No start problem here..

[Budderbean]

Car is a 96 Mark VIII. I drove it today and it ran excellent as usual. Wife went to start it up a couple hours later, and it turns over "easily" but wont start. Last time I heard a car turning over with this particular sound, it was a Taurus SHO...with a broken T belt. In other words the engine turns over very quick, but wont start. This car does indeed have a timing chain if I am not mistaken?

Is it possible for it to slip a tooth on the gears? (I wouldnt think so) I have browsed the boards here and not encountered anyone else with a similar issue. I checked the reset switch in the trunk, and it is down/in. I may be assuming too much but this would indicate it didnt fault? (Apologies if the questions are inane..I did not recieve an owners manual with my Mark.)

Any help will be greatly appreciated, as usual!

 

[Budderbean]

Been looking around elsewhere on the net, and have seen anything from crank trigger sensor...to Idle Air Control Valve sticking...to the most scary sounding..hydraulic chain tensioner. Hydraulic chain tensioner suggests to me that this thing is kind of like variable valve timing?

It SOUNDS like there is just no compression when the car cranks. Engine turns over very quickly. That make sense?

Others have suggested disconnecting the battery for awhile to reset the ECU etc...anyone had luck with that?

Trying to narrow it down before I go tearing into it with a torn rotator cuff and surgery coming up. I need my car running again...help!

 

[unity]

Sounds like a major vacuum leak if its cranking fast. Have you worked on it recently? Check the intake tube at the throttle body.

 

[Budderbean]

Found the problem. Crank position sensor plug. I wiggled it, and it fired right up. My next question is does the plug itself go bad? Or is it the sensor itself? Car has 135k miles, and there was no oil on or around the plug. Typical road grime. I'd hate for it to do this while my wife is out somewhere. She wouldnt be able to reach under there and wiggle the wire.

As to why it sounded the way it did w/o that sensor in the loop...I am stumped, but I am relieved. I wouldnt have been able to afford the shop rates to track down the problem.

Thank you 93' Blue on blue for posting that pic of the location of the sensor. All I had to do was dig a little deeper here on this site. The answers for all my woes with the Lincoln have thus far been solved here. You guys are great.

 

[unity]

That sensor was my first thought, but the fast cranking is not normal for that.

The wiring is ok, its the sensor that usually goes bad. Cheap to replace but not super easy since the AC compressor has to be moved aside for R&R.

 

[Roadboss]

"Bean" get yourself prepared for additional cost to come with a car with the mileage you have stated. That is unless you know the previous owner or that the various maintenance items have been preformed. Front end components, fuel systems,ignitions systems and emission components scheduled replacements more than likely have been ignored by the previous owner so the clock is ticking as to when they fail.

 

[Aquabrit]

Thank you 93' Blue on blue for posting that pic of the location of the sensor. All I had to do was dig a little deeper here on this site. The answers for all my woes with the Lincoln have thus far been solved here. You guys are great.

No worries, man.

Keep an eye on it and replace if need be.

Show your wife what you did, just in case it should happen while she is out.

 

[Budderbean]

Seems like everything that has went wrong thus far is due to a loose dongle somewhere. With the AC it was the plug there on the blower motor...with the lights it was also a loose plug. I also have an intermittent "Door is Open" on the message center..which of course makes the message center useless until it decides the door is actually closed.

I am thinking a door pin switch is at fault there, but I havent been able to do much to the car past a true dual exhaust and getting rid of all the silencers underhood and smoothing out my air intake tube. The car is a replacement for my Mark 7 which was wrecked in May, and I am now facing rotator cuff surgery from that very same accident, so all I want to do to my baby is on the back burner.

Anyway, I digress.. Thanks again folks for your help. You will hear from me again I am sure. I have grand plans for the car. I have had many nice cars, a show winning '65 Rambler American with a stout 383 stroker motor from the General...I even toured the country in a Callaway corvette when I played pool for a living, but I love the features and comfort of my Lincoln.