I've read a few postings on this issue, but none on the exact same problem I am having. I have a 1999 Explorer w/ a 4.0 SOHC, 66,000 mi. Here is the issue: When we start it in the morning or it has sit a while it starts just fine. BUT....if we are driving around town and make a stop and shut the engine down, when we get back to our vehicle it will just crank over & over & will not start. It does not do this every time, but is now becoming more frequent. Of course when we take it in they cannot get it to recreate this problem. When it just cranks over & over, if we leave it set for a while longer it starts and runs like a champ there after, but if we make another stop it will do this again most of the time. The only thing I have read about this said that it could be an "idle valve sticking." Does this make since or am I experiencing another problem?

PLEASE HELP!!


Thank


Nathan

 

I repeat myself a lot on this subject - but here it goes again. Clean the battery cables and tighten them back on good. Battery cables can cause some really weird electrical failures when dirty. Next I would check the starter out. No valve shouldkeep the enginefrom starting. I hope this helps out. Keep in mind though they add newer and even more stupid valves to vehicles all over the world every year. So - I couldn't rule it out although on an older truck it would not be the problem.

 

I"ve check the battery, fuses, listen to the pump, check the spark....done all that. I would check the starter, but the engine seems to crank over when I turn the key....so I went out on a limb and didn't check that one. This is one for dealership to figure out I guess. I don't have anymore ideas for this one.


Thanks

Nathan

 

If you can get hold of a noid light and disconnect one of the injector wires to see if you are getting a pulse signal from the ecm. also turn the key on with out starting it and see if you hear the fuel pump run. good luck

 

We found this out.....there were a few things they looked at. One was a "sherader" valve on the fuel rail. This is a valve that ford says has been known to get stuck. The other was the fuel pressure. They checked both & all was fine. They checked the fuel pump and it was working everytime. SO...nother wrong with the fuel delevery system. There was another thing that was common to fail in & that was the ignition. When you place the key into the ignition, which is a programed key, the ignition is also programmed to look for a certain key w/ a certain pattern. If the ignition does not recognize this it tell the computer to go into "theft mode." This cuts off the fuel & spark to the engine which in retrun does not allow the vehicle to start. They said it was common, but usually failed much earlier on during the life of the vehicle. So the part & labor is $144.00.

 

Yeah - they're nuts. If the shraeder valve was stuck fuel would be spraying out. Plus all you need to do to check for fuel pressure is open the valve. That all takes a whole 2 seconds. I never thought about the electronic junk. I have to say - it seems to be more of a pain in the *** than it's worth. Aren't those keys expensive too? How much was just the part? (or maybe the most part of the price was for labor?) Just curious.

 

Part is $55 & labor is $89!! They said, & when they do that it's scary, but the key will not need to be reprogrammed. The ignition has a programming sequence that it will have to go through. They have to hook it up & all that fun stuff for this to work. So even if I replaced it, I would still need to drag it into Ford to have them program the ignition. I'm not to upset about the price, as long as I can get in it, start it, and it gets me towhere I need to go. We were worried we would get somewhere & it not start at all. But we were told if it goes into "theft mode" to remove the key and let it set for 2 minutes. This resets the computer. I'm sure this isn't the last of the issues we will experience w/ this.....just have one of those feelings.

 

If the iac is sticking you should be able to hold the throttle plates open just a littleand start the vehicle.

 

check the temp sensor and thermostat, replacing those fixed my problem which was similar