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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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Days spent camping are not subtracted from one's total.
- 2019 Leprechaun 311FS Class C
- Linda, Wes and Quincy the Standard Brown Poodle
