I have a 96 Clubwagon and yesterday I went outside, started it and put it into reverse and it died on me. I tried to start it to no avail. Today I went back out and it started right up. I let it run for about 15 minutes and it cut out on me again!!? Well I've read a few posts and so I cycled the key to see if I could hear the fuel pump but I couldn't hear anything. It was loud outside and I'm not exactly sure what to listen for. If I cycle the key a few times it will actually start up and then die immediately. If I keep turning the key then it just cranks and that's it. How do I figure out if it's the relay or the pump? Does this truck have an external additional pump? Is there a way to test the relays and if so what are the instructions? I bought an in tank pump but I don't want to start doing it if it's not the problem. Thanks in advance.

 

Someone's got to know something. So far I've figured out it's the 5.8 motor. I found the relay panel with fuses under the hood and there are 3 black relays and a lot of fuses. How do I test this. Also I don't "hear" the fuel pump when I turn on the key. Could this be caused by the relay? To test the pump can I undo a fuel line and turn the key to see if it sprays?

 

The relay is 10 bucks. Buy a new one and try it. Check fuel pressure regulator. Pulled codes yet?

 

Ok, here's what I found. The relay in the 96 5.8 is located in the fuse panel under the hood next to the brake booster. According to the Chilton's the fuel pump relay is the middle of the 3 relays in the fuse panel box.

 

You can check the relay, but my guess is that it is okay. My experience with relays is that when they go, they go.

I don't know how easy it is, but I would pull your tank selector switch. You do have dual tanks, right?

My truck did the same thing. One day it started fine. The next day, no fuel. Let it set a few days until I got to looking at it and it ran fine. Then, the next day, no fuel.

I started looking everywhere, inertia switch, relay, etc. Only to find that the back of the switch was smoked. The plug was melted. Resistance generates heat, and as the switch was energized, it heated up lost contact inside the switch.

I would start at the switch, make sure it is working, and go from there to the inertia switch, and then to the relay.

You should hear a buzzing sound for 10 seconds as the key is turned on. Its a small electrical motor, if that helps with sound. Kind of like a blender noise.

Keep us posted.

 

My wife's Windstar had intermittent starting/running problems too. Sometimes it would start; sometimes it wouldn't. Sometimes it would die while running down the road. No codes!

Took it to the shop and it took the mechanic 5 hours labor to find out it was a bad $5 dollar fuel relay under the hood.

The Bill - $105.

He said it had gotten loose in the socket, causing corrosion, and poor contact. When he measured voltage across it, sometimes it was 12v, sometimes it was as little as 2.5v. Coil inside of relay was slightly burned.

Hadn't had minute's trouble since.