I have a 2000 V10 Excursion that I purchased a few month's ago. A mechanic friend of mine has been trying to figure-out why my Excursion sometimes won't start. He has replaced the fuel pump, which at the time he thought was bad because we had no knowledge of this intermittent problem. He also replaced a relay which turns the fuel pump on. There is plenty of power, the engines turns very fast but acts as if it doesn't get any gas when it won't start. This has happened 3 or 4 times in the past three months but my mechanic has never had the X in this state in order to troubleshoot the problem. He drove it for three weeks with no problems. Anyway, if anyone has a clue as to what the problem could be I would appreciate any help. Does anyone think it could be the computer module? If so, does anyone know how much the computer module costs? If anyone has had this problem please let me know how you resolved your problem.
Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,

Roger

 

Will it start if you hold the pedal down slightly but dies if you let up? If so then it is your IAC valve. (idle air control) It's located behind the throttle body.

 

It has never died after being started and the non-starting condition has happened just a few times in the past six months. It is a very intermittent condition. Someone forum mentioned the possibillity of it being the IAC also. I will mention this to my mechanic.


Thanks,

Roger

 

Roger

You or your mechanic need to disconnect and reconnect EVERY possible electrical connector.

Disconnect BOTH sides of the battery before doing this.

Add two or three more ground straps.

Check battery for full charge and all good cells.

Did I mention adding more good grounds.

You have an intermittent electrical problem that I bet is ground related.

I can find at least one connector on any Ford truck that was never fully "clicked" into solid connection at the factory.

Get a can of electrical contact cleaner and when each plug and connector spray a little in each side before reconnecting.

Many of the so called weather shield plugs and connectors can be a problem if the original rubber isolation shield boot fell out and is no longer keeping moisture out. Inspect every one that you do not have to disassemble entire truck to get at (yes some are a challenge to get to)

Do not forget to drop the bottom of the steering column and do the ones going to the key and switches.

Add more ground straps.

Clean the battery terminals as last job and make sure the BOTH the positive and ground cables are good, clean, corrosion free.

The PCM will not work below 11VDC and is designed to accept 11.5 VDC to 16 VDC as normal range.

I will try to post some pictures later today on good ground straps.

 

Fred,
Thanks for the information. I will pass it on to my mechanic, he will appreciate it I think. I haven't noticed if it is happening only when it rains but it is starting to look like that is the pattern.

V10man, thank you also.

Thanks again,

Roger

 

sounds like a defective ignition switch to me

 

Couldn't it be a crank/cam sensor?

My mother-in-law's Buick is doing the same thing, but they are known for the crank and cam sensors going.

Never heard about it on a Ford, or at least, not since the early 90's T-bird SC's, but it COULD happen. And it could be that the wires or connector to it are bad or wet.

 

Krewat you are on the right track and it could be a failing sensor but in my experience intermittent problems usually end up being loose connectors or bad grounds or weak battery.

Along the way over the years I have done the old swap parts till you find it method and that gets crazy expensive in a hurry on these new rigs.

More than once we got a problem fixed and for grins I swapped back in the "bad" part and you would be amazed at the times it started and ran fine...and don't you know how POed I was that every parts House on earth will not take back a "electrical part".

 

The only thing I can think of for a "no start" condition on these things is the fuel pump (which has already been taken care of), or a bad crank/cam sensor (the computer doesn't know the motor is even turning over).

Gotta check spark and injector signal... if you ain't got none, again, I can't think of anything else but the crank/cam sensor. Or, as Fred said, a bad connector or wire to/from the sensor.

Other than that, MAF, O2, DPFE (EGR), throttle position, anything else wouldn't keep it from at least trying to start...

art k.

 

I helped a "friend" trouble shoot a 2003 F150 for two hours after my first question was about the Battery.

He had just put in a new Battery the week before.

Nothing was making sense. It would start and die, It would not start, it would start and drive fine for a block then die. I finally went home came back with my ell cheapo Harbor Freight Battery load tester and found the problem. Brand new Battery was weak and just barely put out 11.2 volts under load... good old multimeter kept telling me 12.4VDC and the right 13.8-14.4 charging volt swing when running.

Some times a battery will act like a big resistor in series with a load and even with 13+vdc pumping into it, the available amps are not enough to keep all the computers happy, especially if you have the typical grounds that the factory seems to think are enough. They are not enough.

My wife drove around for a week freezing her butt off before letting me know that every time she turned on the heater the motor died... yep, a new battery and she was all warm and toasty again.

But it could just as well be a cam sensor, bad MAF, or about 6 other critical inputs that the PCM requires to send those injector or coil pulses.

I still suspect the intermittent condition is wiring/connectors

 

Maybe he should add a ground strap ? Do you think it would help ?

 

Been raining here a lot and I still am in the stone age when it comes to cameras. In fact I still have not cracked the code to post a photo that shows in the post.

Here is my method on every car and truck I own:

I am a Ham (Armature radio operator) so I always need plenty of DC and RF Grounds.

I take old coaxial cable most any type will do. Cut a two foot section. With a box knife 1 inch long slit on both ends of the outer plastic cover down to the braided shield.

Use the knife and run a score mark (do not cut through the plastic) from one slit to the other end slit. Peel the fully cut part open and back stripping the plastic cover off (the long scored mark helps it split away)

You now have a Chinese finger puzzle length of copper or aluminum braided shield that you simply push both end to wards the middle and the inner shield and center conductor will fall right out of.

In you hand is two feet of ground strap for two min work and otherwise Free.


I use a screw gun and 5/16th self taping screws and some fender washers to bond the rear bumper to the bed body. The bed body to the frame is tough but under neath you can find a few places to do it and get a good metal to metal bond.

I run two straps from the bed to the cabin body. One strap from the underside back of the hood to the inner fender. 1 More from the motor over to the fire wall. One heavy strap (doubled) from the battery ground to a inner fender. I run a strap from the alternator case to engine.

I run one from the rear of the exhaust to the bed but this is only RF ground to lower radio noise.

This whole effort takes me less than one hour and if you pay attention to how the factory did their puny 3 grounds you will be able to make it look like Ford did it.