1996 Escort died. Will not turn over.

[saiprem]

I have a 1996 Ford Escort LX. It has been working fine here in super cold Wisconsin. Then a few days ago I turned it on in the morning to warm it up and left for 5 minutes. When I returned it had died. The lights and horn are fine. When I turn the key it clicks like the solenoid engages, but the starter will not work. I don't think the starter is the problem because it that wouldn't cause it to die after it was already started. Right now the car is in an unheated garage 10 miles away and the temperature in the garage is less that 10 degrees so I'd kinda like some hints before I spend time trying to figure it out. In my mind it could be a broken ground wire or a broken ignition switch. Does anyone have any other suggestions that I could check for while I'm there?

[theoldwizard]

Possible causes for no crank

• Weak battery
• Poor (dirty/loose) electrical connections (at the battery, the engine ground, the solenoid/relay or starter)
• Defective starter solenoid/relay (mounted near the battery)
• Defective neutral start switch (a.k.a transmission range sensor) - try cranking in all gear position with one foot on the brake
• Passive Anti-Thefts System (PATS) issue
• Defective ignition switch
• Defective starter

That is not a prioritized list. Any of them could be intermittent.

[Hillbilly]

Eliminate PATS...vehicle not so equipped.