Last night I drove my truck (1991 Ford F-150) home from the shop after they put a new solenoid in it to fix a starting problem. I even turned it on and off afew times to make sure it was fixed and everything worked as it should. This morning I went to start it and it had plenty of cranking power and would crank but still couldn’t get it to start. Any help or recommendation would be appreciated, thank you!

 

Does the fuel pump run for 1-2 seconds when cycling the key from Off to Run?

Have you check for spark?

Have you tried using some starting fluid to see if the engine fires up?

 

Fuel pump does run, I checked for spark at the coil but I never pulled any spark plugs but I’m getting it in for a tune up Monday. We also have tried starting fluid. It ran fine in the summer but temps have dropped and that’s when it started acting up. So I’m not sure

 

Did the fuel pump stop after 1-2 seconds or stay running?

Old/worn ignition components tend to show their weakness in cold as well as very hot. You tried starting fluid, did it actually start?

 

The fuel pump stays running while trying to crank. When i tried starting fluid it was before i got a new solenoid so it didn’t help but when I get home I’m gonna see if starting fluid helps and if so I’ll pull off the fuel line and see if it’s pumping. Thank you

 

I have been through that problem numerous times and it always ends up being one of the 3 relays bad. I always carry extra ones with me especially in the winter. They are located inside the left fender towards the back of the cab. one is for the ecm (no spark on starting) one is for the fuel pumps in the starting position before the ecm takes over running. the 3rd one I believe is for the horn relay which is the same as the rest of them. I can tell you that the same relay fits all 3 applications even though they are listed separate.

 

I tried cranking it but it wouldn’t start so I sprayed some starting fluid in it and it fired up and ran fine after it started. The throttle was sticking a little bit before the starting problem but now it’s sticking at a higher RPM.

 

If the engine starts with starting fluid and stays running you probably have a weak fuel pump. The initial 1-2 second "prime" doe not build up enough fuel pressure. Now you need a fuel pressure tester to verify the fuel pressure. If the idle RPM is high it could be a big vacuum leak, sticking throttlebody or sticking throttle cable or the computer is rising the idle RPM based on bad sensor feedback. Try manually closing the throttle to see if the idle RPM comes down. Also try unplugging the IAC connector to see if the idle RPM comes down or the engine stalls.

Multiple issues at the same time can be a handful to deal with.