Hit a pothole and car stalled and wont start ??? Pls help guys

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MoBeR_$_03_LsV8

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WTF I HIT A POTHOLE AND MY LS V8 STALLED AND WONT START ???

I was driving along bumpin my music then all of a sudden i hit a massive pothole going down hill , immediately the car stalled {the oil and battery lights went on between the blinkers} So i tried to start the car ... It cranks , lights turn on , a/c works basically everything but my engine therefore no power steering , no brakes . I get out the car and steer it while im pushing . Park it , Thank god ! Get it towed to my mechanic's but he doesn't open till' tomorrow !

What do you guys think ? Has this ever happened to anyone else ???

I think it might be the fuel pump ? A sensor related to the fuel ? A Safety shut off of some sort ? Pls any help would be greatly appreciated !
 
The safety fuel pump shutoff switch is in the drive side foot well in the kick panel, turn off ignition, push in switch then try starting.
 
I had the same thing happen to me this week. I didn't hit a pothole though.

I posted a forum earlier in the week. I think its just a coincidence, however; I am replacing the fuel pump in about 4-5 hours and I will let you know how it goes :) Best of luck to you, we have to get these 03's back on the road!
 
MoBeR_$_03_LsV8 said:
WTF I HIT A POTHOLE AND MY LS V8 STALLED AND WONT START ???

I was driving along bumpin my music then all of a sudden i hit a massive pothole going down hill , immediately the car stalled {the oil and battery lights went on between the blinkers} So i tried to start the car ... It cranks , lights turn on , a/c works basically everything but my engine therefore no power steering , no brakes . I get out the car and steer it while im pushing . Park it , Thank god ! Get it towed to my mechanic's but he doesn't open till' tomorrow !

What do you guys think ? Has this ever happened to anyone else ???

I think it might be the fuel pump ? A sensor related to the fuel ? A Safety shut off of some sort ? Pls any help would be greatly appreciated !
Click to expand...

Must be the cops F'in with you again
 
Same thing happened to me too!
IMAG0110.gif
that 3"x2" hole in the oil pan; while the person continued to try and drive might also have something to do with it... Previous owner was drunk and didn't want to get caught.
 
gcwimmer said:
The safety fuel pump shutoff switch is in the drive side foot well in the kick panel, turn off ignition, push in switch then try starting.
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+1 on the inertia switch. I had a BG system flush on mine and to shuf off the fuel pump my mechanic just tapped the inertia switch with a wrench. Killed the fuel pump just like that.
 
So my mechanic is saying its my cam shaft sensor that was loose to begin with ! With the impact it came detached ! Hopefully i'm not going through replacing a dozen things before identifying the problem !
 
MoBeR_$_03_LsV8 said:
So my mechanic is saying its my cam shaft sensor that was loose to begin with ! With the impact it came detached ! Hopefully i'm not going through replacing a dozen things before identifying the problem !
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Camshaft or crankshaft?

The gen II V8 has two camshaft sensors and one crankshaft sensor. The camshaft sensors are at the top of the engine, and the crankshaft sensor is at the bottom.
 
joegr said:
Camshaft or crankshaft?

The gen II V8 has two camshaft sensors and one crankshaft sensor. The camshaft sensors are at the top of the engine, and the crankshaft sensor is at the bottom.
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Today hes sying its the selenoid something sensor thats attached to the engine . Its visible when you swap out the cold air intake ! Hes going to replace that then well see ! This is looking like one of those trial and error things to figure out the problem ! Should I just take the car to Ford and have them plug it to a computer or something ? Will they be able to pin point the problem immediately ? Pls help I unfortunately dont have a money tree in my back yard ! I've been through this when i had my TL , I ended up spending close to a G note to fix what was a hundred dollar part !
 
MoBeR_$_03_LsV8 said:
Today hes sying its the selenoid something sensor thats attached to the engine . Its visible when you swap out the cold air intake ! Hes going to replace that then well see ! This is looking like one of those trial and error things to figure out the problem ! Should I just take the car to Ford and have them plug it to a computer or something ? Will they be able to pin point the problem immediately ? Pls help I unfortunately dont have a money tree in my back yard ! I've been through this when i had my TL , I ended up spending close to a G note to fix what was a hundred dollar part !
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Let's see
Either:
A. Pay a $200 diagnosis fee to someone to pinpoint the problem.
or
B. Pay an unknown amount to have someone who doesn't know what they are doing randomly replace parts. (They may also break some stuff that was okay while doing this.)

BTW, there's no solenoid on the top of the engine that would keep it from running at all. The only things I can think of that might be described that way are the two camshaft timing control solenoids. They would effect how well the engine ran, but wouldn't stop it from starting and running.

I don't know. It seems like a really hard call to me.
 
+1

and the $200 even seems high

Diag is only $100 out here IIRC... (free if you have them fix the problem)

Your "mechanic" IS and idiot and you need to get the car away from him ASAP... anyone that tells you they're just going to "throw parts at it" and hope for the best is .....not who you want working on it.

How much do you owe right now so far???
 
joegr said:
Let's see
Either:
A. Pay a $200 diagnosis fee to someone to pinpoint the problem.
or
B. Pay an unknown amount to have someone who doesn't know what they are doing randomly replace parts. (They may also break some stuff that was okay while doing this.)

BTW, there's no solenoid on the top of the engine that would keep it from running at all. The only things I can think of that might be described that way are the two camshaft timing control solenoids. They would effect how well the engine ran, but wouldn't stop it from starting and running.

I don't know. It seems like a really hard call to me.
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Do you think it might be a fuse issue or a pinched wire maybe ?
Thx for the help by the way !:dancefool
 
MoBeR_$_03_LsV8 said:
Thx bro so my best bet is tow it to Ford ? Are they going to be able to pinpoint the problem you think ?
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Seems like that is your best option.

Certainly, it is possible to pinpoint any problem that it might be without resorting to randomly swapping parts. There are specific and detailed troubleshooting flowcharts to be followed. This is not rocket science, brain surgery, or rocket surgery.
However, not all Ford dealers are the same. Some are better than others. There are tales on here of some of the worst dealers, and some of them might have trouble finding the issue. Still, on average, you should be okay.
 
G-RELL said:
+1

and the $200 even seems high

Diag is only $100 out here IIRC... (free if you have them fix the problem)

Your "mechanic" IS and idiot and you need to get the car away from him ASAP... anyone that tells you they're just going to "throw parts at it" and hope for the best is .....not who you want working on it.

How much do you owe right now so far???
Click to expand...

I know right ! LOL ! Right now he's replacing the sensor that is broken which is the reason my engine light was on ! Thats 211$ plus some kit that goes with it for a 129 $ . Thats alot for a friggen engine light although it had to be rplaced regardless , right ?
 
MoBeR_$_03_LsV8 said:
I know right ! LOL ! Right now he's replacing the sensor that is broken which is the reason my engine light was on ! Thats 211$ plus some kit that goes with it for a 129 $ . Thats alot for a friggen engine light although it had to be rplaced regardless , right ?
Click to expand...

If, it was really broken, then yes.
 
Hopefully your battery isn't disconnected or he doesn't reset the CEL, might be another code in there someone can use to diagnose your problem properly.
 
I'd start at the starter itself. Make sure you are getting voltage from the battery. Make sure you have the same voltage between the positive cable on the starter and the starter case as you do between the positive and the chassis (bad starter ground). Your starter relay lead should go hot when the key is turned to the "start" position. If all of the above checks out good, you got a bad starter. It kind of sounds like your mechanic hasn't even gone that far if he's looking at some "solenoid" on the front of the engine based solely upon a code scan.

I had something similar happen on an F150. The relay can attached to the starter had rusted and started separating. After a big bump it quit making contact internally and I had no starter anymore.

Either way, there's not too many things that get in the way of the starter working. You could probably unplug most of the sensors from the engine and it would still spin the starter. Off the top of my head the list of culprits becomes: Ignition Switch, PATS modules, wiring harness/connectors, battery cables, starter, and battery.
 
Kumba said:
I'd start at the starter. Make sure you are getting voltage from the battery. Make sure you have the same voltage between the positive cable on the starter and the starter case as you do between the positive and the chassis (bad starter ground). Your starter relay lead should go hot when the key is turned to the "start" position. If all of the above checks out good, you got a bad starter. It kind of sounds like your mechanic hasn't even gone that far if he's looking at some "solenoid" on the front of the engine.

I had something similar happen on an F150. The relay can attached to the starter had rusted and started separating. After a big bump it quit making contact internally and I had no starter anymore.

Either way, there's not too many things that get in the way of the starter working. You could probably unplug most of the sensors from the engine and it would still spin the starter.
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He says that the starter "cranks." From that I assume that the starter operates correctly and turns the crankshaft over, but the engine doesn't fire up and run. This would also indicate that the PCM is operating. Either he's getting no fuel, no power for the coils, incorrect airflow indication, or something along those lines (assuming no internal engine issues).
 
The only sensor near the intake that I can think of that would prevent the car from turning over is the MAF. Just brain storming, still think your best bet is what Joe already told you. The diagnosis.
 
joegr said:
He says that the starter "cranks." From that I assume that the starter operates correctly and turns the crankshaft over, but the engine doesn't fire up and run. This would also indicate that the PCM is operating. Either he's getting no fuel, no power for the coils, incorrect airflow indication, or something along those lines (assuming no internal engine issues).
Click to expand...

This is what happens when you skim a thread. I have failed. I shall now go drink mass quantities of beer to down my shame :)

Well, since it spins, my second guess is the inertial switch for the fuel cut-off that was already mentioned. Simple test for that is open the door, put the key in the off position, turn it to on, listen for the relay click and the fuel-pump to run for a few seconds. If you hear that, then you should have fuel.

After that it would just get more involved. At that point it would probably be worth letting a FLM dealer diagnose it for $100.
 
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