intermittent start to no start! help!

[Texasbaby]

I meant to say it cranks.

 

[swshawaii]

It did come on but when I went to have it checked they said there was no power to the plug under the dash so they couldn't check it.

Cigar lighter working? It shares the same fuse as the OBDII port to read trouble codes. Check the fuse either way, the lighter element may be burned out. Get the codes and write down the numbers FIRST, otherwise you are trying to diagnose issues blind.

Fuse #17 20A (Pages 155-157)
http://www.fordservicecontent.com/Ford_Content/catalog/owner_guides/01u27og6e.pdf

 

[JusTheUsual]

Yeah not having power to obd2 port to have scanner read the codes is probably something that has to be fixed 1st. Could be a fuse but not sure. If you look up on this page to click on this thread it has a thread for fuses at top of page. You can check that I don't know if it will help any. The overheating could be a bad thermostat. Maybe its sticking. Also when mine overheated it wouldn't start back up I guess the computer wont allow it to start when its overheated for a safety procedure to take care of the engine. IF I were you I would start another thread in the title of saying something like "obd2 scanner port has no power" something like that to draw more attention to that problem. But if bad thermostat and that's why its overheating and computer wont allow it to start that could be the whole problem

 

[funfool]

I recently had my radiator and hoses replaced now my poor trucks temp gauge goes all the way up to almost overheating and back to normal while driving.

This sounds like you have a air pocket, and you need to get the air out.
Google will be your friend here, just search for bleeding air out of coolant.
One key factor is to have your radiator cap at the highest point so the air will travel up.
This is why some suggest to jack the front of the car up.
Looking at my explorer, is pretty close to the highest point on flat ground.

I dont know if your coolant sensor would stop your car from starting, if the coolant was low, but check it and make sure it is not.

A little extra oil will not hurt, if you have two quarts extra, that would hurt and you need get it out.

 

[Texasbaby]

No the oil wouldn't of messed up the way it runs if its a lil over especially the way you says your runs. If the plug wires are in the right order then that eliminates that running like crap. It seems like you need your fuel pressure checked but the whole thing of your check engine light not coming on is weird. Your vehicle should be throwing codes and having a code reader to read them codes would help in the direction to take to fix it.

How about we start from the beginning. How did this happen? Did all of a sudden it run like crap or did it gradually start doing this more and more and the check engine light never came on and you never had the codes read?

 

[lobo411]

Op replaced her radiator and hoses--why? Probably because she was losing coolant and having overtemp issues.

Op replaces rad/hoses. The problem doesn't go away. In fact, it gets worse. Now the car is overheating and losing so much coolant that the rad has to be refilled every trip.

Hello? There's either a giant puddle of coolant under the car every morning, or the head gasket is blown.

I'm voting for the head gasket.

 

[Texasbaby]

Op replaced her radiator and hoses--why? Probably because she was losing coolant and having overtemp issues.

Op replaces rad/hoses. The problem doesn't go away. In fact, it gets worse. Now the car is overheating and losing so much coolant that the rad has to be refilled every trip.

Hello? There's either a giant puddle of coolant under the car every morning, or the head gasket is blown.

I'm voting for the head gasket.

Bingo! She was in vapor lock... My heart is broken, I love my little Sport! I'm assuming a new motor is in order and with a child that is disabled this is probably something I can't do myself nor afford. Thank you for everything! I learned so much (trying to be optimistic).

 

[lobo411]

You don't necessarily need a new engine, but you can't tell until you open it up. Replacing the head gasket is a moderately difficult job that should take someone with backyard mechanic skills about 2 days to complete, and about $300 total. A shop will charge $1500-$2000.

Personally, I'd be inclined to scrap the car on the grounds that it has a SOHC, which is just a ticking time bomb in all ways.

 

[Texasbaby]

You don't necessarily need a new engine, but you can't tell until you open it up. Replacing the head gasket is a moderately difficult job that should take someone with backyard mechanic skills about 2 days to complete, and about $300 total. A shop will charge $1500-$2000.

Personally, I'd be inclined to scrap the car on the grounds that it has a SOHC, which is just a ticking time bomb in all ways.

I found head gasket sets on rockauto.com for under 100.00... Any opinions?

 

[JusTheUsual]

Get Felpro gaskets and not the cheap other brands. You are going to need new head bolts also

 

[lobo411]

Yep...Also I took my heads to a machine shop to have them pressure tested (in case there were any microscopic cracks), checked for warping, had a valve job done, and had them install the valve guide seals (they come with the Fel Pro kit). I think that was $100 or $150.

If you don't want to get that far into the hole, you can take a chance and skip the above. In that case, I figure the gasket is $100, the bolts are $100, and $100 to replace the motor oil and coolant (which are contaminated and must be discarded), plus incidentals like RTV, spark plugs if they look fouled, special sockets if you need them (on the OHV, the head bolts use a $30 big Torx socket), etc...

A torque wrench and breaker bar are must-haves too.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Which engine?

I found head gasket sets on rockauto.com for under 100.00... Any opinions?

I didn't see in any of your posts if you had the OHV V6 or the SOHC V6. If you have the SOHC V6 then the camshafts will have to be timed after the head gasket(s) are replaced. That normally takes a special tool kit that's fairly expensive ($150 used) and not often available to rent. It's also a rather complicated process that must be done correctly. It's not a good project for a novice.

 

[lobo411]

I didn't see in any of your posts if you had the OHV V6 or the SOHC V6. If you have the SOHC V6 then the camshafts will have to be timed after the head gasket(s) are replaced. That normally takes a special tool kit that's fairly expensive ($150 used) and not often available to rent. It's also a rather complicated process that must be done correctly. It's not a good project for a novice.

Yech...I assumed it was SOHC since she has a Sport. All the more reason to have the thing scrapped imo! :roll: