull the codes and post them, all we can do is guess.

to pull the codes, all you have to be able to do is count to ten. you can always post a video of the flashing light if you need to.