I was having trouble getting my engine to start for a couple days on my 2008 Ford Escape. Sometimes the car had no power at all. Had the battery checked & it’s good. Then the car died completely, no power & I noticed a burnt smell. Found it was coming from fuse box under hood. 125 stud mount amp/fuse–whatever it’s called blew out & some plastic around the bolt area had melted. Got a new 125, asked a mechanic and he said I should be fine once I replaced that. I did & the car has power again but isn’t starting. It doesn’t even turn over. I tried jump starting it since the battery was unhooked for a couple days but still getting the same result. All I can hear is what sounds like the fuel pump powering up or whatever it does–my son said that’s what I’m hearing– but then nothing. Anybody have any suggestions?
RESPONSE
Most likely the battery is dead and needs to be recharged before proper testing. If the same results occur with a good battery then test to make sure battery positive is getting to the “S” terminal on the starter while someone holds the key in the “START” position. If not, trace to wiring to find the root cause of the issue. May be as simple as the starter relay sticking.