Mike M
07-07-2012, 07:21 PM
About a month ago my car would not start intermittently. I would start it and drive 2 miles to work, try to start it again and it would crank but no start. Wait about 5 minutes and then it would start. Sometimes it would be fine for a few days sometimes it would happen several times in one day.
First thing I need to know was it fuel or spark...been here about a thousand times in the last 35 years (I have specialized in driveability problems almost exclusively). Unfortunately my experience didn't make it too much easier.
I started carrying a fuel pressure gauge and my OTC Genysis scanner around with me in the trunk. When the car would not start I would hook up the fuel gauge but by the time I would screw it on to the fuel rail the car would start. Same thing with scanner, by the time I would plug scanner in and power it up it was too late. I started leaving the gauge hooked up and the scanner hooked up as long as I could then after a few days of no problems I would disconnect them and wouldn't you know it went back to not starting.
I replaced the crank sensor with a new Ford unit as well as looking for chaffed wires everywhere. I even tried another key.
What I decided to do next was to swap out the PCM and fuel pump relays with the horn and A/C relays. So far it has been starting perfectly now for a week. I since replaced all 4 relays with new Ford units.
I took apart the 2 relays from the PCM and Fuel and I noticed this.....look closely and you will see a broken wire on the relay on the right towards the bottom left.
First thing I need to know was it fuel or spark...been here about a thousand times in the last 35 years (I have specialized in driveability problems almost exclusively). Unfortunately my experience didn't make it too much easier.
I started carrying a fuel pressure gauge and my OTC Genysis scanner around with me in the trunk. When the car would not start I would hook up the fuel gauge but by the time I would screw it on to the fuel rail the car would start. Same thing with scanner, by the time I would plug scanner in and power it up it was too late. I started leaving the gauge hooked up and the scanner hooked up as long as I could then after a few days of no problems I would disconnect them and wouldn't you know it went back to not starting.
I replaced the crank sensor with a new Ford unit as well as looking for chaffed wires everywhere. I even tried another key.
What I decided to do next was to swap out the PCM and fuel pump relays with the horn and A/C relays. So far it has been starting perfectly now for a week. I since replaced all 4 relays with new Ford units.
I took apart the 2 relays from the PCM and Fuel and I noticed this.....look closely and you will see a broken wire on the relay on the right towards the bottom left.