1993 Explorer Starting Issues

[carrti01]

Hello all. This is my first post here so thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
A little background.
I bought this baby for $900 from a person who didn't take very good care of it. It didn't even have transmission fluid in it when I first looked at it.
From time to time the car won't start after about the 4th or 5th time starting it in the same day. If it let it sit for a while and go back, it will start right up.
A short time ago I noticed it was having trouble accelerating. As I accelerated up a hill I would hear a "click shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" sound from the engine for about 3 seconds associated with a barely noticeable loss of power. Last week, while driving, i experienced a total loss of power several times while going up a steep hill. The acceleration would cut out and the check engine light would come on, then it would kick back in and the check engine light shuts off. It did that all the way home. I replaced the spark plugs, spark plug wires, air filter, in-line fuel filter, and I haven't experienced those problems since.


However it didn't start again the other day after driving it around town to run errands. I came out of the store and the engine just chugs but won't start. I tried starter fluid spray and it helped a bit but just wouldn't turn over all the way and smelled bad like starter fluid from the exhaust while I was cranking. The fuel pump DOES turn on when I turn the key, I can hear it in the gas tank turn on, and the fuel came spraying out from the connection near the injector when I checked to make sure it had fuel up at the engine. I had a friend get underneath and tap on the starter with a hammer while I tried cranking it some more, still no start. Got it towed home by AAA and when I got home it started right up. Any Ideas anyone.

 

[teletekman]

When you say the vehicle "chugs", is it turning over normally or is it hard to turn like something a dead battery would show? How long do you let it sit till it starts up again?

How many miles does it have? Do you still have a CEL active? Did you run a code check on it?

 

[carrti01]

When I say it "chugs", that's to say it's turning over normally, sounds good but just won't get all the way to ignition. I've run down the battery trying to get it started, at which point it just starts "clicking" loudly. It will usually start after sitting for about an hour or 2 maybe. After it sits, sometimes it will want to die immediately but I can save it if I'm quick with the gas pedal on ignition. It's got 155,000 miles on it. No check engine light anymore. When I took it in to get the codes read, they said that the codes were too difficult to read, and that I should try a basic tune up first. (apparently they're difficult to read on these early 90's models), after I replaced all the parts I mentioned, the CEL has stayed off for the past couple weeks.
Everyone seems to scratch their head when they try to help me get it started, everyone keeps saying "there's no fuel" or "it's not burning the fuel" or other variations of that..

 

[L.A.X]

The way to figure out any car related problem is to check each different system. If fuel pump works, check fuel pressure, coil, tps sensor, crankshaft sensor, plugs, wires. Check and clean MAF sensor, throttle body.

 

[teletekman]

Have you put a fuel pressure gauge on it to determine what your readings are both with KOEO and KOER? If memory serves me right, you should see somewhere between 30 to 35 psi during KOER and 35 to 45 during KOEO. When the key is off, you should hold that pressure for a good amount of time with no bleed off. If is does start to bleed that will need to be addressed. I am facing a similar issue with my rig.

You can also, if you have a vacuum gauge, put it on the Fuel Pressure Regulator and see if you can pull 15 inches of vacuum and make it stay there. If it drops suddenly, you may have a cracked FPR which in return could dump fuel in the intake thus leading to a stalled engine or in your case an engine that won't start up at all.

Does it run rough when it does run? Have you done a compression check on it? Any white, black or blue colored exhaust noticed when it's warmed up?

What did the plugs looks like when you pulled them before installing new ones?

 

[Everdream]

You know, I havn't read the responses, but you said it had no trans fluid in it when you got it, my old 92 used to sometimes do this, more notably it would start most of the time, but sometimes it wouldnt start, it would die right when it turned over, sometimes for an hour straight, and it turned out the transmission went bad shortly after I sold it (and the problem was caused by a solenoid on the transmission. Mine had a rebuilt heavy duty unit in it, but my coworker ended up with a new trans. I would start looking there if you don't find any options, perhaps the last moron $^$%$ed it up by not maintaining it.