Automotive Forums

I have been chasing down an intermittent starting problem in my 2001 Ford Escort ZX2 (Automatic) for nearly a year. Sometimes the car will fail to start, when I turn the key I hear a faint click (pretty sure this is the solenoid firing, but haven't checked specifically), but nothing else happens. All other components are powered just fine (radio, lights, etc. all come on), but the starter doesn't turn.

I've already checked and replaced most of the usual suspects, personally changed the battery and alternator just a few months ago, replaced the wire ends that connect to the battery terminals, and cleaned the ground connector on the negative end. I just recently pulled the starter off to have it checked at the local auto parts store, and it checked out fine.

What gets me is, the car will fail to start by its own power, but if jumped it will start just fine, first time, every time. After being jumped, it will usually start on its own for a period of time (a few days, a few weeks, depends how its "feeling" I guess), but once it fails to start it will not start again without a jump.

I'm completely stumped by this one, my best guess is that there is either a bad connection in the ignition switch itself, or there is a bad connection/short anywhere along the electrical wiring between the battery, switch, and starter. Not really keen on replacing the wiring throughout the engine compartment, nor am I keen on paying someone to do that for me... any other thoughts on what to check before I dump a few hundred more into this problem?  

I had a similar problem the wire harness was rubbing on the motor mount on top.It was back in 2002 so I think it was on the top buy a motor mount.  

Sounds like the starter is weak, or has a dead spot. did you change the starter?  

I did not replace the starter. Last time I worked on the car I pulled the starter off to have it checked, the guys at Advance Auto hooked it up to their testing equipment and it worked fine. I guess it could be "weak" and just needs a little extra power to turn...

I'll have to do some detective work soon to try and isolate the problem. Someone else suggested that I eliminate the solenoid/ignition switch assembly as potential problems by connecting a test lead straight from the battery to the starter. We'll see how that goes, although any other guesses based on similar problems any of you have seen could prove very helpful.  

Alright... so, time to bump this with updates.

Suggestions and tests led me to believe that the starter solenoid was bad. The starter would whirr when a direct lead to the battery was connected, but not when the solenoid was actuated by the ignition switch circuit.

So, replaced the entire starter/solenoid assembly, car fired up great, problem solved, right?

Not so, very next time I drove the car, I got stranded at the bank. Drive from my house to the bank is about 5 miles, when I went to leave the car showed the same exact symptoms it did before I replaced the starter, internal components get power, solenoid fires when the key is turned, starter doesn't do a damned thing.

I didn't actually have to get jump started this time though, I had a buddy heading that way to do it, but about 5 minutes later I tried to start it again and it worked.

So... now I'm at a loss for ideas. I've replaced starter, battery, alternator... all that's left of the ignition/charging system from when I started having these problems are the ignition switch itself and the wires that connect them. I have no idea how to troubleshoot those components, there are an awful lot of wires in the wiring harness of the engine compartment, unwrapping them to inspect and test each individually seems like a week-long project.

Time to suck it up and take it to a mechanic? Or can some whiz here give me another place to look?  

On your first post , you stated you thought you heard the starter solenoid click in, now you are saying the starter does nothing.
If that is the case that the starter does nothing, check for voltage at the solenoid / ignition connector at the starter when you turn the key to start, if no power , you have 2 components that supply power to the solenoid, the DTRS and the ignition switch. do you need a schematic?  

Only 2 days to find my problem a lot of wires in that harness but after moving it around enough the bad wire grounded good and started smoking I was fast with the battery or the whole car would have been gone, after 2 days that would have been fine to.  

I used to have a 1990 Ford Escort and there were days I couldn never get that darn car to start.  It was usually the spark plugs that would fail to work. Car has to be very dry and it did not like high humidity days.   I did have to have the starter replaced once.   Seems like starting was a problem with Escorts.  I would never go back to one now.  

im having the same exact problem WITH MY 2000 ZX2...some times it will start other times it wont and i just hear a click...please let me kno asap if u find out what it is if you could email me back at derekclintondrake@yahoo.com also incase i cant find this post again thanks

*DERK*DRAKE*  

a schematic for that would be awesome if you have one for the dtrs and ignition switch. I have a 2002 escort zx2 and its doing the exact same problem with no start.  I hear the fuel pump and stuff when I turn the key but no starter action, its funny cause sometimes I have sat there holding the key turned for a few minutes and the then the power gets to there and it starts right up. its deffinitly something in either the ignition wiring or somewhere along the way.  

@jgate, if you still read this board, a schematic would be swell. I know more or less what I'm talking about, but definitely do not claim to know everything... any help you could offer would be very appreciated.

Just found this thread when googling for ideas, so I'll hit it up with some updates. I still haven't solved this problem, at least half of the time when I go to start the car, the only noticeable activity upon turning the key is the solenoid firing. This is with a new starter/solenoid assembly, so it still *could* be the problem... but my bet is it isn't.

Now I'm leaning towards a bad wire in the mix... somewhere. The connection isn't out and out gone, because tossing in some extra volts from a jumper battery still gets the car started every time. So... probably a bad/loose/corroded connection somewhere, but I have no idea where.

It could also be a bad connection in the ignition switch, but I don't have a good way of ruling that out (besides hotwiring the car, which I really just don't want to do). Replacing the switch would mean buying a $300+ part, which while I wouldn't mind spending that if I knew it would fix it, is a hell of a lot for a 'test and see' kinda replacement.

Any suggestions on where to look for bad connections, or other parts I'm overlooking that could be the problem, would be more than appreciated... no matter how trivial, or silly they may be.