Start issues?

cookcr

New Member
May 24, 2007
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Brighton Colorado
Sometimes when i fire up my car it starts right away, sometimes i have to crank a little while for it to turn over(nothing major just enough to know somethings wrong). I was told it was the fuel filter, any other ideas? Dont want this thing to crap out on me, my trucks out of commision for another week on a new build so i dont want to just dig in and tear it apart right now till i have another vehicle.
 
hook up a fuel pressure gauge to the valve on the fuel rail. When you turn the key on does it jump to 40+ psi or does it stop at 8-10? If 8-10 does turning it off and back on again run it on up to 40? Fuel pump is getting ready to go out if so.

Best way to diagnose is to measure things. Guessing can get expensive and frustrating. If the motor turns over normally, but sometimes takes longer to fire up, it is almost certainly a fuel issue. Pump is the first thing that comes to mind, not the filter. If pressure is low at the rail, you can always check the flow before / after the filter to see if it really is clogged. But most of the time its going to end up in the tank (the pump)...
 
I had a similar problem. I cleaned my IAC (Idle Air Control) valve. I've had no issues since.

Cleaning the IAC valve is really easy. Do a Google search for instructions.
 
You have to let the fuel pump fully turn on. So put the key in the ignition, turn it to the on position, and WAIT until you see the digital odometer (or until the radio turns on). Then try to start the car. See if it does the same thing.
 
You have to let the fuel pump fully turn on. So put the key in the ignition, turn it to the on position, and WAIT until you see the digital odometer (or until the radio turns on). Then try to start the car. See if it does the same thing.

+1
It seems to be a common problem with these cars.
Mine used to do it on restarts, like the car is warmed up, I turn it off for a couple of minutes and then restart.

Now I turn the key to on, put on seatbelt etc and THEN try and start and it fires up every time.
 
fuel pump

Sometimes when i fire up my car it starts right away, sometimes i have to crank a little while for it to turn over(nothing major just enough to know somethings wrong). I was told it was the fuel filter, any other ideas? Dont want this thing to crap out on me, my trucks out of commision for another week on a new build so i dont want to just dig in and tear it apart right now till i have another vehicle.
my car stopped on me sunday. i think its the fuel pump. after sitting for about
30 minutes. it started. i had no pressure at the fuel rail. now i have thirty psi
when its running but as soon as i turn the key off it drops to zero. i called my local
ford dealer and they said it could be the fuel pump, fuel pressure regulator or the constant control relay module. my car started doing like yours and it got to where
i had to cycle the key on and off 3 or four times before it would start. i disconnected the vacuum hose from the fuel pressure regulator and the pressure
went from 30 to 40 psi. i think its the fuel pump or the CCRM. i'm changing the fuel pump first. ford wanted $99.00 to tell me what the problem is. i may be sorry
but i'm going to change paarts until i fix it
 
my car stopped on me sunday. i think its the fuel pump. after sitting for about
30 minutes. it started. i had no pressure at the fuel rail. now i have thirty psi
when its running but as soon as i turn the key off it drops to zero. i called my local
ford dealer and they said it could be the fuel pump, fuel pressure regulator or the constant control relay module. my car started doing like yours and it got to where
i had to cycle the key on and off 3 or four times before it would start. i disconnected the vacuum hose from the fuel pressure regulator and the pressure
went from 30 to 40 psi. i think its the fuel pump or the CCRM. i'm changing the fuel pump first. ford wanted $99.00 to tell me what the problem is. i may be sorry
but i'm going to change paarts until i fix it

If pressure drops to zero immediately, it is likely the pump. It certainly isn't the CCRM. That's just the thing that contains the fuel pump relay. The relay contacts can burn, which will reduce the current flow to the pump, which will reduce pressure or flow rate. But it is supposed to hold pressure when the key goes off. For minutes not 1 second...
 
i'm changing the fuel pump first. ford wanted $99.00 to tell me what the problem is. i may be sorry
but i'm going to change parts until i fix it

throwing parts at a car is the worst thing you can do time and money-wise to fix a problem

i could go on for DAYS telling you why and giving examples but i'd prefer to watch TV instead
 
I've noticed that when I've been running the AC, the car takes an extra second to start when hot. Leaving the key in the on position for a minute doesn't help. If I haven't been running the AC or the car is cold, it starts right up. All I can guess is the the AC compressor clutch is still engaged or there is some other load preventing immediate starting. Not something I'm willing to pay to "fix" at this point, however.

No way I'd start swapping parts without a diagnosis from an expert who actually looked at the car, i.e. a Ford dealer tech. And at that point, I'd rather pay them to fix it right than keep running around until the problem is solved.
 
+1
It seems to be a common problem with these cars.
Mine used to do it on restarts, like the car is warmed up, I turn it off for a couple of minutes and then restart.

Now I turn the key to on, put on seatbelt etc and THEN try and start and it fires up every time.



Yup, VERY common problems on these cars.


I do the same thing now. Turn key to on, let the fuel pump cycle for a couple seconds and then crank it and it usually helps.

I've heard it's IAC related, but i haver yet to try to clean mine
 
I've noticed that when I've been running the AC, the car takes an extra second to start when hot. Leaving the key in the on position for a minute doesn't help. If I haven't been running the AC or the car is cold, it starts right up. All I can guess is the the AC compressor clutch is still engaged or there is some other load preventing immediate starting. Not something I'm willing to pay to "fix" at this point, however.

No way I'd start swapping parts without a diagnosis from an expert who actually looked at the car, i.e. a Ford dealer tech. And at that point, I'd rather pay them to fix it right than keep running around until the problem is solved.

Are you starting the car with the AC on? That would cause more load, making it harder for the car to start.

Maybe your battery is slowly dying? Only other thing I can think of is your injectors/fuel pump are having a hard time at start up.
 
Are you starting the car with the AC on? That would cause more load, making it harder for the car to start.


The A/C does not come on when you start the car.

If you have the selector in A/C, the car will start without engaging the compressor.

Once the engine is running, there is a delay of about 2 seconds before the compressor kicks in. If you have the windows down you can hear it click on afterwards
 
Are you starting the car with the AC on? That would cause more load, making it harder for the car to start.

Maybe your battery is slowly dying? Only other thing I can think of is your injectors/fuel pump are having a hard time at start up.

Should not hurt cranking at all. PCM turns compressor off until engine is cranked and running.