I have a 94 Explorer that was running fine about 2 months ago. My wife drives it to work (3 miles from home) and one day she called me and said that it had "cut off". We had it towed and a local mechanic (and he is usually a pretty good one) had it. I stopped by and he said that the codes didn't make a lot of sense to him. All of a sudden (this was 4 hours later) it just started without him doing anything to it. Ran for 2 weeks, and yes, died again. By the time he got where it was, it started back up and ran. Ran 2 more weeks, you guessed it, cut off again. Was on a weekend so I couldn't get in touch with him, I went to where it was several times during the day and and after it had sit for almost 8 hours, started right up.

Since then twice it has just failed to start at all. The fuel regulator has been replaced. He said the pressure on it was bad, sure it must be it. $160 part was installed, cut off again 2 days later. He is not a Ford Mechanic, however, I live in a small (and I mean small) town and he has been constantly on the phone with one of the best ford mechanics in the area. My brother also works for a parts dealer and is pretty good himself with creating a car out of junk sometimes. The 3 of them told me yesterday, without a doubt, it has to be the crankshaft position sensor. Guess what, new one was installed today (another $60 part) (I don't even know yet how much labor I will be charged in the end) and it will not crank. Now they all say, maybe the fuel pump.

New code this morning. Truck wouldn't start (still at the shop) yesterday. I was told no codes. This morning I stopped by. Walked up to the truck and put in my key, started right up again.

He hooked up the computer again and ran the tests and there were no current codes. Showed 1 code from the past (which must have been yesterday) code 211 (PIP)

Is the the ignition module???? Or from the camshaft position sensor?????<!--/Text-->

Can someone PLEASE HELP before I am out of pocket more than this vehicle is worth?

THANKS!!!!!!<!--/Text-->

 

Going to start with the basic question in a stall/no start situation. Is it a result of no fuel or no spark? What does the fuel pressure look like KOEO? Any sign of spark from the spark plug wires?

 

I was told by the mechanic that it had fire and fuel. So I don't know for sure, it has happened so much lately. He said fuel pump pressure was normal.

 

If it has spark, and there's pressure at the rail, are the injectors firing?

 

I have gotten some info that code 211 (PIP) probably means it was not firing at the time of the code.

Went by the shop it is at this morning. The truck is still running for now, I unhooked the wires on the camshaft position sensor. The truck still starts and runs with it totally unhooked. So I am starting to think maybe the ignition module?????

 

Before replacing any more stuff, make sure all the wiring from the ICM to the PCM is in good condition.
Is the tech diagnosing this using a good manual with the pinpoint tests?
Another potentially useful thing to do with any continuous memory code is to clear the code and see if/when it returns.

 

Update

I drove the truck until it died again. Then hooked up the coil pack that I had, didn't start. Took me almost a week before I got the truck started again this time.

Bought my own scanner and I was getting a code of 214 (Cylinder identification circuit failure). Which I was told again that that should be coming from the camshaft position sensor.
Also got a code of 211 (Profile ignition pickup circuit failure).

I bought the camshaft sensor, drove it back to the shop. When it started up for me this time, it was really hard to get it running. It would spit and sputter and cut off. If I could keep it running for around 20 to 30 seconds, it would smooth out and run. The camshaft sensor is now in, same problems. The only code the mechanic is getting is one that says that it can't control the rpm's correctly.

Total so far now is $600 in parts and still haven't been given a labor charge yet, I think because everyone is starting to feel bad that they can't fix it. Ford place locally now tells me that they have done the exact same things to a ford car they have been looking at that does the exact same thing, and have not been able to fix it yet and that they actually really don't want to even look at this one right now.

PIP code never came back. Can't be certain but the mechanic has checked a lot of the wiring so far.

Also went to the local salvage yard and they let me borrow to hook up and tried an ignition module. Didn't help at all.

 

Sounds like I am in the same exact boat you are in. Same code 211 (except I am also getting MAF error), have replaced the same sensors as you(cam and crank along with the iginition switch), and have been all over the wiring. One thing I ran across accidently is when starting the explorer, when I turn the key to start and it fires off (which only happens sometimes because the injectors are only firing sometimes), if I don't allow the key to return all the way to the run position (somewhere between start and run), it will keep running. After it warms up, I can allow the key to go to run. It runs with a miss but it runs. Hopefully I will get an answer to this either tomorrow or Monday from a former Ford mechanic. Sorry I am not much help right now, but I will post again when I find something out.

 

Sounds exactly like what is happening to me. I have once seen the code for the MAF but that was several weeks ago and it never came back.Mine has also started running with a miss now until it runs for a few minutes and warms up. I too will post the fix if they ever find it.

 

I went by the shop again today. The mechanic was checking every ground on the vehicle, was still doing it when I left.

I do have another question if anyone knows the answer. He checked the fuel pump pressure while I was there. The gauge would register around 35 psi when the key was turned to the on position and stay there. He released the pressure on it and asked me to turn the engine over while he watched the gauge. It stayed at 0 while the engine was turning over but when I returned the key back to the on position the pressure went back up to 35 psi.

Should it have displayed pressure while the engine was turning over?

 

It should have. Was the fuel pump running while you were cranking the engine? Sounds like it would be interesting to wire an ammeter into the fuel pump circuit so you can see when/if the fuel pump is running.

 

I couldn't hear it with the engine turning over. It never started while we were trying this and like I said, there was no pressure at all while the engine was turning over. But after the switch went back to the on position, it primed again and had pressure.

 

This does sound goofy. One thing to remember is that the computer (PCM) works like any other - garbage in garbage out. Something might have gone a rye electrically and fouled the PCM. It might be worth a try to disconnect the battery for 5 minutes, hook it back up and see if the problem goes away. Disconnecting the battery allows the PCM to reset back to factory defaults - solves many other controls related problem.

 

We tried the battery first time it happened, didn't help at all. I haven't heard anything else from the mechanic today except for he had pulled the camshaft sensor back out and was making sure that it was installed step by step correctly today.

 

I don't have access to the proper wiring diagrams, but some OBD-I Ford cars in the early 1990's had a safety feature whereby the fuel pump would only engage in one of two circumstances

1) The ignition switch was in the start position
2) There was evidence the engine was running (tachometer signal from ignition).

This was a safety feature. If the engine died with the ignition in the run position the fuel pump was cut off. Based on some of the discussion from members with the car in question, I suggest someone look at the proper diagrams, and see if the circuit I describe is applicable. If so, look to either intermittant failure of the ignition system to generate an RPM signal, or a loose wire carrying that is carrying this signal. (Note that base-level vehicles, even without instrument cluster tachometers, will generate an rpm signal from the ignition system, since it is required by the PCM for other purposes).