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Runs fine, but refuses to start sometimes. Electrical maybe.
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ishtariche
New User
Feb 2, 2008, 8:28 PM
Post #1 of 4
(1236 views)
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Runs fine, but refuses to start sometimes. Electrical maybe.
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Hey all,
I'll start by saying this is my first post, I'm stressed out beyond belief, and I'm ready to burn my Ford POS to the ground. My name is Frank by the way. ^^
Year: 1995
Make: Ford
Model: Ranger ext cab
Engine: v6 4.0l
Mile: 205,000
About a week ago I started having trouble getting my truck started. It would start up fine if it had not been running within the last 30 minutes. So it would start fine in the morning, but if I turned it off after driving five minutes it would not start again for another 30 minutes. Same goes for if I had driven it for 3 hours and turned it off.
What happens: When I half-turn the key I can hear the engine pump turn on, but when I try to start it nothing happens but a single click noise coming from the engine.
I replaced the radiator top tube last month after it blew a hole, but the therestat appears to be fine because it hasn't overheated since.
Please e-mail me with any suggestions or questions. I'll be on most of the night most likely, so I'll be by to answer them immediatly. Any help will be GREATLY appreciated.
Thank you,
Frank
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Feb 2, 2008, 11:22 PM
Post #2 of 4
(1232 views)
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Re: Runs fine, but refuses to start sometimes. Electrical maybe.
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Hi Frank,
Welcome to the site. Don't be stressing on us now!
This sounds typical of bad/weak battery cable connections. There should be six connections to check or just plain clean all of them...
(disconnect neg battery cable at battery and clean that up - leave it off) *follow to engine block and check that end.
* Same with pos cable at battery - on to solonoid..
* Same with cable from solonoid to starter
Now you can re-connect the neg cable back up to battery.
These are the likely spots for trouble with a single click when trying to start. Frequently other items will cut out when this happens like lights go out, radio may lose memory, clock, etc.
No harm done to do this on a 1995. Good idea to put a drop of oil or smear a thin film of grease on connections and they last quite a while.
Oddly these things can look good, be tight and don't make a good connection like if you ever jump started a car and had to fuss with the cables or they didn't help.
Hit back if you need more help with this. Without an overheat the radiator thing probably had little to do with this,
T
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ish
Anonymous Poster
chivalryson@hotmail.com
Feb 3, 2008, 1:36 PM
Post #3 of 4
(1227 views)
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Re: Runs fine, but refuses to start sometimes. Electrical maybe.
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Update:
I let it sit for 6 hours as I did some chores and tried to start it half an hour ago. It fired right up. Which makes me think it's a celenoid. Which I plan to check once I can get the damn thing to mis behave again.
Next problem: I mentioned I had my top tube blow not too long ago because there is still green antifreeze sitting on my engine (I added red) I figured it was just from the blow out, but now I just had a co-worker tell me that my truck leaked green antifreeze all over the driveway at work.
I'm pretty sure I lost almost all of the green antifreeze when the top tube blew because I added 1 and 1 half gallons of red mixed with half a gallon of water. But my truck leaked quite a bit of green in the driveway and I'm not sure where the hell so much of it came from.
What I noticed:
I crawled under my truck immediatly after turning it off and I could hear a bubling/ simmering noise coming from somewhere inside the engine, but I couldn't find any fresh coolant anywhere under my truck!
The new top tube I installed is firm to the touch and I can feel hot coolant sitting in the bottom of it.
Does of of this point to a specific issue?
Also, I drove my truck for about an hour after getting it started and it never over-heated.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Feb 3, 2008, 3:39 PM
Post #4 of 4
(1224 views)
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Re: Runs fine, but refuses to start sometimes. Electrical maybe.
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Ok: I'm trying to read between the lines as to what's happening here. The coolant color is interesting as noted but let's forget just that for now.
The little hose to recovery tank that blew should NOT hold pressure in a system with a radiator cap on radiator as this vehicle should. That little hose probably broke because for some reason it tried to old pressure (blocked somehow at recovery tank?) and would be a weak link. You still have a cooling system problem that must be corrected. You shouldn't be hearing it boiling as you said you did.
What may have happened is the engine didn't get refilled all the way when you did add 1.5 gal of coolant which is a LOT to have lost from just that little hose without a pretty hard overheat.
Allright now: Two problems here have to be addressed at once. Start with verifying the coolant is full at the radiator and perhaps leave it a bit low by sight and let warm up - it may burp and lower yet again and then you can fill it to actual full. Verify that the little hose has freedom to exchange/pass even air back and forth thru nipple at rad and tank and the hose itself. What I suspect is that spraying coolant the first time got all over hot parts that seem to have been the source of the starting problem. Solonoid should be easy and reasonable to just toss for a new one. I'm not sure any tests will be conclusive on it. Perhaps giving it a whack with like the plastic end of a screwdriver would snap it to one more time but who knows.
The starter may also have been drenched. Put it on the suspect list too unfortunately. Couple thoughts with that - they don't like trying to start a tight/hot engine AND they wouldn't appreciate being soaked when hot.
These things being intermittent doesn't help much in being sure as they could test out fine for a moment. You could tap with a hammer on the starter when it just clicks and if it up and works the odds are it's bad.
Cooling system is first for this. It must behave and hold a steady temp, heater should blow warm/hot air and you can even feel the warm air blowing thru the radiator when all warmed up - might be intermittent with thermostat opening and closing as needed.
The overheat problem is first as said. It may have caused other problems still not even known. It's tough as you need to be able to start it of course to check out the operation of the cooling system.
That boiling sound was a clue that there's more to do
T
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