1990 Bronco Eddie Bauer Edition 302 automatic
even after replacing spark plug coils, ignition coil, distributor cap and button, I still can’t get it to turn over and run
i had it start up for a quick 5-10 seconds after replacing the ignition coil and spark plug wires but it was rough then cut out and nothing
tried the old school flathead on the starter solenoid trick and that didn’t do anything
charged the battery too, even tried starting it on starter fluid and nothing
im at a loss, any suggestions?
im even wondering if the motor is seized

 

When you say turn over, do you mean it's not cranking at all? I see turn over used to mean cranking, but other times people use it to mean the vehicle is actually starting.

I see you said it started for 5-10 seconds and now it won't do anything.

So, if the engine isn't turning over at all (starter not engaging or turning, basically nothing happening) you should check:

1. All battery connections; +/-, starter relay terminal on the fender and ALSO the connections on the starter itself.
2. Make sure your battery is charged (sorry not trying to insult you, just trying to be thorough) and that it is good. Some batteries can read good voltage but have little cranking power left so it's worth looking into the battery.

If with those two thing, the truck won't try to crank. You can attempt to jump the starter at the fender relay, or the starter itself (kind of dangerous so be careful what you try).
If the engine won't crank at all from there and you DON'T hear the starter trying to engauge or click or anything, then I'd double check 1 & 2 above, and if those are good, look at testing the starter OFF the truck. You can test the starter off the truck with some spare jumper cables and a car battery.

If the truck won't turn over, and you hear the starter trying to engage, then I'd take your starter off to get it tested. If it tests good, then potentially your motor is seized.



If you get the truck cranking or it is already cranking but it's not starting, I'd check the following:

1. Test to make sure you're getting spark. You can do this several ways. The way I've always done it is kind of sketchy, but you can take a metal screwdriver, take one of the plug wires off the plug while still connected to the distributor, then ground the screwdriver out against something metal while it's shoved into the plug socket. You should be able to see sparks from the screwdriver to metal if you're getting spark (You'll need to crank the motor to test, so put the screwdriver somewhere you can see in the engine bay through the window, or jump the starter with another screwdriver at the fender relay, or have someone else try and crank the truck.) There are other ways to test like in-line spark testers which should be pretty cheap and available at most parts stores.

2. If you DO have spark, I'd next suspect fuel delivery. This can be broken down some more:
- Do you hear the fuel pump priming with the key turned? If so, test fuel pressure. I don't know the specifics but I believe it should be around 30-40psi.
- If you DON'T hear the fuel pump prime:
- Check to make sure your fuel pump relay is good. I believe it's on the drivers side wheel well.
- Check to make sure your fuel safety switch hasn't tripped. It should be on the inside firewall on the driver side, right next to where the wiring harness goes through the firewall. There is a red button that pops up if it goes off, so you push it down.

If you can't get your fuel pump to run at all, you can try jumping the fuel pump at the relay. If your fuel pump doesn't turn on at all, or the PSI is lower than 30 when trying to start, I'd suspect your fuel pump is bad. I'd also recommended replacing the fuel filter if they pump is bad. IT may be worth replacing that first.



If your engine is cranking, you have spark, and your fuel pressure is good, the next thing to check would be engine timing:

1. Make sure you spark plug wires are routed correctly and properly connected at the cap:
2. Get a timing light and check the timing of the motor (pull the spout plug when checking.)




I hope this may be useful. Some more information on the specifics of what's happening can help us narrow down what's wrong.