Need Help - Intermittent Fuel Pump at Start Up. '99 SOHC

[vinny64a]

Same issue

My 1998 Ford Explorer is having same issue. Randomly it will not start. The truck tries to turn over but seems like there is no fuel. I called tow truck for next morning and it started without a problem. Drive to shop and they can not find anything wrong with it. Fule pump pressure, battery, and starter are fine. Had fuel filter changed but issue returned a coupel of months later.

KC did you ever end up fixing the issue? Thanks ...

 

[vinny64a]

Still have issue

Well the 98 Explorer finally died and would not start. Had it towed to the shop and they found the crank sensor to be bad. They replaced it and it started fine. Trucked seemed to be fixed. Well about a few weeks later, the problem returned. I drove to a store at lunch for a quick errand, was in there for about 10 minutes, came out and truck would not start. Went for a walk and came back about 30 minutes later and it started fine. Issues seems to be related to outside temperature. If it is warm with a some humidity, the issue occurs more often.

Anyone have any ideas????

 

[CDW6212R]

That does sound familiar, and it was another member's V6 Explorer and the cam sensors. I would hunt that other thread and see if there is a clue there. That truck had more than the one no start condition, and changing a sensor was not a complete repair, like yours.

 

[vinny64a]

Looking

I am still searching the forums for possible answers. Thanks ...

 

[tondale]

The pats system doesn't shut down the fuel pump. I found this out the hard way after a fuel pump changeout. I was unknowingly using a duplicate key that had no encoding. You think a key place would know that when they make one for you. Anyway I would get great fuel pressure....pump noise and cranking with that pesky blinking theft light. The pats was only shutting down the signal to the fuel injectors. After several days of frustration and research here, I finally figured it out and used the original ford key that my daughter still had with her and it started right up. So you can rule out the pats as the problem with the fuel pump....if you jump the relay and don't get fuel pump noise, look closer towards the pump itself or wiring to the pump.

 

[CDW6212R]

The PATS may be disabling the injectors, but it does kill the fuel pump when the key code is wrong. If you listen carefully to the pump, when trying to start it with a good key versus not, the pump shuts down very quickly when the wrong key is used.

Basically the pump runs briefly, and if you turn the key quickly to start, it may not actually shut off. A proper key code and the starter running will enable the pump to run continuously. If the key code is wrong, the pump shuts off whether the starter is run or not.

 

[snooky]

Many thanks to the contributors to this thread!! I was having the same intermittent "no s tart" problems. I got out my spare key and low and behold, the truck started right up!!!! the key I was using had swollen so that I could barely insert it!! Saved me a huge ford garge bill, I'm sure. Again, many many THANKS!!!