Trouble starting - Cranks but won't start

[mikeh]

98 X. On Sunday morning I pulled into a gas station. I filled up. I went to start it again and it wouldn't start. It turned over fine and started to start and then dies immediately. It's like maybe the choke is not turning off. I left it there and caught a ride home.

Any help in diagnosing the problem would be great.

It's not the starter and it has spark so it's fuel or air. I don't think it was bad fuel as no other cars were having a problem at this gas station.

I drove back to the gas station 20 miles away and I was able to get the X started and drove it home. When I tried to start it and it turned over and wouldn't start at all. I tried this about 5 times. On about the 6th time it started perfectly like nothing was ever wrong with it. I did remove the gas cap while I was there and put it back on. The gas cap was clicked on just fine so I don't think that had any effect.

It's kind of like the fuel pump suddenly decided to start to pump and boom it started. I also restarted the truck at home and it started fine multiple times. So now I'm worried that this will happen again suddenly. I also gave it a bunch of throttle trying to see if maybe it wasn't getting enough gas but the truck reacted just fine.

Now I've ran it for another day and I've had no issues at all. So what was it??

Possibilities? IAC valve? Fuel pump relay? Fuel pump? Gas cap issue? Throttle position sensor? Electrical issue?

I really hate iffy problems that might leave me stranded somewhere.

Mikeh

 

[V8Exploder]

What you need to do is, turn the key on but dont start it with the door or window open and radio off, preferably when its queit. You should hear the fuel pump make a high pitch wine, then get deeper then stop. If you hear that, your fuel pump is working and your lines are pressurized. If it starts, good, if not, then you at least know its probably not your fuel pump. If you dont hear this "check" sound, you might need to replace your pump, which is not a big deal. If you are getting spark and fuel, there is no way you cannot get air, unless your air filter is plugged up somehow. The iac probably isnt a bad idea to clean out with some carb cleaner and some q-tips, I recently did this and I no longer have my idle problems I was experiencing. Good luck with that, it sounds like its probably not a big deal.

 

[ExplorerSportNu]

Yeah I had the exact same problem on my 95 until eventually it did this all the time, mine was a bad fuel pump and let me tell ya that was a PITA to change, but like v8 said turn the key to see if you can hear the fuel pump, then let us know.

 

[mikeh]

I can't hear the fuel pump ever when I start the truck. It seems like I'm always next to a highway or a train or my kids are screaming or something. I guess I just never get the chance to start it on a quiet country road.

It's been running fine the last few days. I guess I'm going to buy some spare parts and throw them in the truck just in case I have a problem.

mikeh

 

[V8Exploder]

mine was a bad fuel pump and let me tell ya that was a PITA to change, ....

Is it really that bad to change ?? I thought it was changable from inside the car ??? I have 150k miles on mine and I think a fuel pump might be coming up to be changed soon. What all does a fuel pump change entail ??

 

[Trogdor]

the fuel pump is on top of your gas tank, in order to change it you gotta drop the tank...just mainly time consuming.

 

[Raminator157]

I know mine had trouble starting for awhile, then I figured out it was the ground going to my battery. I resurced the ground and everything runs like it just came off the lot.

 

[97BlackX5.0]

could be the fuel pump has a dead spot in it.... it will start 99 out of 100 times and then that one time the pump wont start spinning.... if this ever happens again take a hammer or a smalli weight and tap with some authority on the side of your gas tank... if your key is in the on position and you hear it start running then its a dead spot.... then it will start again... u can usually limp around like this for a while but you never know when the hammer just wont be enough ... i wouldnt rule out the ground or other stuff yet though.... also running the tank less than 1/4 tank is usually what does this