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Ford Escort 1997 electrical problem

So my wife starts the car this morning, and before the engine cranks, she hears a pop from under the hood, accompanied with a tiny puff of smoke. The dashboard lights go out and the car is dead.

When I came home and took a look at it, the lights were out and the car completely unresponsive. Under the hood, I could not see anything obviously blown out. Battery had a charge, and all fuses were good (I pulled out the best suspects for close inspection). I slip in the key and immediately hear a warning bleep (the door was open) that told me the electrical system was at least partially online. Turn the key and hey presto! the engine starts without a cough.

Any ideas? How can a car go from deep coma to no problems just by having the fuses inspected?

Your input is welcome and appreciated!

Reply to
FordOwner
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You could easily have a poor connection at the starter, battery or relay. The tiny puff of smoke was from the high resistance at the poor connection burning the dirt, debris, and maybe insulation. Just by tweaking something and with the heat of the day, a connection could have temporarily returned. I think you need to go over the main wires from the battery, relay, and starter.

Reply to
Al Bundy

Good thinking. I'll do that. Thanks!

Reply to
FordOwner

Just thinking out loud here and suggesting the most bizzare possibility... Did you look at the battery fill caps (even some maintenance-free batteries have removable plugs, sometimes under the battery label)?

One cap could have blown off even if only partially. This event could have followed an internal shorting or opening of the battery. The shorting or opening battery phenomenon is more common than people think, but it doesn't follow that pressure would build in the battery case as a result -- though it is a possibility.

Anyway, cap blowing off = noise and puff of smoke. Intermittant battery short = no power/no start in morning and system normal later in the day.

Toyota MDT in MO

Reply to
Comboverfish

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