Any car guys out there? Need mecanical advice

wageslave

wageslave

CAGiversary!
What could cause my electronic gauges, radio, power locks and ABS to die after the car is started? It's a 98 Crown Vic. Eveything works until car is started.
 
I'm not a mechanic by any means (Father is though, you'd think I'd have learned everything I need to know about cars by now), however, to me it sounds like you have an electrical short of some sort, perhaps in a system that doesn't turn on until the engine is running...

Take this with a grain of salt, cause like I said, just a guess.
If I talk to my father sometime soon, I'll run it by him.
 
I'm not a mechanic either, but it does sound like some sort of short in the electrical wiring. You might also want to check the battery and the alternator. You may not be getting enough juice to run that stuff while the car is running.

I once had the alternator go out of my car. The radio and everything else electric quit working but the car still ran for a while longer.
 
I'm pretty sure a short would blow a fuse. If a fuse is blown, it would neither work on or off...that is, unless there's a seperate fuse for gauges when the engine is off and the engine is on...which wouldn't surprise me considering it's a ford.

That being said, check the fuses. There are typically fuses in two places. Right under the steering wheel area and under the hood (should just be a plastic box and typically near the battery).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top