My truck has been sitting for a couple of months while I work out an issue with the guy I bought it from. It worked perfectly fine but now it will crank but not turn over. Could it be that the key has deactivated? I looked under the #1 sparkplug cover and found it to be chewed up and the wire shield looks as if it has melted. I understand it could be other things like fuel filter, fuel pump but it acts as if possibly a filter clogged? I realize I am female but I would rather ask here than have a mechanic come out and tell me it's something that it is not.
Thank you for any help.....

 

Have you been periodically charging the battery during the last two months? A battery that sits more than a few weeks needs to be charged due to natural electrical loss. So, either charge the battery or use a set of jumper cables to connect to another vehicle.

"Crank" and "turn over" mean the same thing. Do you mean it cranks but won't start? It is possible for the engine to crank, but not fast enough to start, so make sure the battery is fully charged.

The "spark plug cover" you are talking about is probably the plug boot at the end of the wire? If this is damaged, then yes, the engine may not run or may be difficult to start. Since the vehicle has been sitting for a relatively long time, you should check very carefully for any rodent damage. Rodents have been building winter nests the last couple of months, and seem to love engine compartments. They will chew on just about anything with wires and even fuel and vacuum lines.

So,
1. Make sure the battery is fully charged.
2. Inspect and replace any components you find damaged.
3. You may want to add some fresh fuel, since you may need winter blend fuel this time of year depending where you are. Fuel that was sold a couple of months ago will not easily fire in cold temperatures, if this applies to you.

 

Thank you for answering so quickly! We haven't put the battery on a charger and that does make sense. I think I will buy a battery charger. I apologize for being dumb on the crank and turn over but I was trying to have a better explanation. It does crank but does not start. It is the spark plug boot at the end of the wire that goes down on top of the spark plug, thank you for that. As far as rodent damage I live in Palm Springs but the truck wasn't parked under palm trees or fruit trees where there is normally rats. The gardner loved to take a blower and blow all the dirt under my truck.

So I will follow your advice and get the battery checked, replace spark plug boot and wire and check the fuel since I do not have a locking gas cap and maybe someone came along and syphined the gas out of the truck, who knows.

Thank You so much!