Front end accident and car won't turn over. Not even a click

Tiny
1995 YELLOW MUSTANG
  • MEMBER
  • 1995 FORD MUSTANG
  • 3.5L
  • 6 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 160,000 MILES
My daughter had a fender bender this morning. The bumper was ripped off the car. (Bumper cover and Styrofoam insert) It was running after the accident, but after realizing she was going to be there for awhile, she turned the car off. No liquids leaking. When I try to start it, the dashboard lights come on like normal, but it won't turn over. Not even a click sound. Any suggestions on where I should start to get the car running again?
Saturday, March 23rd, 2019 AT 2:41 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,640 POSTS
Welcome to 2CarPros.

The first thing I suggest is to check is if the car will start in neutral or any other gear. Something may have hit under the vehicle and damaged what is called the park / neutral safety switch. Try that first. If it doesn't start, move to possible fuses that blew on impact.

The first one to check is the 40 amp ignition fuse located under the hood in the power distribution box. I have attached two pictures to help you locate the fuse. The first picture shows the under hood power / fuse box. You will see there are three fuses (40 amp) identified as ignition fuses. Specifically, you are looking for the one that says ignition switch/starter relay. The second picture is a legend of what each fuse is for.

Here are a few links that you may find helpful:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-a-car-fuse-works

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-a-car-fuse

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-use-a-test-light-circuit-tester

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-wiring

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-use-a-voltmeter

Try these things first. Also, open the hood to confirm there are no disconnected or damaged wiring. Also, tell me if she feels something could have hit under the vehicle.

Take care,
Joe
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Monday, March 25th, 2019 AT 6:44 PM
Tiny
1995 YELLOW MUSTANG
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
Hi, Joe. Thank you for the information. No, car will not start in neutral. All fuses register working. All wires and connections look tight and I wiggled and tightened. Any other suggestions?
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Tuesday, March 26th, 2019 AT 5:26 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,640 POSTS
Two more things to check. First, conform the fuses indicated in pic 1 are good, fuel and EEC. Also, I need you to locate the fuel inertia shut off switch in the left side of the trunk. This device is used to shut off fuel in the event of an accident. I didn't mention it because you said the engine was running until it was turned off. However, try resetting it to see if that makes a difference.

Here is the manufacturer's definition of the inertia switch. Also, picture 3 shows the switch and where the reset it located.

Inertia Fuel Shutoff (IFS) Switch
The inertia fuel shutoff (IFS) switch is used in conjunction with the electric fuel pump. The purpose of the IFS switch is to shut off the fuel pump if a collision occurs. It consists of a steel ball held in place by a magnet. When a sharp impact occurs, the ball breaks loose from the magnet, rolls up a conical ramp and strikes a target plate which opens the electrical contacts of the switch and shuts off the electric fuel pump. Once the switch is open, it must be manually reset before restarting the vehicle. Refer to the Owner Guide for the location of the IFS.

Let me know. If this doesn't help, we will need to check for spark and fuel to the engine so we can eliminate things.

Take care,
Joe
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Tuesday, March 26th, 2019 AT 7:49 PM

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