Random "No Start"

[E1]

Got a little more time to play over the weekend. More ruling things out than actually fixing anything but I think I am getting closer to the solution.

I went so far as to dig up an entire 1996 steering column with keys and associated PATS hardware bagged with it. Then I changed course. I reviewed PATS and tried a few things like unplugging modules to see what happens. PATS is working correctly.

I went back to the Trans Range Switch and noticed something curious one could only see on a '96 - The instrument cluster on only 1996 SHO's has the 'P,R,N,D,l,' on it.

When I would put the car in park, the 'P' would light up. When I went to R,N,or D', the lights were off when the shifter was landed in the stop points.
I shifted to 'l' and the light was on again. I could fool with the shifter and get any of the cluster lights to come on, but the shifter would be out of the detents it needed to be in.

I fiddled with the switch - could not get it to line up. I put back the old switch AND tried a third switch (You guys must drool over my unobtainium parts horde!) = No Joy. I know how to line up that switch and could not get all 5 letters at one adjustment.

I think something is a little bent in the linkage, or parking pawl stem inside the trans causing the TRS pivot to move elliptically.(Not in a true circle)

Anyhow, hot and ****** off, I pulled the starter relay in the mega-fuse block and put in a 'fire' button from an old Centipede video game I scavenged parts from a while back. Any time I push the red button, the starter engages.

I hung the switch temporarily inside the car. Turn on the keys, hit red button = 100% reliable starts now. Turn off the keys and motor stops as it should. Never was PATS.

Now to figure out what the heck is wrong with the TRS shaft.

 

[stephen newberg]

Gotta love fixing an old Ford with old video game parts.

pax, smn

 

[luigisho]

Now to figure out what the heck is wrong with the TRS shaft.

If that ends up being the culprit, that would be a first around here. Over time more and more crazy one off issues popping up.

 

[E1]

It's not fixed yet.

"Diagnostic Hardware" employed for educational purposes

 

[98SF19]

I move to induct post #21 above into Hall of Fame, especially the last few paragraphs.

 

[GEN 3 SHO FAN]

Hi E1,

Do you have the VIN for the 1996 with the 'P,R,N,D,l,' on the cluster ? (Maybe a SLO with G or GL trim...) (However I saw SLO with 1,2 gear on the shifter until first months of 98 production.) Your RM have normally 1,2 gear shifter.

As your repair seems completed, I put infos here for next ones that can this prob too.

Normally 1996 Taurus have P,R,N,D,1,2 on their cluster and shifter. I don't know what will happens if we put a TRS from a 'P,R,N,D,l,' into a one with the 2nd gear...

TRS on 1996-1997 SLO with floor shifter have the same part as 1996-1997 SHO for those who searching a good one. (I saw also early 98 SLO with 1-2 shifter.)

Can be also a misadjustement between floor shifter and TRS.

1) Watch the bolt thightening the cable to the little arm going to the TRS. There is plastic (blue or green) under the arm. It can fall apart and there is a TSB about that IIRC (can be a good idea to have spare for this plastic part). It can create a loose before completely fall off. Can also adjust the cable between TRS and floor shifter. The end of the cable part have an "rectangular" hole.

2) The TRS can be misplaced. An unwanted rotation of only 1/16 is enought to misplace the TRS and the transmission when the cluster/shifter is indicating the good gear. We have to be careful when unbolting and rebolting TRS.

Sorry for the PATS, the probability over time is effectively that moving parts will fall apart sooner before fixed ones.

 

[E1]

You're right.
I was trying to give a general description like "you know, that set of letters in the dash that only light up on the 96 SHO's."

Yes, there is a '2' after the '1', and yes, it is a plain old ordinary floor shifter with the 1 and 2.

Got the lights all working but still no start with either TRS. One is original and the other is from a known working '96.

I found some good pictures and made a TRS alignment tool. Just no time to fool with it yet.

I still think something got tweaked somehow and it is throwing off the TRS, not really a bad switch. Maybe a mouse got a wire, the car sits for months at a time on a battery tender. I just ran out a tank of gas from September, 2017.

 

[Qshiplvr]

Eric:

I bow to your video game supremacy, having mastered the game Centipede and ripping the fire button out as your trophy of conquest! I was only able to get the wave counter to roll on Robotron, and last only 6 hrs on Defender at the top of my game.

Awesome job at getting the Gen3 SHO to FINALLY have a push button start! BRAVO!!!