Please help!

1991 Ford F250 4x4 5.8 automatic

About every other time I try to start her up she wont start.
Fuel pump runs for about 3 minutes before it shuts off, as soon as it shuts off it starts right up. It has dual tanks, with pumps in both tanks so I dont think it could be a fuel pump issue as it has the same symptoms with each tank. I changed the fuel filter, didnt help. Any suggestions?

 

thoughts anyone?

 

Replace your fuel pump relay, its is apparently sticking. Your fuel pump when you turn the key should only run for 2-3 seconds not 2-3 minutes. It may be getting hot internally and not closing the circuit when told to.

Try that first, easy cheap fix.

 

guess thats not it

 

getting an occasional code 212 on the computer
could this be related? It throws this code everytime the fuel pump doesnt shut off

 

any other ideas?

 

okay, are there any other good ford truck forums that I might try to see if anyone has any other ideas?

Thanks

 

How's your fuel pressure look? '91 still had the high pressure pump on the frame, and the low pressure pumps in the tank. Possibility exhists that your hi pressure pump is failing.

 

I dont have a pump on the frame, it seems to be an oddball by the books I have looked at.

And what I thought was two pumps, one in each tank, now appears to be one in the front tank only. Just makes a much more subdued sound when switched to the rear tank, made it sound like it was coming from the rear.

 

If you've got dual tanks, then you definitely have pumps in each tank. UNLESS someone, possibly previous owner, took it out. If that is the case, then you'll have never used the rear tanks fuel.
There's no pump about a foot behind the fuel filter on the frame? That does seem weird, but I never can remember if they did the swap from 1 hi pres/2 low pres pumps, to just 2 high pres pumps in the tanks in '91 or '92.
Are you sure you replaced the fuel pump relay and not the EEC relay? They sit right next to each other and are sometimes hard to distinguish between the two.

 

If your problem is the same as I had with my 89 F150, you may
find on your fuel relay (located on the inner fender well) that the
main power feed wire is corroded and broken right at the terminal in the relay. Sometimes with the right vibration there
was no contact. If you look at the wires going into the relay and see some green patina corrosion I'd say you found your problem.
Have a good day.

 

I did relace the correct relay, they were well marked.
Its not a matter of the pump not working, its a matter of
it not shutting off before starting the engine.
It normally shuts off within 2 to 3 seconds of turning the key.
But several times a day it will run for up to 3 minutes or so
before shutting off, like its not hitting the pressure mark, or something is not recieving the signal to shut it off.

When it does this it throws the code 212 after it starts.
I shut off the engine and immediatley restart it and its
all clear.

Ive had this truck for 8 years and have always ran both tanks, and it still runs both tanks no problem, no pump on the frame, and the only pump noise heard is in the front tank. The parts store even only shows on in their book for this particular model.
I dont know, wish it was my 65 as then I could easily debug it and fix it, im lost on all the newer trucks.

 

Im going to crawl under her again and trace everything thats there.............again.........ive only looked a dozen times but Ive been frustrated with it so who knows........maybe a hammer will fix her

 

I think you have a computer going bad. Sometimes the only way to diagnose this is to substitute with a "known good part". I know that gets expensive unless you have access to another one.(maybe borrowed from a similar vehicle)or maybe a cheap one from a wreck.

 

how "similar" would this have to be?
Werent the computers pretty specific?