Driving home last night, my 2001 Sport Trac died. Motor just quick. Couldn't get her started, so towed her home.

It turns over fine, perfectly normal, except she won't start. Checked for spark, good and strong. Plenty of fuel pressure, well within spec. SEEMS to be sucking air right, and since she turns over normal I'm assuming for now OK compression...

Wierdness, if I let her sit for a couple hours she'll fire for a second then quit, or if I prop the plate at the mouth of the intake open she'll fire intermittently but won't actually run.

Anyone have any ideas? I'm an old school carb and rotors guy, I barely know what I'm looking at under the hood here, I'm scratching my head bald staring befuddled at all the wires and sensors.... Please don't say 'timing chain' because I'm in complete denial that I jumped time, hehe. Besides, to me, it doesn't fit given the behavior of the engine, although I could be very well be wrong. .

Edit: Also, code reader says no codes...

 

my moms car had the same problem the spark plugs were so F***ed up that it wouldnt run or start we thought it was timing chain but it sounded perfect we also thought it was fuel pump changed that then we thought it was the computer then i told my dad we should check plugs and we did hey would you look at tht they were 2 years old lol.. changed them ran like a champ

 

TX, I'll pull one and take a peak... I bought her a couple months ago so I suppose it's possible... but since she ran OK and just suddenly died w/ no warning while driving I have my doubts. Still, worth I check I suppose!

 

yeah cause my moms car ran great but then started boggin down up hills then it just wouldnt start at all.. might be the same problem even tho my moms car is a expidition... but no harm in checking.. the gap on our plugs were suposed to be like.030 but they were like .075

 

it is a little weird. I have heard of an iacv that got screwed up and kept the truck from starting. i wonder if you started pulling off the maf, the iacv, etc pull them off one at a time and see if anything happens, what engine do you have.

 

It's the 4.0 SOHC. Just hooked up an actual guage and fuel is at 62 PSI. I know sometimes they'll just die if there is a sudden drop in the PSI due to the fuel pump or filter going all at once, but I'm good there. Spark is good, plugs are good. I'm friggin' baffled. I wish there was an easy way to check to see if she jumped a tooth or two, I really don't want to take her half apart just to find out the timing chain is OK...

So far I've purchased a code reader, multi meter, fuel pressure tester, etc and dropped over $200 and haven't even diagnosed the issue yet .

At least my toolbox is looking pro now.

I'll pull the MAF and IAC like you suggest and see what happens....

What's really got me wondering is that she'll fire a bit if she sits a couple hours, then nothing. That SO sounds like a fuel issue... What controls the injectors? Could something have failed that's causing the injectors to malfunction, maybe slowly drip into the intake over time, causing it to fire just a little after a few hours?

Stewpid truckster.

 

clean the iacv see what happens check your air filter and the air intake for blockage. if your used starter fluid would it fire up? you have enough good gas?. any codes even if the light is off. the cel comes on when the key is on right?

 

Half a tank fresh gas... Won't run on starter fluid, but will sputter a bit with intake propped open. I'm going out to check the IAC now....

 

clean the butterfly valve on the throttle body

 

No codes... I have an actron Pocket Scan, goes through the read cycle OK comes up "No Codes".

 

does the throttle positioning sensor(or another sensor)tell the pcm to open the injectors? do you have a noid light to test the injectors?

 

how about the camshaft positioning sensor if that goes and throws off the timing would you still have spark and fuel? could you have a giant vacuum leak any hoses some how pop off?

 

No light, but my multimeter jumps around when turning over if I probe an injector. So I know they are getting some voltage. Not sure what is supposed to be telling who, what. LOL. I'm too old for this newfangled electronic jimble jamble. Should have bought a beat up 72 f-250 w/ a granny gear... LOL.

 

hoses look good... Not sure about the CPS.... Can I test that somehow? I'll google it... I have enough diagnostic gear to open a shop now anyway.

Wouldn't that give a code if the camshaft sensor were bad? Or only if it went out over time?

 

i think the cps should give a code. I think you can test it with a multimeter I dont know the specs. I ran out of ideas so i was reaching for anything. cps, tps, etc.