Intermittent Starting Problem

[MARCHAL]

Hello everyone,

I have a 1996 Ford Explorer Sport 4.0 V-6, with well over 200,000 miles.

During the last 2 year, I have experienced a problem where I can drive the vehicle for months with no problem, then out of the blue, it won't start. I usually can wait about 15 to 30 minutes and then try again and it fires up and everything is fine. Then it might be another 4 months and then the same thing happens. It's happened at least 5 times over the last 2 years.

It happened again last month and it would not crank no matter how long I wait. I tried off and on for a week, but no luck, it would turn over but would not fire.

I ended up replacing the wires and plugs (both were in bad condition) and it fired right up and ran better than it had ever run before. That lasted about 30-35 days, then I noticed that it was slowly acting up again, it was not running right, harder starts, running rough.....then it finally got to where it wouldn't crank. I tried for the last week off and on and no start.

I just pulled all the plugs (there only 30-35 days old) and they have a deep orange color on the resistors and also on the porcelain near the base area. Also, I found 1 plug was cracked around the lower base of the porcelain where it was loose enough to wiggly and twist. I will replace that one of course, maybe all of them based on what suggestion I get.

I've had the vehicle towed to two different repair shops during the last 2 years. The first shop said I needed a new fuel pump and so I paid to have it replaced, (I don't think they did) I think I got ripped off on that deal, it ran for a few months then it went back to not starting again. After towing it to the second repair shop, it cranked right up so they said they can't fix something that's not broken.

Also, there are no codes showing nor has there ever been a code show when this was happening in the past. I can hear the fuel pump click on for a few seconds when I turn on the ignition so I'm pretty sure the pump is ok.

Not sure if I've given enough info for anyone to offer advice but if anyone has had this problem and knows where I should start to fix this I would really appreciate any and all advice....Thanks!

 

[Torqueranger]

My guess would be check the fuel pressure and try priming the explorer like 4 or 5 times before trying to start it ..

 

[masospaghetti]

Is the car cranking but not starting, or having trouble cranking?

 

[MARCHAL]

Thanks Torqueranger,

I don't have a pressure gauge but see if I can find one and check out the pressure...from what I have read, it should be about 60 -65lbs.

Thanks masospaghetti,

The truck will crank but just won't start, sounds like it wants to at first then it just turns over but no fire.

I just read a few other post with similar problems and it seems to be fairly common on these older models. I'm going to replace the fuel filter and as some have mentioned a tap on the camshaft position sensor might help, we'll see.

 

[poki]

I have a "95 and was experiencing the same, what I noticed was a light on lower right of the instrument panel, it indicates "check engine" and if that light came on the car would start and run fine but wouldn't start if that light didn't come on. I bought a relay that goes in the bottom of the fuse box, there are three all the same, what I did was switch them around to see which was bad and the process of removing and installing them apparently fixed contacts, either internal or external and the car hasn't not started since, 6 months at least. I kept the new relay as a spar as I didn't know which could be the bad one. The PCM POWER RELAY is the one I switched around.