Rough engine start on a 2000 Ford Triton V10

so where would the solenoids be located at? how would i make a circuit around them?

what brand fuel treatment is best?

how do i check stored engine codes?

i hear the engine try to start but it just cranks and no actual engine start, so i think the starter is working fine.

samven 1:
I think pumping the gas pedal does no good either, but if the throttle position sensor was faulty, holding the accelerator pedal down a bit and trying to start the motor will work,.

I think your description of the problem is vague. Seems to me like your problem is probably one of the two solenoids/relays for the starter motor. Check them first. You can create a circuit around them to check them out.

First pumping the pedal will not do anything on a fuel injected engine. The computer makes all the fuel decisions. Second, starting the engine without putting it under load and getting it up to operating temp for at least 15 min is doing way more harm than good and unless you are idling for a really long time you are killing your battery too. Most alternators dont put out much current until they are spinning pretty good. The next time you go to the RV take someone with you and have them listen underneath at the fuel tank as you turn the key on, but dont start the engine. See if they can hear the fuel pump running. If so it should stop in a few seconds, then try to start the engine. If it takes longer to stop pumping get your fuel pressure checked. It may be starting now but if the pump is going there is a good chance that when you hit a hill and step down on the gas the engine will stall from fuel starvation and you will get and engine code, maybe many.

Top it off with fresh fuel and give and take it on a long hard drive.

Starting it, then turning it off without a full drive cycle is very hard on the motor, especially after sitting so long. In the future, add a fuel treatment to the tank before storage.

"the engine CLICKS over but just no start up" Not sure exactly what you mean. Do you just hear clicks or does the engine crank every time? I'd first check for stored engine codes because that's the easiest first step. The ECU can store codes before it decides that it's time to turn on the check engine light and those codes can give you a good hint at what the problem may be. You can also check the fuel pressure when it doesn't want to start. I'm assuming there is a port on one of the fuel rails where a pressure gauge can be connected.

Sounds a lot like what happened to me just before the fuel pump died.

Fuel pump in these models is inside the fuel tank and requires dropping the tank out of the chassis to replace the pump.

I had the same situation. Hard starting. Crank and crank and crank, when it normally would fire right up in seconds. Then it starts working like nothing was wrong.

Then left stranded the next time I tried to start. Then towed to dealer for new pump.


This link has some suggestions:
RV.net fuel pump issues

The gas that we are buying is not as good as in the past with the ethanol in it. When you know it is going to be setting for an extended period of time you should double the mix that is specified on the directions on a bottle of Sta-Bil. (Walmart). You should do this to all gasoline engines. After putting it in the tank then add gasoline to mix and leave the unit run for 15 minutes or so to be sure that the Sta-Bil has made it into the engine.

How long are you cranking it for each time? If it's only a few seconds, don't be afraid to crank it for fifteen seconds or so...which feels to me like a lot longer than it is when I'm sitting there cranking an engine.

At any rate, I would tend to guess either the fuel pump in the tank is not working well or there's a slight leak in the fuel line or something that's causing the gas to not stay in the fuel line while it sits. I would tend to not suspect a fuel filter (which would, I think, tend to affect operation at high power levels rather than idle) nor injector problems (which would, I think, prevent it from running well once started). If it is the fuel system, it might help to turn the key to the on position for a minute or so before cranking the engine.

Whatever the problem, it's probably not so much from sitting per se as much as just from aging in general. Incidentally, starting the engine monthly without actually driving anywhere isn't doing anything useful and is actually comparatively rough on the engine; most wear occurs during the first few minutes of engine operation when it hasn't warmed up yet. Generators say to run them (under load) every month or so partly to make sure the brushes and the rings they contact stay clean and partly to help ensure that evaporating gas doesn't gum up the carburetor; neither of those apply to the V10 in any way.