Engine won't start

[Dirt72801]

I have a 2008 edge limited 3.5L AWD. I am having a random no crank situation. Engine will not turn over at all once a day or so. If I put the car in neutral and push it a few feet and put it back in park the car will start just fine and run just fine. Battery is good, starter fuse and relay are good. Thinking possible safety neutral switch, but it appears to be internal in the transmission. Could be possible linkage in the gear selector cable? Seems really odd, car runs fine, but occasionally without reason just will not crank, key turns over with no noise at all. I have load tested the battery, replaced the starter fuse and relay, checked the ignition fuse, and shows no codes on a scan. The only thing that seems to work is to push the car a few feet (15 or so) and put it back in park, then it starts right up. Any help would be greatly appreciated before I start throwing money at it.

[evh]

Bad spot on the starter? Pushing it moves it just a little so it starts. That's my guess.

 

Final answer.

[enigma-2]

Try shifting the gear shift through all the gear positions, and then back to park. Just the see if you have the dreaded shifter not recognizing park position.

 

I was thinking that it was the shifting into neutral that allowed the NSS to engage and not that pushing it backwards had anything to do with it.

[Dirt72801]

Does not start with shifting into neutral or shifting all the way through the gears and back to park only when the car is pushed and then put back in the park

[I'manedgeowner]

A couple of thoughts. Do you have to have the brake pedal depressed to start the engine? I've seen problems with that switch but I don't know if this problem would exist on your 2008 Edge.

 

On my 2008 the transmission control module is actually in the PCM. Being an intermittent problem can be a bear but a Ford VCM or higher end scanner that monitors the transmission will access the transmission codes. If they are lost because of the intermittent nature of your problem a Ford Flight Recorder or data logger should store your codes for when the problem does happen. It may be a way to identify exactly what is going on. I don't know enough about transmission electronics to suggest anything possible beyond this except I have seen issues with the electronics and mechanical getting out of sync and causing problems. The "out of sync" problems were also an early PATS problem. For example, remotely locking the doors when a door was open confused the PATS and it would activate. I only mention this because keeping the PCM up to date usually fixes problems like this as they become known.

 

Also, when you say it won't crank I assume you are saying the starter works but doesn't turn the engine over. Is this the problem? If so, I doubt the transmission, trans electronics or anything directly due to the transmission is the problem. As said this is usually a problem with the starter or flywheel. Someone can correct me if this is wrong but I don't know of any modern Fords that shim the starter like a GM car so it shouldn't be an alignment problem with the starter.

 

Can the Bendix on the starter still be changed? It's not something I've done since the 70's so I don't know? It might be an easy fix, all things considered, if they are still replaceable. Use to be starter issues were usually the Bendix or a "flat spot" on the starter motor. If it was a flat spot you'd hear the Bendix kick in but the motor wouldn't turn. Either way the starter had to come out. This doesn't rule out the flywheel but the Bendix is designed to lose a battle with the flywheel so it is usually the problem with a Ford.

Edited June 22, 2018 by I'manedgeowner

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

Yes, brake pedal depressed, safety feature. No, TCM is NOT in the PCM, it is actually in the transmission under the main cover, and is also known as the Solenoid Body Assembly, which contains the adaptive shift tables that will not be cleared by resetting the PCM.

[I'manedgeowner]

WWWPerfA_ZNow,

 

Thank you. This is good to know. I'm not sure where I picked up the bad information but probably from a misunderstanding on my part with Ford Performance. Until recently the Ford control pack PCM's didn't work with automatics and an aftermarket transmission control module was needed. What I wrote though I thought was standard to Ford automatic transmissions. The 4R70W and the 75 is the extent of what I have any experience with that have electronic controls. The PCM controlled the shift points on the ones I've worked with unless I was using an EEC other then the OEM control. I appreciate that I won't be passing along the bad info again.

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

You are not "wrong" LOL. The TCM is a rather simple device compared to the PCM. The PCM makes the decisions and adjustments based on the feedback it gets from the numerous sensors in the powertrain. It tells the TCM when it wants shifts to be executed, i.e., the adaptive shift tables, and the TCM executes as appropriate. Sometimes the adaptive tables get "stuck" in the TCM and don't update when requested. So you have to manually clear them so the TCM can receive the latest tables from the PCM once again. Kind of a hard boot if you will, instead of the soft boot which happens without driver intervention on a continuous basis. At least that is my understanding of how this process works.