Hi All,

New member here - be gentle!!

I have a 2011 Escape Limited 3.0l V6 AWD. Did a spark plug change at 115k miles for the first time per dealership recommendation. Got new plugs from dealership.

Was pretty cut and dry to replace. Did not check gap on plugs as was told they are not adjustable per dealership. Put pea sized amount of dialectric grease in the COPs and then fitted the plugs into several times with a little spin to coat evenly. Installed plugs to 11 ft.lbs. and reassembled all components without issue. Installed them one at a time so as to not mix up the coils.

I did break the 90-degree nylon quick disconnect for the fuel line that connects to the fuel supply manifold and had to purchase a new hose assembly. Reinstalled without issue.

Went to start up and engine cranks (hiccup sound) but does not turn over. The sound is weak and not a throaty crank like an engine should give. Check engine light flashes on dash and issues a frequent tone also.

Wondering what the issue is? Are they the wrong plugs? Improperly gapped? Possible the fuel line did not pressurize and there is no fuel getting to the plugs for ignition? Kind of stumped as it was a pretty cut-and-dry replacement (if such a thing is possible).

I wont get around to taking the vehicle apart again until this evening and seeing what might be wrong.


Thanks,
d_rek

 

Unless you are a Houdini-level contortionist, you had to remove the upper intake manifold for access to the 1-2-3 plugs & COPs. There are likely a few things that you disconnected, such as the EGR, PCV, and throttle body. The first two can cause air leaks that will make starting difficult. The last will do two things: report throttle plate position and operate the IAC, idle air control, which regulates idle speed. If either or both are loose, or misconnected, the computer won't know what's going on throttle-wise or idle-wise. You may have an electronic throttle as that was a 'feature' added to take the place of the throttle linkage to the gas pedal in the people compartment. If disconnected, the computer will throw a hissy of some sort.
I do not have one to play with and report more details.
tom

 

Thanks for the reply Tom,

So this is silly... but it was just a dead battery...

I have never heard a vehicle make that sort of sound from a dead battery though. I've had the alternator take a crap on my 07 focus a few times but when the battery died it never made any sound quite like that...

Anyway, a few hours on the charger and all is well again and she's purring like a kitten. Hoping it was just the kids playing with lights and stuff that killed the battery while I changing the plugs and not the alternator...

 

QUOTE:Hoping it was just the kids playing with lights and stuff that killed the battery while I changing the plugs and not the alternator...

If you have access to a VOM, start the engine, and at idle, check the voltage across the battery terminals. It should be in the 14.2-14.5-ish range, and should do a short drop and recover as you turn the headlights on, and the blower motor to HI.
If it will do that, your alternator is alternating... and the regulator is regulating...
If not, failure may be impending.
tom

 

If the battery is original, you should change it. 5 years is typical lifetime.