2 Cranks to Start...and a few drips of fuel

Nicoleb3x3

Member
Jun 9, 2004
274
0
16
southern NH
My Problem: Only in the morning (after the car sits overnight) It takes two cranks to start the car even if I give the fuel pump more than enough time to pressurize the system. My fuel pump runs and stays running...maybe longer than it should (read wiring history)

My Real Problem: I've noticed a 2" diameter sized drip under where my fuel lines connect to the chassis fuel lines down by the passenger side sway bar area. It IS fuel dripping...and it seems it only does this when I have to crank the car more than twice on a rare occassion. I have had 2 2" drips in 30 days

...and then this weekend I had a new drip I didn't notice until I got home...but I had driven down the road..smelled gas; pulled over and while the car was running I looked down to see if it was leaking...I watched 3 drips fall making a 4" diameter spot before shutting off the car. I waited for help from my boyfriend, and when he gets there to help me watch for the location of the leak...it doesn't leak anymore...I drove and stopped twice and didn't drip anymore. (I haven't yet tried to find the source of the drip but suspect the fuel line connections by the rubber hose sections (one being a russell line I replaced the rubber hose with on the pressure side) We wanted to make sure the car cooled down before attempting to check it again.

Fuel Line Past:
I had OEM style stainless chassis lines installed by a shop who ran them outside the sway bar....the tire destroyed one of the rubber hoses on the pressure side...it was later rerouted and repaired by replacing the rubber hose with a russell fuel line; and flaring the ends of the hard lines to take the AN fittings. I was pleased it was fixed for good....and finally safe ...until now.

Wiring Past:
I have a 2.3 converted to a 5.0 (93)
I had spliced my wiring to get my fuel pump to work (see reference below) and never got around to toubleshooting the OEM wiring method...so basically my fuel pump is wired to run in the on/run position but bypasses the fuel pump relay...enertia switch...and computer too???? Yes I know this unsafe and plan to wire it properly...sooner than later.

Hiss Symptom:
it may be unrelated, but I have a hiss or...huuussss sound from the fuel rails when the ignition key is on but not in crank mode....it will make this sound indefnately...since I think my pump runs for more than the standard 2-5 seconds a normal car would.

My Assumpitons and Ideas:
Is bypassing the fuel pump relay...or maybe the computer too; causing my fuel pump to over-pressurize the system to the point I'm getting a few drips? Is it leaking when it normally would not because of the way I have this set up? could that be why I'm not getting a consistant leak and only seems to be at start up?

I'd like to fix the wiring, but my issue is...is that why I'm leaking?
what do I do??? I'm worried I'll lose the car to a fire if I can't solve this damn fuel problem....it's by far a theme I've had trouble solving for good.



REFERENCE:
http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=557489
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For one, I wouldnt suggest using the 2.3 EFI pump. But as far as not coming on....did you remove the computer and EFI harness when you swappen in the 5.0? If you did, you would have to do some creative rewiring to get the fuel pump to run. The easy way is to just splice 2 wires together in the passenger kick panel where the computer used to be. I can tell you exactly which wires but it will have to wait till I get home this evening. I made wiring diagrams when I rewired my 4cyl to 5.0 cars. There is a green and a grey connector in the kick that have the wires you need. You just splice a "hot in run" wire to the fuel pump wire. I think the hot in run wire is grey/yellow and I'm thinking that the wire that goes back to the inertia switch is red/blue but dont hold me to that. I personally like to wire in a relay and oil pressure switch so that the pump doesnt run if the engine isnt running but it isnt totally required.


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OK, I have the correct wire colors now. The "hot in run" wire is grey with a yellow stripe. The wire to the fuel pump inertia switch is dk green with a yellow stripe. They are both located in the passenger side kick panel by the ECM in the green 8-pin connector. I Always wire in a relay and an oil pressure switch but you can just solder and shring them together and the pump will run whenever the key is in the IGN posistion.

I know this is correct for 91-93 but you didnt say what year your car is so if its older I suppose there is a possibility the wire codes could be different.

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Regardless of the pumping running more than it should, you shouldn't see any leaks. I would check all of the lines for leaks as this may be part of the hard to start issue. You shouldn't build anymore pressure in the system than what the fuel pressure regulator is set at. If the pump runs more it will just flow more fuel back to the tank rather than build more pressure. I suspect that the fuel rail isn't maintaining pressure overnight and therefore it takes multiple cranks to get it started in the morning.
 
The run for a few seconds and shut off on the original pump wiring was Ford's attempt to prevent flooding if the engine didn't fire up right away. It prevents raw gasoline from washing down the cylinder walls if there is a no start condition.
 
bullitstang1313 said:
If the pump runs more it will just flow more fuel back to the tank

so....that means there's MORE fuel running in the return line then usual;
I did suspect that return line was the source of the leak because I ran my fingers around the connections and smelled my finger tips were strong of fuel- so when I think that my return line (the one with the rubber hose) is the possible suspect...I may just be right? this would explain why it stop'd leaking once the car was running again....there would be less return fuel; and less chance of a dripping leak.

once I can get some time this weekend we'll pull the car out of the garage and check again for the source to verify. the good news is; if it's the return line I can simply replace it with the russel line like I did on the feed line.
 
started the car today and checked again for the leak for the first time since last weekend's episode.

the leak is comming from the back of the fuel rail; either the FPR or the last injector. the lower has a puddle near that injector and the FPR has gas on it too...can't tell which one is the culprit. the FPR is original re-installed on another stock rail- and the injector is new since last year; although you never know if it is seated properly or something happened to the oring.

it reminds me of an issue we had last year when we just put this car together....at first start one of the injectors was gushing gas over it...we took off the upper and realized the fuel rail was bent AND that the mounting screw on the fuel rail at that passenger side/rear was broken; we repalced it with another fuel rail from salvage and for that mounting screw we drilled it out and a helicoil put in; we re-installed the fuel rail.

so I guess there's a chance the oring was damaged during re-installation of that fuel rail; or the FPR re-installation on the fuel rail wasn't done properly? OR..the FPR is just failing now after driving it for a year and a half?

if it is my FPR, how can I test it? What is the symtoms of a failing FPR? Is leaking common for a failed FPR?

I guess I'll be taking the upper off next weekend or so...but I guess I wanted to know more about FPR's and how it may be my main issue.

sorry for the long post...I try to give ALL the details possible
 
ok; my leak seems fixed
we replaced the fpr and also completely removed the fuel rail and re-installed making sure all the orings look good (which they did)

we think it was either the fpr; or the connections where the rail connects to the side rail