Explorer down, and out... HELP!

[EvilExplorer5.0]

Hey guys,
Monday night after stopping to fuel up, I got about a mile from my house when I heard a very very faint popping/cackling sound(almost ?) coming from the exhaust, and very slight hesitation.
When I stuck my foot into it to make the sound louder, and to see what the hesitaion was about, it downshifted like it was supposed to, and RPMs went up like during regular acceleration, but what resulted was little to no power.
After taking my foot out of it, I continued to just idle down the road, and all of a sudden it just DIED.
I coasted into a parking lot(in Neutral), threw it into Park, and proceeded to start/crank it back to life. NOTHING.....
So I thought, "okay, just got some bad fuel...no biggie."

After walking home, then having the truck towed home, the diagnostics began:
Fuel pump doesn't energize.

"Okay, so still no big deal, just a bad Fuel Pump."
So last night I installed a brand new Airtex fuel pump assembly, and when I went to crank, still NOTHING.

Went to check for spark, NOTHING.

Okay, so now I've got no spark, AND no fuel... what the hell could cause the truck to loose both? Ignition control relay/PCM relay or something similar?

I've checked all the fuses, fuel pump relay(under the hood), fuel pump inertia switch(pass. side floor), and everything seems fine... WTF!?

This is my ONLY driver, and I'm down until I can get it fixed...
Any help is greatly appreciated.

'99 Explorer XLT 2wd 5.0L w/80,000 original miles, and NEVER a problem before.

Thanks,
-Wes

 

[gmanpaint]

Cam positioning sensor?

How do you know you have no fuel? Will it not prime? Did you check the pressure at the intake?

 

[EvilExplorer5.0]

How do you know you have no fuel? Will it not prime? Did you check the pressure at the intake?

Nope, not priming.
The fuel pump doesn't get any power/energize once the key is turned.
No pressure at the intake...

 

[yavapaires]

Pull and clean the battery cables. Check the battery voltage. If you don't have one, get an inexpensive Volt- Ohm meter at any parts house or your nearest Wally World or Radio Shack.

 

[yavapaires]

That popping crackling sound was most likely an electrical short. Look for black burned wires close to the exhaust manifolds to start.

 

[Maniak]

Work your way backwards from the fuel pump relay and the ECM relay. Make sure you are getting power there (both constant and the power to close the relay).
If not, then you need to work you way back to the ignition switch. If there is an alarm or ignition interlock you need to check the power on both side of it to make sure that isn't your problem.

Thats at least where I would start. If the ECM isn't being turned on, neither will the fuel pump and you won't get spark either..

~Mark

 

[Turdle]

^^^^ turn key to on. Does check engine light turn on and stay on?

 

[Millertime1987]

Could the inertia sensor got tripped somehow?

 

[EvilExplorer5.0]

You guessed it!

Work your way backwards from the fuel pump relay and the ECM relay. Make sure you are getting power there (both constant and the power to close the relay).
If not, then you need to work you way back to the ignition switch. If there is an alarm or ignition interlock you need to check the power on both side of it to make sure that isn't your problem.

Thats at least where I would start. If the ECM isn't being turned on, neither will the fuel pump and you won't get spark either..

~Mark

^^^^ turn key to on. Does check engine light turn on and stay on?

Well, I found the problem before reading these two posts ^^^, BUT in all fairness, the reason it was solved was from a link I found on this forum using the search function!!!

No, the "check Engine" light did NOT flash, and in the link I read that that meant that the PCM wasn't receiving any power....

From there it was just process of elimination:
PCM - no power.
PCM relay - no power.
PCM relay fuse - no power.
PCM relay diode - no power.
PCM relay diode fuse(#19 25amp) - BLOWN!!!

I actually checked the fuse panel first, and upon first glance everything checked out, but it wasn't until I found the link to troubleshooting AND fuse diagram/chart on this forum, and from there I found it was mini fuse #19 for the PCM diode, so I pulled it all the way out and discovered it blown.

Could the inertia sensor got tripped somehow?

Believe it or not, I actually checked that, and the plunger was down.


BIG thanks to everyone on this forum for all the help and information.
YOU GUYS KICK F*CKING A$$!!!

Thanks,
-Wes

 

[EvilExplorer5.0]

Uh ohhhhh.......

Well.......
So after replacing the 25amp mini fuse, everything went back to normal... for about 2 minutes... :-/
then it throws a P0352 code: Ignition coil B faulty, and blows the 25amp #19 fuse AGAIN.
So I replace BOTH coils(for good measure), AND the 25amp mini fuse, and everything is back to 100%!!!
...then the coil melts, mini fuse blows, and truck is dead in the water again.

With the bad coil, everytime I just turn the key(without even starting it), it blows the #19 fuse.
I talked to a Ford Master Tech. this morning, and he thinks it's either the PCM Diode, AND/OR the "Ignition Condensor/Noise Suppressor"

Any thoughts gentlemen????

Thanks,
-Wes

 

[EvilExplorer5.0]

...anybody care to even take a stab at it?

 

[Robert Nick]

Short Detector

Insert a Short Detector in place on Fuse 19, then get a Electrical Schematic for the Loads on this Fuse and verify each circuit individually. If you can't find a Short Detector fabricate one using Seal-Beam Headlamp, attach some lead wires to it with some blade terminals and insert it in-place of the Fuse.

 

[EvilExplorer5.0]

Well, I played with this thing ALL weekend long, but to no avail....
Still throws a P0352(Ignition Coil Pack B) even though I replaced the BOTH coil packs, spark plug wires, PCM relay, PCM relay fuse, and multiple PCM diode fuses....
I'm thinking at this point it's gotta be a short somewhere...

 

[EvilExplorer5.0]

Well....
Last night I replaced the bad coil(for the 3rd time in a row...) added a ground to THAT new coil(just for good measure), and also added an extra ground for the head(just for good measure.
Replaced the spark plugs, wires, PCM relay, PCM relay fuse, and PCM diode fuse.
Found two loose wires in the engine compartment(that I eventually traced back to the anti theft module), so I taped and tied them off so they wouldn't ground out.
Erased the P0352 code(Ignition coil B), and proceeded to start the truck.

Ran exceptionally GREAT for about 10 minutes, and I thought I had fixed the problem...
Engine begins to get a slight miss, and the "Check Engine" light pops on, and simultaniously the scanner picks up the P0352 code(again).
So I kill the motor at that point, erase the code, and proceed to start it backup.

As I turn the key, when it hits acc position(keep in mind, key ON, engine OFF), it pops the mini fuse #19(PCM diode), and the "new" coil literally goes up in a cloud of smoke...

I'm at a loss.
EVERYTHING in the circuit has been replaced except the PCM Diode, and "Ignition noise suppressor."

Any thoughts?

 

[Robert Nick]

Diode Check Reply

I would leave the Noise Suppressor unhooked from the Circuit. It is only a Filter Capacitor and probably not the source of the issue. The PCM Diode can be checked with an Analog Volt-Ohm (Needle-Type) on the Diode Test Range. You could also check it with a good quality Digital Volt-Ohm Meter (with a Diode Test Range). Check Continuity through the Diode with the Red Test Lead attached to the Anode and the Black Lead to the Cathode. It should read a Low-Resistance. Reverse the Test Leads and retest the Diode, it should now read a High-Resistance. Paste this Website in your Browser.

http://www.opamp-electronics.com/tutorials/meter_check_of_a_diode_3_03_02.htm



























One problem with using an ohmmeter to check a diode is that the readings obtained only have qualitative value, not quantitative. In other words, an ohmmeter only tells you which way the diode conducts; the low-value resistance indication obtained while conducting is useless. If an ohmmeter shows a value of "1.73 ohms" while forward-biasing a diode, that figure of 1.73 Ω doesn't represent any real-world quantity useful to us as technicians or circuit designers. It neither represents the forward voltage drop nor any "bulk" resistance in the semiconductor material of the diode itself, but rather is a figure dependent upon both quantities and will vary substantially with the particular ohmmeter used to take the reading.

For this reason, some digital multimeter manufacturers equip their meters with a special "diode check" function which displays the actual forward voltage drop of the diode in volts, rather than a "resistance" figure in ohms. These meters work by forcing a small current through the diode and measuring the voltage dropped between the two test leads:















REVIEW:
An ohmmeter may be used to qualitatively check diode function. There should be low resistance measured one way and very high resistance measured the other way. When using an ohmmeter for this purpose, be sure you know which test lead is positive and which is negative! The actual polarity may not follow the colors of the leads as you might expect, depending on the particular design of meter.
Some multimeters provide a "diode check" function that displays the actual forward voltage of the diode when it's conducting current. Such meters typically indicate a slightly lower forward voltage than what is "nominal" for a diode, due to the very small amount of current used during the check.

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[Ridetime4]

I'm having some issues aswell with my 98 expo sport. Been trying to figure it
Out but to no avail. I'm going to post a thread on the issue now.

 

[joe doe]

hate to be the bearer of even more bad news but ,once you get all this straightened out ,that airtex pump will give you problems .
its the worst pump you could have bought (sorry).
do a search for airtex fuel pump and do some reading .a local parts store even stopped carrying those pumps because they had so many issues with them .

sorry man ...good luck with the rest of those issues.