Dash died and the van won't start.

WARPARCHER

MEMBER
2003 FORD E-SERIES VAN
2WD
AUTOMATIC
95,000 MILES

Yesterday there was a beep from my dash while I was driving. My battery light came on and all my gauges went dead. All the lights and other electrical systems worked without showing signs of battery drain. When I would stop my gauges would work again. When I would press the gas and get the engine up to 1500 RPMs the gauges would die. It did this all the way home. This morning the engine was dead. It makes no sounds when I try and start it. There are no lights or sounds when I open doors or put the key in the ignition.

1 Reply

STEVE W.

MECHANIC
13,467 POSTS

That sounds like a ground connection failure, either the connection at the dash or more likely under the hood between the battery and engine or battery and body.
Because it's a van those can be harder to check but the ones under the engine cover that connect the engine to the body are easier.

If you have a set of jumper cables you can test this easier, take the black connector, connect one end to the engine block or to something bolted to the block. Then connect the other end to the battery negative terminal. See if you now have power.
If you do you need to find the bad connection. If not try moving the end you connected to the block to a clean ground on the body and test again.

It is also possible it is an internal failure in the alternator, but do not replace it unless it fails in testing.