2005 Explorer won't start- help! Urgent!

[Jeff13]

I have been searching for answers but decided I have to post. I am not a mechanic but have always done all my own work. I have a 2005 explorer xlt v6 4x2 that cranks but won't start. At first it cranked sputtered and died, now it just cranks and then nothing. It was running great until I started to try to figure out why my ac clutch isn't spinning. Now I don't care abt the ac I just want to drive my car.

I recently changed the ac compressor and accumulator but noticed that the air got warm when stopped. This led me to discover that the clutch wasn't engaging at idle. So I started messing around. I went to jumper the ac clutch relay but jumpered the starter relay on mistake first. Then I jumpered the clutch relay and it started spinning, checked ac pressure which was fine, Unjumpered relay, it stopped. I then thought I'd check the low pressure switch, unplugged it unscrewed it, cleaned it. When unscrewed it sounded like some pressure released. Unplugged compressor, plugged back in.

So that's all I did and now it won't start. I'm thinking something I did stopped fuel flow to the engine. I switched the relays around. I am going to try starting spray and see what happens but is there a fuel pump switch I could have triggered or something? I'm at a loss, broke and supposed to be taking the family on vacation in 7 days.

 

[Jeff13]

Started with starter fluid then died. Tried fuel pump reset, switched around horn and fuel pump relay. Nothing. Cranks, feels like it wants to but doesn't start. When turning the key to on I hear a "whirr" which I assume is the fuel pump so I believe its working I just don't know why I'm not getting fuel to the engine.

 

[Turdle]

See if it will start while holding the throttle to the floor. Go ahead and crank it for about 7-8 slowly counted off seconds--while mashing the throttle down



Is it by chance parked on an incline with a low tank of fuel?

Could be a clogged fuel filter?

Is the theft system happy with the key you are using? Theft light flashing while you attempt to start?

 

[Jeff13]

Ha! Rolled it out of the driveway and it started.

 

[Jeff13]

Now back to the ac problem.

 

[Turdle]

Lees than 1/4 tank on an incline may remove fuel from the pump pickup.

Glad it started though!

 

[Jeff13]

Thanks. I had been starting it and turning it off a bunch of times trying to figure out the ac problem. On a normal day I would have thought of that but the coincidence of it happening when I was messing around in the engine sent me straight to worst case scenario.