Dirtynails
New Member
Just wanted to post my experience with my crank/ no start condition. I really appreciate the advice, experiences and discussion that occurs here. It’s been so helpful troubleshooting other issues. Hope this helps others
I have a 2001 Expy EB, 5.4, 184k miles. We use the expy as our primary family vehicle and drive it daily. Last November, I begin experiencing intermittent crank/ no starts. Maybe once a week, then twice. Maybe it would be ok for a week, then the crank/ no start would return. Over the next 10 weeks, the crank/ no start increased in frequency until it occurred with every crank. It finally died in our driveway (a blessing) on Jan 12th. No CEL, no codes, nothing. Battery was 2 months old and was holding a 12.5v charge.
I have a Haynes manual. Followed its’ trouble shooting process for fuel pressure and starter issues that included checking the easiest and obvious, first. Most of the steps below require a helper to turn ignition to Position 2 or to crank. I also read numerous posts here and peeked around on Youtube.
My trouble shooting steps:
Crank expy in Neutral in case there is a shift lever or transmission sensor issue. Result- No change in condition.
Listen for fuel pump to prime at gas tank. I inserted a 2ft piece of hose through fuel cap location to get closer to the action. Result- No sound, no buzzing, no whirring, nothing.
Check fuse 21- starter relay (driver side, side panel, under dash)- Fuse ok.
Check Fuse 10- Fuel Pump (FP) (driver side, under hood, power distribution box)- Fuse ok.
Check Fuse 18- PCM for FP, injectors & MAF- (power distribution box). Fuse ok.
Check FP Relay- #301 (power distribution box). Tested relay with multimeter (MM)- ohms setting. Test ok. Swapped out relay with other like relay, Relay# 303, re-cranked- No change in condition. Tip: with ignition in “on” position, remove Fuse 10 and reinstall. If good, Relay will click when fuse reinstalled.
Check PCM Relay- #304 (power distribution box). Swapped out relay with other like relay, Relay# 303, re-cranked- No change in condition.
Check Power to Fuses & Relay 301 locations using MM- Power present (about 12v, with ignition on). I don’t think I checked for power to Relay 304. I think there is constant power to one of the relay pins, but I don’t remember noting this.
Check Inertia switch to make sure it did not engage. Result- still closed (i.e. pushed all the way down).
Haynes includes a decision tree written into the “Troubleshooting Starter”, section 5-14 – if this happens/ doesn’t happen it is likely this component. I found this especially helpful to eliminate the starting system. Also, spent $10 for a Ford Repair manual on Ebay (at the advice of this board). Not sure it was complete, but it had enough to help me and to confirm Haynes trouble shooting process.
During this research and test period which lasted several days during my spare time, my instinct was leaning towards the fuel pump as my experience was in line with many other stories of a failed FP. Now to test fuel pressure at the fuel rail. I found the shrader valve hidden under the hoses on the passenger side and put a pressure gauge on. Cranked engine, pressure read “zero”. Multiple cranks, still ZERO pressure. I never tested for spark at the coil after getting zero on the fuel pressure test.
Re-tested the electrical wiring path beginning at the battery. I had power at the starter relay. Power at the FP fuse, power to the FP relay and on the Y-Gr wire to the Inertia switch. Back-probed the Pk-Blu wire from Inertia switch to the FP. Power was present initially, but it dropped quickly from 12v to 0 upon cranking.
All of these test results, led me to believe it was the FP. I would have tested power to the connector at the FP if I could have found it on top of the fuel tank. But at this point, I was tired of testing wires. I have never had a wire fail on a car and did not believe it happened here either.
I knew lowering and raising the tank to replace an FP was something I would never attempt by myself, so I had the Expy towed to a local shop. They confirmed it was the fuel pump. Replaced the FP and it starts and cranks like new. I’m in Metro Atlanta. The cost was $700 for the repair.
Hope this posts helps others with their troubleshooting.
I have a 2001 Expy EB, 5.4, 184k miles. We use the expy as our primary family vehicle and drive it daily. Last November, I begin experiencing intermittent crank/ no starts. Maybe once a week, then twice. Maybe it would be ok for a week, then the crank/ no start would return. Over the next 10 weeks, the crank/ no start increased in frequency until it occurred with every crank. It finally died in our driveway (a blessing) on Jan 12th. No CEL, no codes, nothing. Battery was 2 months old and was holding a 12.5v charge.
I have a Haynes manual. Followed its’ trouble shooting process for fuel pressure and starter issues that included checking the easiest and obvious, first. Most of the steps below require a helper to turn ignition to Position 2 or to crank. I also read numerous posts here and peeked around on Youtube.
My trouble shooting steps:
Crank expy in Neutral in case there is a shift lever or transmission sensor issue. Result- No change in condition.
Listen for fuel pump to prime at gas tank. I inserted a 2ft piece of hose through fuel cap location to get closer to the action. Result- No sound, no buzzing, no whirring, nothing.
Check fuse 21- starter relay (driver side, side panel, under dash)- Fuse ok.
Check Fuse 10- Fuel Pump (FP) (driver side, under hood, power distribution box)- Fuse ok.
Check Fuse 18- PCM for FP, injectors & MAF- (power distribution box). Fuse ok.
Check FP Relay- #301 (power distribution box). Tested relay with multimeter (MM)- ohms setting. Test ok. Swapped out relay with other like relay, Relay# 303, re-cranked- No change in condition. Tip: with ignition in “on” position, remove Fuse 10 and reinstall. If good, Relay will click when fuse reinstalled.
Check PCM Relay- #304 (power distribution box). Swapped out relay with other like relay, Relay# 303, re-cranked- No change in condition.
Check Power to Fuses & Relay 301 locations using MM- Power present (about 12v, with ignition on). I don’t think I checked for power to Relay 304. I think there is constant power to one of the relay pins, but I don’t remember noting this.
Check Inertia switch to make sure it did not engage. Result- still closed (i.e. pushed all the way down).
Haynes includes a decision tree written into the “Troubleshooting Starter”, section 5-14 – if this happens/ doesn’t happen it is likely this component. I found this especially helpful to eliminate the starting system. Also, spent $10 for a Ford Repair manual on Ebay (at the advice of this board). Not sure it was complete, but it had enough to help me and to confirm Haynes trouble shooting process.
During this research and test period which lasted several days during my spare time, my instinct was leaning towards the fuel pump as my experience was in line with many other stories of a failed FP. Now to test fuel pressure at the fuel rail. I found the shrader valve hidden under the hoses on the passenger side and put a pressure gauge on. Cranked engine, pressure read “zero”. Multiple cranks, still ZERO pressure. I never tested for spark at the coil after getting zero on the fuel pressure test.
Re-tested the electrical wiring path beginning at the battery. I had power at the starter relay. Power at the FP fuse, power to the FP relay and on the Y-Gr wire to the Inertia switch. Back-probed the Pk-Blu wire from Inertia switch to the FP. Power was present initially, but it dropped quickly from 12v to 0 upon cranking.
All of these test results, led me to believe it was the FP. I would have tested power to the connector at the FP if I could have found it on top of the fuel tank. But at this point, I was tired of testing wires. I have never had a wire fail on a car and did not believe it happened here either.
I knew lowering and raising the tank to replace an FP was something I would never attempt by myself, so I had the Expy towed to a local shop. They confirmed it was the fuel pump. Replaced the FP and it starts and cranks like new. I’m in Metro Atlanta. The cost was $700 for the repair.
Hope this posts helps others with their troubleshooting.
