Why Won’t My Ford Taurus Start?

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Being a milestone for the company due to its influential design and focus on the quality culture, the Original Taurus was something to behold.

It was first produced in 1985 till 2006 when it had a small break and continued its run till 2019, after which it was promptly discontinued.

Why would one of the best-selling name plates in the United States suddenly gets overtaken by its competitors and then discontinued a decade after?

The answer could lie due to the presence of issues that made people go, “Why won’t my Ford Taurus start?”.

Here is a list of the most common issues that you could face with a Ford Taurus:

  1. Battery Problems
  2. Dead Starter
  3. Bad Relay And Fuses
  4. Key Fob Issues
  5. Faulty Fuel Pump

These issues are quite common in the Ford Taurus, so you should stick around and read this article. It will help you immensely if you ever have to face these issues.

What Would Cause A Ford Taurus To Not Start?

Find the list of Ford Taurus turning over problems here

There could be many reasons as stated above.

Here I will assess all the major issues I highlighted above and see what you need to do once you encounter them.

1: Battery Problems

This should be a common occurrence if you are a seasoned car owner.

The battery is very high maintenance, and anything so much as the weather can cause the battery to not function properly.

You need a good and well-charged battery if you hope to start your Ford Taurus. This is because the battery is responsible for providing power to the entirety of the car.

If your battery cannot do so, you cannot even start the engine. If you fail to maintain your Ford Taurus’s battery properly, you may experience corrosion near the terminals.

You could also have to deal with loose or frayed wires. Ensure this does not happen and keep the car well charged.

What Should You Do About It?

  • Start by checking the battery and visually looking for corrosion or loose wires. If you see any, then you should get the corrosion removed, and the wires reattached or replaced.
  • If there is no visible damage, you should conduct a voltage test and see how well the battery is doing. Anything less than 12 volts means that your battery is low on charge.
  • You can opt to get a jumpstart if your battery has been recently purchased.
  • If your battery is old, then it might be better in your interest to get it replaced with a new one.

2: Dead Starter

Another important part of the Ford Taurus is the starter. As you may have gotten from the name, the starter’s job is to start the engine.

It does this by rotating the internal combustion engine, which causes the engine to work under its power.

The starter consists of a small motor which it uses to achieve this task. The starter motor gets a little worn out whenever you start the engine.

It is only a matter of time before they fully wear out, but luckily there are a lot of warning signs for this, such as grinding noises and smoke.

If your starter is defective, it may stop without warning, which might not be ideal.

What Should You Do About It?

  • Take the starter motor out of the Ford Taurus and try to start it as it is. If it can work, then your starter motor is fine. If it does not work, you can assume it has an issue.
  • Take the starter motor and the car to the mechanic to check it out.
  • More often than not, you will have to get the starter motor replaced than fixed.
  • You can get it fixed if possible, but it is recommended to get it replaced. More often than not, it will be the better choice and will cost less.

3: Bad Relay And Fuses

With so many electrical components in cars, you need to be able to protect all of them from short circuits and voltage spikes.

This is why most cars have tons of relays and fuses. The fuse’s job is to cut off the electrical supply if there is any issue in the voltage or electricity of the car.

On the other hand, the relay is used to automate power turning on and off at different instances in the Ford Taurus.

For any reason, if your fuse decided to trip, it was done to prevent other components of your Ford Taurus from getting damaged.

This will prevent the electrical circuit from activating at the right time. The same is the case with the relay, but more often than not, a relay can go bad.

What Should You Do About It?

  • Try to start the car and try to listen for any clicking sounds. You should hear clicking if you have a bad relay.
  • To confirm if the relay is bad, you must connect a tester to the car’s battery and plug the relay into the tester. This should tell you whether the relay is working or not.
  • As for fuses, you should be able to visually tell if you have blown a fuse or not.
  • You can simply locate the fuse box, find the blown fuse, and get it replaced.
  • If your fuse keeps blowing, then you have another electrical fault for which you should go to the mechanic.

4: Key Fob Issues

These days, many cars rely on electric key fobs as opposed to mechanical ones. This works by transmitting a signal from the key fob to the transmitter in the car.

This signal is what allows the car to be able to turn on. Without this signal, you will have to manually use the key to engage the ignition.

The key fob is also a very sensitive device that operates on a small battery that generally lasts 3 to 4 years.

If your key fob’s battery dies, you will not be able to transmit the signal necessary for the car to be able to turn.

Sometimes the key fob is also set in such a way that you cannot simply replace the battery and have to take it to the dealership.

What Should You Do About It?

  • Slide open the tab which is on the back of the key fob. This should cause the key to pop to right out.
  • This should allow you to open the door and enter your Ford Taurus. You can then reassemble the key fob once you are inside.
  • Locate the emergency key slot in your Ford Taurus. This should be covered by a small rubber flap. Remove it and then insert the key fob into this slot.
  • Once the key is inserted, press the push-to-start button, and the engine should engage.
  • You can now drive your way to the dealership to get the battery replaced, and the key fob reset.

5: Faulty Fuel Pumps

The engine of the Ford Taurus requires a good amount of fuel to turn on. It is not enough for you to get a full tank of gas.

You have to also make sure that the engine is getting the proper amount of fuel it needs to engage. This job falls on the fuel pumps.

They are responsible for pumping the fuel slowly and systematically towards the engine from the gas tank.

If, for some reason, you have a faulty fuel pump, your engine will not be getting the correct amount of fuel it needs.

This will result in stalls and misfires along with power loss.

The fuel pumps are in constant motion from the start of the car till it is turned off, so it makes why they can develop faults so easily.

What Should You Do About It?

  • Try to listen for a loud whining sound which you should hear from the gas tank. This should signify that something is wrong with the fuel pumps.
  • If you cannot hear anything, first check to see if there is no blockage or leak that is preventing the engine of the Ford Taurus from getting the right amount of fuel.
  • If there are no leaks or blocks, take the car to the mechanic and have the fuel pumps checked out.
  • Once again, it is more economical and better, in the long run, to get your fuel pumps replaced, but if you want, you can also get them fixed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Why Won’t My Ford Taurus Start With New Battery?

The new battery has likely not been installed correctly.

You should try to get it installed by a trained professional and make sure that there are no loose wires.

If the battery has been hooked up fine, the issue may be in the starting system or a general lack of fuel.

Have these areas checked out as well.

Q2. Why Won’t My Ford Taurus Start Even With A Jump?

The Ford Taurus has various battery issues that can be cleared up with a simple jump. If the jump does not work, then that simply means that your battery is dead.

You can opt to get a new battery but before you do so, check the alternator and other systems to see if the problem lies there or not.

Q3. Why Won’t My Ford Taurus Start But Lights Work?

The interior lights of any car do not require a lot of power to turn on, which is why even a low-charged battery can turn them on. It will struggle to turn the engine, however.

As mentioned above, a simple jumpstart should do the trick, but if it does not, then you can consider getting a replacement battery.

Q4. Why Won’t My Ford Taurus Start But Cranks?

Since your Ford Taurus is cranking, this means that the electrical system of the car is working fine. The issue hence lies in either the fuel system or the engine itself.

While rare, there have been cases of engine problems in the Ford Taurus, which is why you should have it and the fuel system checked out.

Q5. Why Won’t My Ford Taurus Start Just Clicks?

Clicking signifies that your electrical system has, in fact, been compromised, and there is an issue that is preventing the Ford Taurus from turning on.

This could lie firstly in the battery, which could be low on charge but could have to do with the starting system.

The problem could also be elsewhere, which is why you should get it assessed by a mechanic.

Q6. Why Won’t My Ford Taurus Start In The Cold Weather?

The climate works against the car. It causes the battery to output less power than usual. It also prevents the spark plugs from doing their job.

Combine this with a slew of other issues as well, and it is almost guaranteed that your Ford Taurus will not work.

Q7. Why Won’t My Ford Taurus Start After I Get Gas?

The fuel has to reach the engine in a sufficient amount for the Ford Taurus to start, so any blocks and leaks can easily prevent this from happening.

Check the fuel filters and clean them out and patch up any leaks. Worst comes to worst; you have a faulty fuel pump which is possible, as I have talked about.

Q8. Why Won’t My Ford Taurus Start But Radio Works?

Turning on the radio is similar to using the lights of the car. The ignition needs to be set a certain way, and the battery does not have to give out a lot of power.

You are either facing a low-charged battery or issues with the ignition system. You can get this fixed via a jumpstart, getting the battery replaced, or having the ignition system repaired.

Related: What Are The Worst Years For The Ford Taurus?

Conclusion

The Ford Taurus managed to establish a great following after its initial release but fell into hard times near the middle, with the year 2003 being the worst for the lineup.

It was able to get back on track and deliver a quality model, but due to a lack of sales, it would still eventually get discontinued.

Fortunately, you won’t always be going around asking why won’t my Ford Taurus start, but for some models, you might.

That is when this article will come to your aid and help you figure out exactly what you need if you want to get your vehicle fixed in the most convenient way possible.