crank-crank-NO start (wait a day) crank-crank-start

[brucecooner]

I got a no start a few weeks ago, popped the hood and jiggled the C101 and it started right up.

I wound up cleaning the connector (see elsewhere), but after a couple weeks got the no start again.

Hmmm.  Jiggled the connector, started.

About a week later, no start again, and it did NOT seem to be the connector this time. No amount of futzing got it to start.

Went out the other day to attempt to debug.

Put the fuel pressure gauge on and turned key on, 32 psi.

Put the spark plug light inline, had my son crank it so I could watch the light and lo and behold it was a bit of a rough start, but it did start.

 

So now I'm thinking the connector was just a red herring (it did need cleaning though, it was a bit crusty).

 

My suspicion is that it was just not starting randomly for some unrelated reason. 

Note, randomly.

Whether it was starting or not probably had nothing to do with my jiggling and fiddling, and was related to some currently unknown condition.

 

On one or two of these no start days, it cranked a few turns, then stopped cranking as I heard a thunk from below the floorboard, which made me think the starter was having a conniption, that may be unrelated though.

 

Once it starts it purrs, maybe like a slightly asthmatic kitten, but there's no sign of trouble whatsoever.

And it keeps running.  Sunday I cleaned up some connections under the hood and since it started that day I took it out on a pleasure cruise, twenty or so miles, and it didn't miss a beat.

 

The non-start seems to have gotten more prevalent since it began, so I may be looking at something that's on the way out.

 

What kind of things would lead to a no-start, but NOT a no-run, condition?

 

Is some sensor somewhere going out? 

Something in the ignition system unhappy (coil, etc.)?

 

 

[pizzaman09]

I've got to imagine you should clean all your grounds , particularly the one by the dip stick tube.

[Gojira94]

29-32psi sounds fine for a running engine, and it would probably start with some sputter that low at KOEO. But it'd be much better to see it in the 37-39psi range at KOEO. Unless you saw 32 some number of seconds after KOEO and it bled off a little before you observed it.

 

x2 on cleaning and verifying grounds though. Cruiser54's fuel pump ground mod might help some as well, pretty quick and easy for the return benefit. And that brings to mind the ballast resistor. Might try bypassing that as part of secondary troubleshooting.

[brucecooner]

7 hours ago, pizzaman09 said:

I've got to imagine you should clean all your grounds , particularly the one by the dip stick tube.

 

I didn't mention in my post but I'm going around to various under-hood connections as I can.

I've cleaned that ground by the dipstick last year, but will get it again as I get around under there.

I've noticed a previous owner added an extra block-to-firewall ground strap, somebody knew about these types of things.

 

 

5 hours ago, Gojira94 said:

29-32psi sounds fine for a running engine, and it would probably start with some sputter that low at KOEO. But it'd be much better to see it in the 37-39psi range at KOEO. Unless you saw 32 some number of seconds after KOEO and it bled off a little before you observed it.

 

x2 on cleaning and verifying grounds though. Cruiser54's fuel pump ground mod might help some as well, pretty quick and easy for the return benefit. And that brings to mind the ballast resistor. Might try bypassing that as part of secondary troubleshooting.

 

That was after a few seconds.  The injectors are a rebuilt set I put in a couple years ago (bought from someone cruiser recommended, not some random amz or ebay purchase), so I hope they're sealing well but I should check the KOEO instant pressure.  The fuel pump might be old and tired, like a lot of other things on the truck.

 

I've been meaning to add the FP ground mod, but it's been hot here lately, and laying on the pavement is like being on hot coals. 

Yeah I need to invest in a creeper, it would see a lot of use now that my son has an old F150.

 

I've heard about the ballast resistor delete.  I actually cleaned the connectors on mine the other day, but the best part is no part, one less thing to fail would be nice.

 

Unfortunately I park it facing north in our driveway and the weather usually blows in from the west, meaning the driver's side hood bay and everything near that edge of the hood gets pretty wet.  I obviously need to start backing it in the driveway so the rain blows in the other side for a change.

 

 

[fiatslug87]

Test the CPS and look at the connections. Try jumping the fuel pump ballast resistor, driver side fender at the front. Also check the connections behind the driver kick panel. Mine was loose and would intermittently not start but if I slammed the door it would.

[brucecooner]

1 hour ago, fiatslug87 said:

Try jumping the fuel pump ballast resistor, driver side fender at the front. Also check the connections behind the driver kick panel. Mine was loose and would intermittently not start but if I slammed the door it would.

 

That's intriguing because I took my kick panel off a while back looking for rust in the floorboard (yep, need to do some scraping and sealing there) and I just left the kick panel off.

So there's a good chance those connections have gotten brushed or knocked on.

 

Are you referring to a specific fuel pump related connection down there or all of them?

 

[fiatslug87]

I don’t recall what the connector looks like but the fuel pump wiring goes up that panel.