Ford V10 wont start

Had a friend that is a auto mechanic come over and check it out. Was a stuck relay.....going to replace all 4 of them while I am at it.

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Fuel pump or fuel pump fuse if there is one. A parked vehicle with only a partial tank of fuel condenses atmospheric water from the tank air space and corrodes/sticks the pumps (and sometimes the fuel-level sender too). The water collects right at the sump and sits still way too long on seldom driven vehicles. The rusted pump, and fuel gauge, stick(s). Always keep the tank full to minimise this. Better yet, drive them. The water can even collect enough to plug a fueline with ice in cold climates.

Lean over next to the rocker panel area that contains the tank and the fuel pump should come on (hum, whir) for a few seconds as someone else turns the key from off to igniton/run. If you can't hear it, it ain't running. Frankly, most pumps can be heard priming while sitting in the drivers seat and the door open. Some quiet units are difficult to hear in a noisy traffic area unless under the truck. Leaving the ignition on and thumping the tank might set a "sticker" off to whir until it shuts off from pressure or the start timer circuit.

I second the proper warm-up point made by Bryan. Starting, and only idling until the coolant warms does not heat the oil as it does in normal driving, especially hot enough (at, or close to 212F) to evaporate crankcase water.

Where does the crankcase water come from? It comes from burning gasoline which produces more than a gallon of water for every gallon of gas burned (all carbohydrate fuels do this). The extra H2O volume comes from the addition of oxygen molecules to the abundant hydrogen in the fuel.

During run, there is always some combustion gas leakage (mostly hot water vapor) past the piston rings during the power stroke, especially when cold. The water vapor blows into the frigid crankcase nearly as it does out the "steaming", dripping tailpipe. Then the cloud of thick crankcase vapor condenses on all the cold internal metal crankcase surfaces, like humidity on a cold glass of beer on a warm, sticky day.

The heavier rivulets of water then run down under the oil into the lowest sump part of the oil pan and gets sucked up by the oil pump, hopefully along with oil. A little isn't so bad momentarily, but after many cycles of never getting hot enough to be driven off, the accumulating water puddle ends up on all those nice machined shiny iron surfaces next to the bearings with time on it's hands to do whatever. Not good. In my early day, in small rural towns, I've checked oil level on cars that made continuous short trips, and the oil actually got milky from all the water. I imagine all the bearings got a shot of dirty water in the morning... then oil. That's why I checked 'em, they all burned oil, wore looser faster and leaked even more vapor into the crankcase in a vicious cycle until death. It was about a mile across town once a day.

The only thing worse (not anybody here) is running a "garage queen" engine for just a few seconds, and then shutting it down for an extended period when the cylinders are not even yet warm enough to drive off those little water droplets. Rusty cylinder walls, rusty rings, rusty valve stems etc. Yuck. Not just yuck, it's absolute criminal.

Wes
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Doubt they would chew through all of them but ......

lumpy790 wrote:

jerem0621 wrote:
Please check the main wire harness under the motor... I think that the other folks are right about the mice.

Where do you mean when you say under the motor?

thats what I get for posting when I am sleepy!!!! I meant Hood not motor...

Ok, take a look at this pic from the web and see if this helps any.



This is a pic of the passenger side COP's, the wires coming off the COP electrical connectors feed into a wire harness. There are two harnesses like this, one on either bank of cylinders. follow this wire harness and look for chewed wires. Mice are finicky creatures and they may have chewed any where.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

jerem0621 wrote:
Please check the main wire harness under the motor... I think that the other folks are right about the mice.

Where do you mean when you say under the motor?

Please check the main wire harness under the motor... I think that the other folks are right about the mice.

I had a no start issue on my 2000 e450 v10 from sitting for several months. Checked fuses but was not able to find the relay reset anywhere described, but used starting fluid to get it to fire so was able to determine not electrical. Read lots of posts and online research and was about convinced was going to have to have it towed and tank dropped to pull the fuel pump from damage from e10% fuel, then read about charging the fuel line by multiple turn on and off without cranking. Tried that for about 10 cycles then tried start, and it fired up! Lucky! Wont let it sit that long again without firing up!

rhagfo wrote:
Wow no one with a gas engine know how to test the fuel pressure? Buy or borrow a fuel pressure gauge, and connect to the test port on the fuel rail.

Squirting WD40 or starting fluid down intake proves it was not fuel so no need to test the fuel pressure.

Wow no one with a gas engine know how to test the fuel pressure? Buy or borrow a fuel pressure gauge, and connect to the test port on the fuel rail.

I was a motorcycle mechanic for 25+ years and WD40 works good as a starting fluid......but did not fire so it Looks like its spark.

I found some reports of the crash sensor relay needing to be reset after freezing weather and we had a couple weeks of ... what the hell is this freezing crap... I live in the south weather.