Hello. I have an 2004 Ford Crown Victoria 8 Cylinders W 4.6L FI SOHC 281 CID with VIN 2FAFP74W54X177766

About 4-5 days ago I started normally, rolled down the driveway and waited for traffic to pass before trying to turn onto the road. When it was clear the moment I hit the gas it died. No gradual loss of power, no noises, no nothing, just sudden death. At that time I tried to start again and it cranked but it would not run. Normal crank and everything but it would not run. I happened to have an ODB II scan tool in the seat next to me since I had just had it smogged and it passed. When I plugged it in it turned on but it would not link. I made sure it was connected fully and that the ignition was in run but it still would not link. I had some things to get to so I pushed it back into place and called a friend for a ride and decided to deal with it the next day.

First thing in the morning I went and tried to crank it again and it wouldn't crank at all. Connected OBD II scan tool but still no link. I also suddenly noticed that while I had the ignition in run the IAC valve was chattering and the fuel pump kept running. I unplugged the IAC and that's when I heard the fuel pump continuously running. I went ahead and did a visual inspection of all fuses and the only fuse I found blown was the fuse for the upper cigarette lighter, I don't think it's related as replacing it didn't solve anything. I then went and investigated all the relays I could find and confirmed they worked properly. I also checked the starter by shorting the relay pins in the fuse box with a pair of needle nose pliers and it cranked just fine, just won't run. I left the IAC unplugged and the fuel pump relay unplugged so that I could investigate further without draining the battery out. I checked voltage on the battery and it's fine as well (also implied by normal bypassed crank.) I've performed a visual inspection of all wire harnesses and connectors I have access to and used a bore scope on the inner wiring harnesses behind the steering wheel and instrument cluster and didn't find anything obvious there either. The only thing left is to check the PCM connections.

I also accidentally found that my horn doesn't work from the steering column. The keyless entry system horn activation works fine and I can also activate the horn by bypassing the relay so I know the horn itself works, just not user operable normally on the steering wheel.

Does anybody have a PCM connector pinout/diagram for my Crown Vic?

 

When you depress the horn button, that completes the ground for the horn relay to operate and sound the horn. Suggest you start by removing and cleaning all connection from battery negative post to vehicle and also to the sheet metal of your vehicle. One of them supplies the ground for the steering column , and you may find that is the cause of the problem. Let us know what you find , thanks.

 

Your PATS system is functioning or not. Do you see the red theft indicator at all and does it prove out (go away) in 3 seconds?

 

To interpret this to a standard relay that would be:
Pin 1 = 85
Pin 2 = 86
Pin 3 = 30
Pin 4 = 87A (not used)
Pin 5 = 87

Pin 1 needs ground signal from Lighting Control Module.
I'd remove and bench test the relay as follows:
1) ohm meter red to battery ground post
2) Pin 2 connects to battery positive post
3) Pin 3 connects to battery ground post (yes ground post)
4) pin 5 connects to ohm meter black
5) finally pin 1 slowly tap it to battery ground post, can you hear the click instantly, and at the same time check your ohm meter or if you are setting continuity can you hear the beep?
If you do, your relay should be okay, there are 2 additional tests to do to test a relay but it's less important, you are solely testing if the coil is working or not and is it stuck open or closed.



Locate the DB (dark blue) wire above.


Locate terminal 4 of your Lighting Control Module, this needs to send ground signal to the horn relay.
Test all 5 fuses below (without pulling). Last resort you might need to reset your Lighting Control Module.

 

I've never seen a theft or security indicator in my instrument cluster. The only security feature I'm aware of is the keyless entry and the little light on the dash that blinks differently during the different stages of run/start/lock/unlock, those haven't changed.

 

I know the horn and PCM relays are good since I swapped them around with the fuel and fan control relays with nearly every combination thinkable and those systems still worked as expected when swapped. I know the horn itself still works since I used a pair of pliers to short the NO contacts of the relay on the fuse panel and it honked just fine.

 

I just discovered that the reason why my horn suddenly didn't work was because I had my cruise control module unplugged, which I did so I could move it out of the way to reach the PCM connector. Horn works fully again, but still no crank or OBD II link.

 

AS far as the diagnostic connector,, there is one pin that is hot all the time #16.
#4 & 5 are ground, can you use either a voltmeter or test light to verify those 3 pins are good ?

Looking at the diagnostic plug on your vehicle,,,,
The top row of contacts are numbered LEFT to RIGHT 1 thru 8
The bottom row are numbered left to right 9 thru 16

 

Your first post you said it cranked but it would not run.
So is it crank no start or no crank no start, they are totally different.



No crank no start the starter solenoid (attached to your starter motor) and the S terminal shown above is the trigger terminal when it receives a signal from its trigger wire, B terminal connects to M terminal to crank. When you turn the key to START position, that S terminal at your starter solenoid receives a positive trigger signal to energize the solenoid, so B to M and crank. If the S terminal doesn't get that positive signal you have to investigate further and find out why and here's the flow:

key -> ignition lock cylinder -> ignition switch -> CJB's F2.9 fuse 5A -> range sensor -> BJB's starter relay's terminal 87 -> starter solenoid's S terminal


85 = this gets positive trigger from the range sensor's WH/PK (white/pink) wire when key in START position
86 = this gets ground signal could be ground at all times via BK (black wire) if yours is NGV or Police or get ground depends on the feedback from your PCM if yours is Non-NGV or Non-Police via GY/RD (Gray/Red)
30 = hot at all times
87A = not used
87 = connects to S terminal of your starter solenoid, when this relay is energized S terminal of your starter solenoid gets the positive trigger signal via the YE/LB (yellow/light blue) wire.

As you can tell from the relay scheme above, Ford loves to use non-standard relay scheme when 85 should get ground and 86 gets positive, it's flipped on this.
I mentioned about PATS in my first post that is when yours is Non-NGV or Non-Police, your PCM sends the feedback, a ground signal, to your relay's terminal 86 only when PATS allows your PCM to.
So perhaps you can get to your starter relay at your BJB slightly pull or pry it up just to see if the wire is BK or GY/RD going to your terminal 86?

The PATS can interrupt the ground signal that your PCM sends to terminal 86 of your starter relay as a result of no crank no start.
The PATS can also cause a crank no start.
To isolate the issue you can bypass just the starter relay or bypass your ignition switch + your CJB's F2.9 + range sensor + starter relay, but that's to test a no crank no start situation. To test either bypass you just need to pull the starter relay and probe the signal.
For instance:
1) probe 85 just to test and see if range sensor passes the 12v signal with key in START position
2) probe 30, do you really get 12v hot at all times, you probably do with key removed
3) probe 86 with key removed, do you get ground at all times or get ground with key in START or key in START and get no ground signal at all. That can tell if PATS is really in the picture. If you get ground with key in START then your PATS is probably not relevant and it's time to test the wiring between your starter relay and starter solenoid.

BTW it doesn't hurt and take no time to check on the fuse at F2.9, the 5A, check resistance or continuity on the exposed terminals on top of the fuse, so check without pulling. This fuse protects just your WH/PK and BN/PK wire.

 

I'm sorry, I thought I made it clear, the day it died it would crank no run, the morning of the next day it was both no crank no run (with the ignition).

The day it died there was crank but no start ("run"). I tried to start multiple times with they key but it wouldn't start ("run"), but did crank just fine normally with the key.

The morning of the next day it was no crank when I tried to start it with the key, but I could force a crank by shorting the NO contacts of the starter relay in the battery/fuse box, but still no start ("run").

I apologize for the confusion in terminology, when I said "run" I meant "start".