My beast is an '82 F150 4x4 with 351w and DuraSpark 3 ignition, auto tran. This truck is so much fun and great to drive when it starts! 15 months ago I gave up and had a good mechanic deal with it for $600. bucks. New crank sensor, fiddling and "fuses" and I stupidly thought that was end of story. Last month no spark. Gave up and had it towed to mech. They COULDN'T get it to NOT start. I paid for the tow and back to work running fire crew in the mountains. Ran awesome until three days ago (in my driveway, thank God)and no start. Cranks fine, plenty of fuel. I actually hit the dashboard with my fist and it fired up. Ran for 10 minutes while I geezed the batts. Shut it down. Have not heard from it since. I'm beggin' for help here!

 

I'm having a similar problem with my '88 302. After cranking for a few minutes it won't start until its jumped. I think it may be that the battery voltage drops below what the computer requires and it quits trying to fire.

I am also going to get a computer code reader and see what that tells me.

Bob
'66 7 Litre, top loader, 3.25 Traction-lock, Sidewinder Intake, SCJ Exhaust
'88 F150 LWB 4x2, XLT Lariat, 302, 5 speed, 3.08
'99 Ranger, 4x2, 3.0, 5 speed, 3.73 posi

 

One possible cause for intermittent problems of that nature is the pickup coil in the distributor. Just a thought.

Sparky

 

Let me know what you find out, Bob. Just to keep my blood boiling I went out this morning, 8/7/01, and it fired RIGHT up. Spent an hour under the hood last night pulling and feeling for loose connections with no luck and no start. Maybe during the night the Ford Fairies chased away the GMC Gremlins that are making my life a nightmare! Otherwise I'm looking at nuetral safety switch or ignition switch.

 

If it cranks fine but no spark it isn't the neutral safety switch, as it prevents cranking the engine if it is dead.
It could be the igniton switch or wiring from it. Really have to do voltage checks when it doesn't fire to diagnose correctly. Intermittent electrical problems are quite hard to find, especially when they work and don't work at will

Sparky

 

Thanks, Sparky. I'm thinking I will research the R&R of the ignition and if it's not hundreds of dollars I'll do the replacement.

This site is great.

 

Well my trouble is no longer intermittent. Won't start but does crank real well. Tried the computer code reader but nada, no codes just a steady light.

Checked the fuel bleed and I have some. Ordered a pressure test set because there's no way to tell whether I have enough pressure without a gauge. Changed the fuel filter since I just bought this thing and didn't know how old it was and it could have been clogged. It seemed OK.

Tested for spark and its red-orange, weak but marginally OK. Decide to check the cap and rotor and they are very corroded. I will get new ones when I pick up the fuel pressure gauge on Monday.

I bought some throttle body cleanner when I was at the parts store. I've never worked on a fuel injected engine before so as I started to clean the throttle body and idle air valve it looks to me like I will need a couple of gaskets before when I reassemble them. Something else to get at the parts store on Monday.

It started raining so I stopped until Monday since tomorrow is Race Day.

Hope your having better luck than I am.

Bob
'66 7 Litre, top loader, 3.25 Traction-lock, Sidewinder Intake, SCJ Exhaust
'88 F150 LWB 4x2, XLT Lariat, 302, 5 speed, 3.08
'99 Ranger, 4x2, 3.0, 5 speed, 3.73 posi

 

For intermittant problems, stone dead in your own driveway is the place to be. Now you will be able to find it!

 

If I were a "tool guy" dead in my driveway would be OK. I have a test light but no troubleshooting instructions. Not much experience beyond common sense topics. My theory is the key switch or the ignition switch or both is faulty. I towed it to BIG FORD dealership and specifically requested a new ignition switch. End of day they laughed and said they found loose coil wires!! Beefed up the connections, it started 4 or 5 times and charged me $150. plus tax. I told them that ain't it. They must have had quite a laugh, "Look at these wires, HA HA". I wanted them to be right and picked it up. Drove home. Packed for short hike. Next morning? You guessed it! I have to look forward to dealing with the service department on Monday. I may shred that steering wheel tomorrow for a little self training.

 

To Bob and Sparky and everyone else that responded here is the resolution to my "no spark". The dealership was pretty redfaced about the coil wires and adjusted my bill. They paid for the tow back. After four hours they traced the problem to a corroded relay (looking new and shiny on the outside since it was new a year ago) Motorcraft part number: DY-865, F8PZ-14N135-BA, RELAY. It lives near the passenger side fender well below and inboard of the starter relay.

Should anyone read this tale in the future, and for Bob if he is still fighting, I hope this gets you back on the road.

Dave

 

Just for my future info.... Do you know what the name of the relay was?
I checked that area on my 81 F250 and all I found there was the voltage regulator.

Sparky

 

Of course my 81 is carburated and I suppose your 82 is fuel injected.... that could be the reason I don't have that relay. If that is the case I guess 81 is as new a truck as I will ever have, I don't really like fuel injection on my vehicles. I think it is too hard to troubleshoot without all kinds of expensive test sets. Just my opinion.

Sparky

 

My truck is carburated with the infamous variable venturi carb. That will be a project for next spring. So, no, the numbers I referenced for the relay were all that was on the Motorcraft box it came in. It's about the size of two ice cubes stacked on top of each other. The dealership actually mounted it on the same wall as the ignition relay and volt reg. I went through the Haynes manual and they do not mention this relay. May be a picture of it accidently in there somewhere.

 

I checked my truck again, still can't find that thing. I wonder what it is and what it does??? Apparently one of its purposes is to stop your truck from starting when it breaks

Sparky