I hope someone can please help me, I don't know much about cars lol!!! I have a 1999 Ford Escort LX and it was running fine the other day after we replaced the tensioner and power steering part. The compressor needs to be changed, but I have not ran the ac (getting fixed this week). So the problem is I went to leave the other day and the key just turns, no clicking, nothing and the car wouldn't start, but the 1st time we turned the key the radio came on for a second so we thought it was the battery and replaced it, still nothing. Then we noticed that the main 100amp fuse was blown, so we changed that and still nothing.

So...any ideas on what it could be? The headlights work, the horn works, but no dome lights. Also, the engine is fairly new. Oh, and we CANNOT get it out of park, but the steering wheel does turn.

 

It takes a good direct short in the wiring someplace to blow a 100 amp fuse. Until the cause is found and corrected it can happen again. There could be other blown fuses, but you don't know until it is checked out. Power to the solenoid that allows you to get it out of park with the brake applied is possibly being affected by the same electrical problem. Do you know if someone had an accident (big sparks) while replacing the battery, that could have caused the 100 amp fuse to blow. Were all the fuses checked?

 

Yes, when they went to change the battery, it was the wrong way and it slightly sparked when the battery cable touched the metal part, but it just touched it, we didn't have it on there all the way. But regardless, the car wouldn't start even before we changed the battery and the battery wasn't completely dead when they tested it before we bought a new one.

 

It is still a good idea to check the fuses.
It sounds like there is a problem with the ign switch assy down on the steering column.
You are able to move the steering wheel , but the switch isn't being activated and it could be loose, out of adjustment and of course defective. There are many things that are controlled by the ign switch and I suspect there is a break/separation between the key tumbler on the column and the switch down below. There is a rack with teeth that when you turn the key it moves a link to the switch. The key tumbler will need to be removed to confirm the problem. There are some good videos on u tube that show how to do this. It is a little lengthy to try to explain and a movie is much easier to comprehend.