1998 Taurus SHO Starting Issue

[1998v8sho]

Hello Everyone,

My 1998 SHO would not start this cold morning. There were no interior lights and the car would not turn over at all. After a few attempts, and no luck, I noticed that the key fob would not work, nor the power locks. It was totally dead. I waited a few minutes and tried the key fob to unlock the doors and it worked. I had interior lights. I tried to crank it and as soon as I turned the key to the start position the electrical dropped out again. waited a few more moments and it did the same thing...key fob works]ed, interior lights on, crank and the electrical drops out.

I put a charger on the battery and wait a few minutes and it does the same thing. I get my volt meter and check all the voltage. Everything checks out fine. The battery is less than a year old and is kicking out good voltage. I check all the fuses and none are burnt. I get back in and crank it again and she starts up weak. I let it run for a bit and turn it off and the same symptoms occur. I wait a few more minutes and tried to crank it and she starts up fine.

I let the SHO warm up to temp and shut it off and start it back up. She starts right up as if nothing happened. I check all the voltage while the car is running and everything tests out fine...the battery, the alternator, the starter all check out fine, and the battery cables look good.

I shut it off and on a few more times and she starts rights up every time as if nothing was wrong.

Oh I did fail to mention the radio setting did get reset when it started up the first time.

I am kind of stumped...is it the neutral safety switch, the crank position sensor, or could it be the cold? Once it was warmed up and up to temp it starts up every time. :braincramp:

I would love some insight form anyone who experienced this before with their V8 SHO?

Thank you in advance,

Loukas Zannopoulos

 

[toledogt]

I would take off the battery cables at the battery terminal and clean all the connections. Also verify the battery is still good. I had this issue a year ago and the guys here on the forum had this solution.

 

[tqmx1]

Toledogt has it half right, Mine has done the same thing in the past. It turned out to be the battery cable where it goes into the terminal it looks fine but it's just a tad loose. Recrinp the wire in the terminal. Mine ended up being the positive side but it could happen to eather

 

[SHONAUT]

Hello SHO folks! Here is a weird one similar in some ways to Lou Z's issue. My 97 on the way home last night dropped dead at speed. Lights out! At 40+ mph on a windy country road. Nutin totally dead not even a clicky clicky.Tow it home and a heads up stoopid tow drivers will pack your exhausts with gravel. Anyway, not seeing anything posted on this yet but here is the weird part. My son and I found that the battery was not quite dead and would hold a charge and the terminals clean etc. We pulled out all the fuses and the fuse box module in the cab even checked the board in it and the wires such as you can, connectors the whole deal and nothing visual. Put it back together and varoooom! Road test restart all good. Waddahell? Only found one" jumpy" fuze but nothing significant. Any ideas?
It is a wonderment and as we SHOknow it can't be that easy and will come back when you least expect to expect it. Dead even at that relatively(4 me) low speed can **** ya in the dark. So just a heads up that the bull will do this. UFOs maybe?