# 2009 Ford Crown Victoria interceptor Electrical Troubles
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-ford-crown-victoria-interceptor-electrical-troubles/777095
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [January 14, 2017, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-ford-crown-victoria-interceptor-electrical-troubles/777095 "2017-01-14T04:12:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@taximan805](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taximan805)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2017, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-ford-crown-victoria-interceptor-electrical-troubles/777095/1 "2017-01-14T04:12:40Z")
I have a 09 Crown Victoria interceptor with Electrical issues. This car has 275,000 miles and runs great. Driving today and it just stopped. It was raining and I puled over and tried to start it again. It started right up and drove 8 feet and stopped again. Wont Shift out of park. _(Brake Lights WORK just fine.)_ It’s not getting power when you turn the key. I had the car towed home and then it started right up. Put car in drive and it died and locked in park again. Brake lights work just fine. I used the hole in the bottom of steering column to shift to neutral but still no power at the key when turned. Headlights work but no door chime or windshield wipers or dome lights work. No power to radio or windows.
Any help would be great???
---
### Author:  [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2017, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-ford-crown-victoria-interceptor-electrical-troubles/777095/2 "2017-01-14T05:26:44Z")
What’s the question?
Your second sentence is not supported by the rest of your post.
Have you had the electrical system checked, yet? Most auto parts stores will at least check the battery and alternator for free. You can check the fuses. Not bad places to start looking for possible causes or maybe more problems with the same cause.
---
### Author:  [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2017, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-ford-crown-victoria-interceptor-electrical-troubles/777095/3 "2017-01-14T05:46:37Z")
Does it have cop shocks, cop brakes, cop motor?
---
### Author:  [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2017, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-ford-crown-victoria-interceptor-electrical-troubles/777095/4 "2017-01-14T13:13:24Z")
Good bet you have loose wires or connectors in or near the steering column or maybe a defective ignition switch. The fact the wipers are involved implies it’s probably one of the connectors that carries a whole bundle of wires into the column, rather than being just the ignition switch itself.
You could also have one or more cut wires in there which are randomly shorting out to ground or each other. I’d also be looking at the fuses for any that have blown. This is less likely than the above. If you start getting crazy idiot light-shows or the car acting demonically possessed then I’d bet it’s cut or chafed wires.
---
### Author:  [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2017, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-ford-crown-victoria-interceptor-electrical-troubles/777095/5 "2017-01-14T16:21:29Z")
Here’s another vote for damaged wires in the steering column or a bad ignition switch. All of the accessories affected (wipers, radio, windows, door chime) are going to be controlled by the ignition switch, so it’s a likely candidate.
---
### Author:  [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2017, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-ford-crown-victoria-interceptor-electrical-troubles/777095/6 "2017-01-14T17:10:53Z")
I would first check major electrical connections. Clean battery terminals. Check alternator connections. Check body and engine ground connections.
Be sure major screwed or nutted on electrical connections are clean and tight.
Next I would look at the electrical diagrams manual for the specific vehicle (get from dealer) and wire up a multimeter to various points, then wait for the problem to happen again - use the multimeter to track down where the problem is.
Intermittent problems can be difficult to trace, because when you go to find the problem (technician), everything is working!
---
### Author:  [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2017, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-ford-crown-victoria-interceptor-electrical-troubles/777095/7 "2017-01-14T18:18:55Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#):
>
> Does it have cop shocks, cop brakes, cop motor?
It could be the new bluesmobile.
---
### Author:  [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2017, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-ford-crown-victoria-interceptor-electrical-troubles/777095/8 "2017-01-14T23:04:35Z")
> [@taximan805](#):
>
> I have a 09 Crown Victoria interceptor with Electrical issues. This car has 275,000 miles and runs great. Driving today and it just stopped. It was raining and I puled over and tried to start it again. It started right up and drove 8 feet and stopped again. Wont Shift out of park. _(Brake Lights WORK just fine.)_ It’s not getting power when you turn the key. I had the car towed home and then it started right up. Put car in drive and it died and locked in park again. Brake lights work just fine. I used the hole in the bottom of steering column to shift to neutral but still no power at the key when turned. Headlights work but no door chime or windshield wipers or dome lights work. No power to radio or windows.
> Any help would be great???
w/o being able to look at the car, I’d wager a flaky ignition switch or its associated wiring. the switch is a $35 part, if you’re not under a really tight budget it might be worth trying.