New Engine -- Starting Problem

LSE-V8

LSE-V8

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I have a 01 V8 ls, I just did a complete engine swap with tranny because I bought the car with a bad engine for a good deal. I finnished putting the engine today, but when I try to start it, there is no cranking and its like all the power turns off. All the gauge lights and everything turn off as soon as I try to start it. When I turn the ignition, I can hear the fuel pump and other noises, I also checked the fuses, I tried jump starting it incase the battery was low. I don't know what else it could be. The only thing is that the new engine is from 2000 and the car is 2001, do I have to change the computer maybe, or could it be some relay, fuse or wire that I missed?
 
All power to the interior turns of when the starter is engaged to provide maximum amperage to the starter. First just check and make sure you actually remembered to hook up the starter cables. (sounds dumb, and its painfully obvious, but its happened to me twice) There shoudl be 2 or 3 wires there. One is the power from the battery, one is power from the ignition switch, and there may be one more on some cars.
Make sure the ground cables for the engine to the frame are tight and clean, as well as the cables on the battery.

If it still doesn't work, bench test the starter. It might be dead from sitting for too long.

It could even be just a low/near dead battery. Give it a slow charge overnight and see if it changes anything.
 
+1...no crank would indicate starter or power to starter...
 
How could I test the starter without taking it out and taking it to autozone?
 
figure out the wiring first... it used to be as simple as bridging the big red (hot) line with the switched (ignition) line (and with the key set to run) with a screwdriver...but I'm not certain on the ls and wouldn't want to see you fry anything.
 
Well I took my old starter of the old engine, that works for sure, changed it and also changed all the starter wiring, cleaned all the connections, still same problem. When I play around with the wires connected to the starter, there is sparks, so it seems like there is power. I just don't know what else there could be. Any body has any suggestions?
 
If the old engine was seized up how do you know it works? As for the sparks, that means you are getting the main 12V power but not necessarily the trigger power (when you turn the key to start). could have wiring issue or possibly a blown fuse? I'd check EVERY fuse.
 
The old engine was broken, just had high mileage, the old tranny was broken, so I decided to do a full swap with a newer engine. And I already checked the fuses like 2 times.
 
You may have shorted the fusible link for the starter solenoid. Thats the one that provides power when the ignition switch is turned. Use a VOM and check for 12V on that wire when the key is turned to start. Have a friend/helper turn the key for you, while you test the wire.

The engine immobilizer (part of the P.A.T.S.) will disable the starter if the wrong key is used. I dont kow if that may have something to do with the no-start situation or not, but you might be able to ask your local Ford/Lincoln stealership if they know anything about it.
 
do you know the battery is good?

many, many, many times I went to start my LS - it sounded like it was gonna start then turns off after a turn of the flywheel. dead battery. some times it would actually honk the horn and act lke I broke into it....

just a thought
 
I checked the wires on the starter, the main wire has power, but when you turn the key on, that wire that starts the starter has no power. The PATS fuse is also good. I think its something with the ignition not giving power to the starter. I'm gonna go to the dealership today and see what they say.
 
remember that wire you are testing won't get power when the key is ON, it will only get power when it's in the "spring loaded" "start" position...
 
Yea I know, I had a friend try to start and hold the key there while it tested it.
 
I just checked all the fuses again, and noticed that "starter relay solenoid" fuse, has no power going through it at all, that PATS system seems to be ok, because when I put the key in, the red led doesn't give any fault codes. And the dealer didn't help either. Any body has wiring diagrams for lincolns?
 
OK, well the no crank was due to a faulty "Neutral Safety Switch" which tells the PCM what gear the transmission is, and it was telling that it was in D4, thats why there was no crank. After I replaced that, the engine cranks up, but still no start. I checked one of the sparkplugs, and it shocked the crap out of me, then I checked the fuel, and thats all good, now I just need to find the solution to this new problem.:mad:
 
Well that's one down, and who knows how many more to go. :p

If it has spark, then obviously fuel is not getting to the cylinders. And if it is getting there, it might not be enough.

Sometimes it does take a while for fuel to reach the engine after the lines have been drained.

Check the fuel pressure with a guage, and test the injector wiring to see if they are receiving power to open.
 
Well I rechecked every single coil - good, I checked every injector - good, I checked the fuel pressure - 40 PSI, good. I was just about to give up, then I thought of starting fluid. Took about 5-6 spays and lots of cranking, but it finally started up. :D After it ran for a while, for some reason the fan is not coming on and its overheating, could be the thermostat. Also the timing belt is making noise, but all that doesn't seem so bad now that I got her running.
 
One more thing I forgot to mention, for some when I put it in Drive, or Reverse, sometimes it takes a while for it to get into gear, any ideas? May tranny flush will fix this???
 
Transmission fluid is probably low.

Did you swap the fan pump from your old engine? Or did the "new" engine come with one?
 
the pump came with the new engine, and yea, the tranny fluid is low, so gotta get a flush.
 
You might want to swap in the pump from your old engine then. Those things apperently go bad pretty often. Chances are you got one that was already shot on the engine you dropped in the car.
 
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