i have a 2000 X V10 4x4 with 200k

i turn the key it cranks with more then enough power, but it just cranks and cranks, i can hear the fuel pump turn on when i turn the key

no other lights or anything come up on dash, battery was replaced a few years ago

it starts up first time, everytime until this morning

it shows 30 miles to empty on electronic reader, and the gauge seems to show about the same

any suggestions?

( i tried using the search, but it keeps showing up as error, otherwise i would have searched it before posting ) thanks

 

Is the "theft" light flashing rapidly on the instrument cluster when you turn the key on? If so it could be a problem with the PATS (security) system.

 

If it was mine I think I'd add a few gallons of gas.

 

i will be going to buy some gas later today when my gf gets home

no the "theft" light stays solid red when trying to start

which fuses? or all like 20-30 of them?

and i do not have the manual, but i read something about a fuel safety cutoff switch that i should try to reset, can someone show me a pic of what this looks like or a detailed discription, because i looked all around and can't seem to find what they are talking about

thanks for the help guys/girls

 

Sorry to dumb it down so much, but it really comes down to this..

To start, your car needs air, fuel, and spark.

Air is almost never a problem in no-start situations, so that leaves fuel and spark.

I'd start by checking spark. Pull one of your spark plug wires off and bridge it to the engine block with a screwdriver or other piece of metal (don't hold the metal while the engine cranks!!)....

If you don't have spark coming to the plugs, move on up and try the same test, but with the wire that feeds the distributor.. If you've got no spark there, you could have a bad coil, or quite a few other things.

Assuming you're getting spark to the engine, then you get to start troubleshooting fuel problems (you should also check for fouled plugs). I'd start by adding gas, then check your fuel filter.. After that, it gets a little tougher when you're trying to figure out if your fuel pump is actually working or if you've got a clogged injector or something.


Obviously this is a super simplistic way to look at things, as there could be a lot of different problems. But in my experience, following these steps greatly helps reduce the head scratching time and gives you a good jump on fixing it.

 

i am in no way a car guy so the spark plug thing i wouldn't be comfortable with

and the fuel filter being dirty can cause my truck not to start even tho it used to start up first time everytime?

thanks for the help

 

I once had a fuel filter on a chevy pickup that I had work just fine, pulled up to a convenience store to grab something and turned the engine off, when I came out to leave it wouldn't start. To make a long story short, got a fuel filter and changed it in the parking lot and the truck fired right up and ran fine after that.

As far as the spark testing, it's really not as hard as it sounds. You just don't want to be holding onto the screwdriver if it's not insulated.

 

Don't take this the wrong way, but if you're not willing to pull a plug wire off to check for spark, you might as well call a mechanic. Nobody can troubleshoot your problems without you taking some basic steps to provide info.

This is a really easy thing to do.. Open your hood, find a spark plug wire and follow it to the engine block where it connects to the plug.. Pull it off the plug, and stick a screwdriver in to make contact with the metal contacts inside... Hold it about 1/4 inch away from your engine block, making sure not to touch the engine block or the metal on the screwdriver, and have someone else crank the engine. If you see sparks arcing to the engine block, you're good. It should be a pretty solid spark and should repeat quickly (once or twice a second).

If there's no spark (or weak spark) there, plug the wire back into the spark plug and follow it back the other way to the distributor block (where all of your plug wires meet).. There should be one wire in the distributor block that doesn't connect to a spark plug.. That one goes straight to the ignition coil. Unplug it from the distributor and perform the same test. If you have spark there, but not at the motor, it means that you've either got bad wires, or a bad cap and rotor (most likely one of these two things. It could also be a bad distributor, but that's pretty rare)... If there's no spark (or weak spark) there, it usually means you've got a bad ignition coil.

If you do have strong spark at the plugs, you either have a fouled plug or a fuel problem (again, most likely.. there are other potential problems, but these are the most common)...

Hope I've helped.

 

Good story on the fuel filter... Yes, eventually they will get so clogged that the car just won't start, or will stall... It's a filter, so it will just keep getting worse and worse till eventually it's not "filtering', just blocking.

Funny non-car story about filters... Last summer, I came home one day to find my house was over 90 degrees inside.. came upstairs and found the coil to my air conditioner was totally frosted over and the whole system was frozen.. Spent about half an hour cleaning my washable filter in the furnace, and realized there was almost no air flow even with a clean filter, so I happened to pull the cover off my cold air return and found a filter I never knew was there. Apparently the HVAC guys didn't bother telling me this when I built my house 5 years ago...

In short, you don't want to see what a furnace filter looks like after 5 years of use in a house with 5 adults and two big dogs.

 

There will be no traditional distributor with "one wire in the distributor block that doesn't connect to a spark plug". The V-10's (and 5.4L V-8's for that matter) are COP. (coil on plug).

I still question the PATS system and also the fuel filter is a good suggestion as well.

fossilX, do you have a second key for the truck? Have you tried starting it with that one? Sometimes the PATS transmitter in the key gets broken and that key will no longer start the truck.

 

Some good reading in this link about the PATS keys... https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...highlight=PATS

 

Really? Interesting to know... I've only owned mine for 3-4 months, but I just fought this exact same issue on the 97 suburban I replaced... Of course, the suburban started first time, every time... right up until I had a motivated buyer ready to take a test drive.

In my case, a dirty cap and rotor was the culprit.

 

IT STARTS! sorry a little happy over hear...

needed gas feel like a moron, but whatever, i have always relied on the fuel gauge display, it said like 35 miles til empty, guess it was wrong

thanks for the quick replies guys and trying help

 

Too funny.

Sadly, I did the exact same thing on saturday night in my BMW... My gas light came on right before I got home (less than 2 miles before getting home), and when I got in the next day, my computer said I could go 50 miles before I ran out... less than a mile later, the car was sputtering and dying on the side of the road. Had to call the girlfriend, have her wake her kids up and come bail my dumb *** out.

 

just like my X says i get 8.4 mpg average, i don't think i get that much, the thing has a ridiculous appetite for 87 octane