Fuel ?????

[Blossom45]

How do you know if it's the fuel filter, the fuel pump or the relay??? It just won't start and there no sound coming from the gas tank even when you turn the key. This is on my 1997 ford explorer

 

[poker4me007]

Swap out the fuel relay with a know good one.
If your not getting any fuel odds are it's the pump.

 

[Blossom45]

Swap out the fuel relay with a know good one.
If your not getting any fuel odds are it's the pump.

I am doing that today thanks for the heads up..

 

[J_C]

The fuel filter progressively clogs so between it running at some point, and next point where it won't, unless it had sat for a LONG time, you could tell if the pump was running because with it running you'd still get some amount of pressure on the fuel rail.

You can check for voltage on the wires going to the fuel pump to see if it's getting power. If it's getting power but no fuel pressure, it is yet another indication (besides it being the most likely anyway) of the pump going out.

I've attached the fuel pump wiring diagram. One last thing, I might put a gallon of gas in, just in case your fuel sender has seized and it's out of gas but not showing empty on the dash. In theory you should hear the pump but sometimes, some people can't hear it well unless they're right next to it with someone else turning the key.

 

[koda2000]

Odds are your fuel pump is shot, but there are some simple checks you can do to narrow the problem down.

1. Spray some starting fluid (2-3 seconds worth is plenty) into the intake/throttle body and crank the engine to see if it tries to start. If it briefly sputters to life, you have a fuel delivery problem. If it does nothing on the starting fluid you problem may be something else.

2. Swap the fuel pump relay with one of the non-critical similar relays in the power distribution box. If they look the same (size and prong-wise) they are the same.

3. Check your inertial switch switch (located above the passenger side kick panel). If it's been tripped by an impact the fuel pump is shut off. There is a reset switch you can flip. Also wiggle the wiring connector on the bottom of the inertia switch to make sure it's making a good contact.

My '97 made it to 265,000 miles on it's original OE dated fuel pump, but this is rare. Usually they begin to give you trouble between 175K-200K.

 

[Blossom45]

So I tried the starter fluid and bingo it started for a few seconds then cut off and wouldn't start again without the starter fluid.

 

[koda2000]

So I tried the starter fluid and bingo it started for a few seconds then cut off and wouldn't start again without the starter fluid.

Well, now you know that your fuel pump is not working. Next question is why...
- Bad fuel pump (how many miles on the vehicle?)
- Bad fuel pump relay (or poor relay electrical contact)
- Tripped fuel pump inertial/safety switch (unlikely but worth checking)
- Open electrical circuit (broken/corroded wire)
- Clogged fuel filter (unlikely in a no-start situation in my opinion)

You want a simple to-the-point answers to your questions. This is not possible to do on a forum. You bought a 23-24 year old vehicle. You are going to have will have problems with it. Did you try contacted the dealer you bought it from to see if they'd help you?

 

[koda2000]

@Blossom45 - So from reading the other thread you started on the same issue you were having (in the future, please don't start multiple threads on the same problem) I see where you reset your inertia switch and that solved your no-start problem. Glad to hear you got it figured out and that it didn't cost you any money. Unless someone bumped your vehicle w/in your first 36 hours of ownership and caused the inertial switch to get tripped I don't see how this can happen, but stranger things can happen. Sometimes people do this as a scam in a parking lot. Then when your car won't start they conveniently show up and offer to help fix your car for $$, knowing exactly what the issue is and how to fix it. Maybe someone is messing with you? Maybe the place the sold you the vehicle is messing with you? IDK, strange...

Anyway, it's not a "roll-over" switch. The inertia switch is tripped by a impact shock and cuts power to the fuel pump in the event of an accident.

 

[Blossom45]

@Blossom45 - So from reading the other thread you started on the same issue you were having (in the future, please don't start multiple threads on the same problem) I see where you reset your inertia switch and that solved your no-start problem. Glad to hear you got it figured out and that it didn't cost you any money. Unless someone bumped your vehicle w/in your first 36 hours of ownership and caused the inertial switch to get tripped I don't see how this can happen, but stranger things can happen. Sometimes people do this as a scam in a parking lot. Then when your car won't start they conveniently show up and offer to help fix your car for $$, knowing exactly what the issue is and how to fix it. Maybe someone is messing with you? Maybe the place the sold you the vehicle is messing with you? IDK, strange...

Anyway, it's not a "roll-over" switch. The inertia switch is tripped by a impact shock and cuts power to the fuel pump in the event of an accident.

It's wierd you said that because this guy did offer to tow it home for me and he seemed to know everything about my problem before I could finish saying what I thought wrong. Wow creepy. Sorry for the multiple threads I just really needed answer's this is my only means of transportation. And being a single mom with two jobs I can't afford not to learn how to fix issues on my vehicle. Thank you so much for your help you really know your way around vehicles. And you made it understandable.

 

[koda2000]

It's wierd you said that because this guy did offer to tow it home for me and he seemed to know everything about my problem before I could finish saying what I thought wrong. Wow creepy. Sorry for the multiple threads I just really needed answer's this is my only means of transportation. And being a single mom with two jobs I can't afford not to learn how to fix issues on my vehicle. Thank you so much for your help you really know your way around vehicles. And you made it understandable.

Glad to have been of help. You being a single mom (as is my youngest daughter) working 2 jobs and you having to buy a older vehicle just to get around I can appreciate you situation. You don't need to become a mechanic, but learning something about your vehicle will save you time and money in the long run. This forum is a wealth of knowledge and probably has more accumulated knowledge than your local Ford dealership when it comes to you generation of Explorer. You do have to be careful who's advice you follow though. There are people here who are quick to offer their experiences, but who don't really know what they're talking about. They're trying to be helpful, but can lead you down the wrong path. My advice is to get multiple opinions and follow the consensus. Over time you will learn who to trust, though we may not always agree. When you have a few extra dollars, buying an inexpensive OBD II scanner and at test light (and/or a inexpensive multi-meter) are very helpful tools to own to diagnose problems. If you own a smart-phone there is a free download you do of software called ForScan used along with an ELM327 wireless dongle you can get even more data from your vehicles ECU than what an inexpensive OBD scanner can access.