Hey Everyone,

My 2002 Ranger decided it doesn't want to start anymore. It's just cranking and won't even start to fire. My first thought was the IAC was shot because i had had problems with it recently. A few months back it wouldn't idle and thanks to this forum i pulled it off and cleaned it which fixed the problem. The other morning the truck wouldn't start so i tapped on the IAC a few times with my keychain and it started up. Then yesterday it wouldn't start and i tried tapping on it with no luck, so i took it off and worked the plunger a bit. No luck. After letting it crank a bit it did finally start up. But at the end of the day it wouldn't start again. It only seems to have starting problems when the truck is cold. So i broke down and bought a new IAC and it still won't start.

So now i have to start troubleshooting. I sprayed some starter fluid in the Throttle Body and tried it and it started to fire. So i'm thinking fuel filter and/or fuel pump? I've read that you should listen to hear if the pump comes on when you turn on the ignition, but i don't ever remember hearing it before, do i need to be under the truck? Can i try purging the schrader valve on the fuel rail to see if there is pressure or should i get a gauge to check it? Is there another way to find out if the pump is bad? i hate to keep throwing parts at it unless i know what the problem is.

In any case i probably should replace the filter since it's never been changed and the truck has 125000 miles on it. I read about unplugging the inertia switch and starting it to purge the pressure but how do i purge the system if it won't start? Also i have the green and orange fuel line clips so i understand that i don't need the removal tool and i just need to squeeze then and pull to get them off right?

Is there anything i'm overlooking?

Thanks!

 

reset inertia fuel shut off switch?

 

I located it and tried to press the button on top but it's all the way down. Would it be up if it was tripped? I was kind of leaning away from it being that because it seemed like an intermittent problem at first. I also looked at the fuse box but it isn't labeled so i'm not sure which one is the pump. I didn't see any that were burnt though.

I did get the filter swapped out and still no start but i didn't think that would fix it anyway. I crawled under the truck to listen while i had someone turn the ignition on and could hear a faint noise but i think it was the cd player. We have a 2006 at work so i listened to it to compare and could definitely hear the pump on it, even from the cab.

Also, i tried purging the schrader valve on the fuel rail and only got a little trickle of fuel. I'm assuming it should spray out if there was enough pressure. Do i need to be checking this while someone cranks over the engine?

Thanks for the help!

 

No, there should be residual pressure, start planning to replace the fuel pump.

There's some pictures of a fuel tank in My Garage, I found it easiest to drop the tank.

Check for 12V at the fuel tank connection to make sure that there is power at the fuel pump first.

 

Yeah that's what i was planning next, i'll take my multimeter with me tomorrow. I was gonna pull the bed because i heard that was easier and have done it before on my wife's old 86. I'll take a look at those pics and see what looks easier.
Thanks again!

 

To verify before doing all this work, you can rent or buy a fuel pressure gauge. Connect at the schrader valve and turn the key to ON. The pressure should come up if it is down, immediately. You can cycle the key a few times, and the pump should run for 3-5 seconds and build pressure each time. The specs vary by year, but figure at least 30 psi, some are more. The pressure should be maintained for at least 10 minutes or you have a severe leakdown problem.
I would cycle the ignition from OFF to ON to OFF about 3-5 times, and then try to start the engine. If repeated cycling help it to start more quickly, you have a check valve allowing the fuel to leak back into the tank, or an injector dumping the pressure into the intake. Depending year, some had a circulating system that returned extra fuel to the tank, the newer ones do not. The circulating systems had a check valve in the return, and a check valve in the fuel pump assembly to maintain pressure. The newer ones have a check valve in the pump[I think] alone.
One more thing you can do to check the fuel pump is measure the current draw. A worn pump will draw more amperage than a newer one. The pump alone is not extremely expensive, but if you replace the sender assembly also, including the pump, it will run several hundred dollars.
tom

 

I pulled the bed today and checked again to see if i could hear the pump cycle, and still nothing. So my next step was to hook up the multimeter to the plug and see if i had juice, which i did. At this point i was 99% sure the pump was bad so i went ahead and swapped it out (new one was just over $200). By the way i didn't notice at first that the pickup was spring loaded and sat there wondering why the pump wouldn't go in all the way until my friend noticed on the old one. So i just pushed down a bit and screwed on the retaining ring, DUH! I hooked the battery back up and switched on the ignition and for a second couldn't hear anything although my friend who was standing next to the tank said he heard it cycle. I turned the ignition over, it cranked a few times and fired right up WooHoo! Pretty easy to do actually, i think removing the bedliner was the hardest part. Now i have to call and see what a mechanic would have charged me so i can find out how much i saved by doing it myself. Thanks for the help everyone!

 

I am probably confusing posts, but I had wanted to mention that the pump alone is available after market for ~$40. The sending unit assembly is several hundred. I think I did mention that on another post.
Your fuel gauge will read differently from what it has been doing.

tom