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Old Mar 25, 2005 | 04:57 PM
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oldfordtruckman
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3.0 won't start

I have a 91 Areostar with a 3.0 and sometimes when it rains it won't start. I replaced the distrubter cap thinking that perhaps it had crack and was drawing moisture and it seemed to work. It rained hard the other day but it still started. But got up this morning and it wouldn't start. Anyone got any ideas? Only seems to do it when there is a lot of moisture in the air.
 
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Old Mar 26, 2005 | 10:57 PM
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Rockledge
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From: Connecticut
Have you tried pulling codes? it might help you get a lead on the problem:

http://fordfuelinjection.com/index.php?p=13
 
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Old Apr 11, 2005 | 04:24 AM
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rlmdad
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From: Corpus Christi, Tx. 78418
Do you have a check engine light? If so, can you read the codes?

Over the past year I have been having a problem with my 92 3.0L Aerostar not starting and havng the fuel pump run constantly (i.e. does not shut off 2 seconds after turning key to "Run") After some extensive troubleshooting I finally determined that the EEC computer was going into HLOS (hardware limited mode) which is why the fuel pump ran constantly and I could not get any codes from the computer while it was in HLOS mode.

I have noticed that this problem seems to occur after a strong rain or very high humidity. I've changed the plugs, wires, dist. cap, rotor, fuel pressure regulator, engine coolant temperature sensor and throttle position sensor. Now, I'm old school and don't like to just replace parts to "see" if that fixes the problem, so I've done quite a lot of troubleshooting to try and find the culprit and here's what I've found.

My plugs, wires, dist. cap, and rotor were all overdue to be changed. My fuel pressure regulator and engine coolant temperature sensor both tested bad and needed to be replaced. I replaced the throttle position sensor because the WOT relay seemed to be cycling on its own, but I now don't think it was bad (see below).

While troubleshooting with the key to the "Run" position, I noticed that periodically the WOT relay was engaging and disengaging on it's own. Changed the throttle position sensor without any change in problem. Then I noticed that when I moved the wire bundle below the relays, sometimes the "problem" would go away. Sometimes for a couple of days, sometimes for a couple of starts. When the problem went away, I had no check engine light, the fuel pump ran for approx. 2 seconds and shut off as it should, the engine started on the first try, and the only codes I could get out of the computer were 111, both current and in memory, both KOEO and KOER. Not much help.

I've finally narrowed things down to a short somewhere in the wiring bundle going to the firewall. I've taken the dust covers off both the EEC computer connector and the firewall connector below the EEC computer and now everything is working properly so I have to wait for the "problem" to come back to continue troubleshooting.

Sorry for the long post, but I hope this might lead you in the right direction without having to go through the two weeks of troubleshooting that I had to do to get this far.

Ron
 
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