Hot start issues

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Sep 4, 2009 | 09:27 AM

palomartian

Thread Starter

New User

Joined: Sep 2009

Posts: 5

Likes: 0

Hot start issues

I have a 2003 E150 5.4 wagon. About 70k miles. If I drive it long enough for it to get fully hot and park it for about 15 minutes to a half hour, it sometimes fails to start. It seems to be a fuel issue as starting fluid sprayed into the intake will allow it to run. After a failure it will start after 5 to 20 minutes of trying every minute or so. Never throws a check engine light. Once running it has no issues. Never stalls, runs strong and smooth. The fuel filter is new. The van is used about twice a week and has sat for as long as a month. Before I replace the fuel pump, are there any other bits that could fail and cause this? Collision sensor? Some other piece of hardware that could overheat and shut down fuel delivery? Thanks in advance,

John

Sep 4, 2009 | 12:33 PM

Grems4ever

Lead Driver

Joined: Aug 2009

Posts: 7,574

Likes: 250

From: Laquey, MO

I'm not sure if Fords have this problem or not, but I've heard of other brands having problems with the camshaft position sensor getting hot and behaving that.

Just a thought...

Sep 4, 2009 | 03:31 PM

avenges

Freshman User

Joined: Jun 2009

Posts: 46

Likes: 0

Does it just crank? I think I'd be looking at a fuel pump relay or something electronic, crankshaft and camshaft sensors are common culprits. I doubt if it's the pump since it only does it when it's warm.

Sep 4, 2009 | 06:07 PM

palomartian

Thread Starter

New User

Joined: Sep 2009

Posts: 5

Likes: 0

Thanks guys. I'll have a look at the sensors. I eliminated the relay early on by moving the relays around. Sorry, should have mentioned that.

Sep 4, 2009 | 09:02 PM

Mustang6147

Posting Guru

Joined: Mar 2007

Posts: 1,191

Likes: 1

Check the pump for volume to... Check it cold, as well as hot.

The only sensor that wouldnt throw a code, is the maf, even if it is bad, it will still read, but wont read accurate...

Sep 6, 2009 | 01:04 AM

palomartian

Thread Starter

New User

Joined: Sep 2009

Posts: 5

Likes: 0

Are you saying the cam/crank sensors, if they were causing the issue, would throw a CEL?

Sep 6, 2009 | 06:17 AM

Grems4ever

Lead Driver

Joined: Aug 2009

Posts: 7,574

Likes: 250

From: Laquey, MO

I've lived through a bad cam sensor that would malfunction when hot (again - not in a Ford), but not throw a code. Not sure why, but it was well documented for that vehicle.

The only real problem with chasing down the sensor issue is that you really don't want to start just throwing money out there on sensors when that may not actually be bad. I isolated the sensor problem by cooling it off and the engine would refire. Not sure if you could try that due to the location of the sensor.