Ford F-150 (2004-2008) :: Occasional Hard Start / Engine Cranks Strong But Fails To Catch And Then Sputters
Mar 12, 2012
My truck's been having an occasional hard start, meaning the engine cranks strong but it fails to catch and then sputters. The 2nd start attempt usually fires up with no issues and then runs perfectly otherwise.
MPG's haven't changed, fuel filter was changed 15K ago. Air filter is clean. Plugs were changed about 10K ago. I always use Shell/Chevron gas. MAF sensor looked clean when I took it out so I didn't do anything to it.
This is starting to happen more frequently, maybe once every few weeks and I get a feeling it's the start of something. I've found myself waiting a few seconds for the fuel pressure gauge to come up before turning the key to start reliably. In the past, I could simply flick the key and it fires up the first time.
I see posts talking about the fuel pump module above the spare tire. What are symptoms of that going bad? Any pending codes that might be stored?
I'm about to get myself a scanner since I need one sooner or later. Which specific PID's to check while debugging this?
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2001 F350 7.3 ... Below 35 degrees, truck is hard to start. Cranks for a while, sputters, dies. Repeat a couple times, finally starts running rough, surging and loping for 10-15 seconds before it settles down and runs smoothly. Recently had all glow plugs replaced. Next cold start didn't show much improvement (not as bad as sometimes, but wasn't very cold either).
Surfing here and other forums, I see suggestions about letting glow plugs heat longer after WTS light goes out. Some suggest as long as 60 seconds. In the past, I have tried waiting a little while longer after light goes out, or turning key off/on and letting it cycle again. But I've never really timed how long I was waiting.
We're having a warm spell right now, so I can't do much testing. But yesterday morning was about 30. I timed the WTS light and it went out after 10 seconds. I waited another 20 seconds.. about 30 seconds total. Starting seemed a little better than usual, and there was about 1 second of roughness before it settled down.
I need to do more cold weather testing to be sure, but it does seem like it might be better to wait longer than I have been.
On the other end of the scale, I saw a comment that glow plug cycle is dependent on oil temp, and they don't come on at all if oil temp is above 40. Is this correct? If so, is there any good reason to wait to start in warm weather? I'm usually pretty diligent about waiting for the light regardless of weather, but the truck doesn't seem to object if I get impatient and start it sooner in warm weather. If the glow plugs aren't even on, why wait?
Should I just totally ignore the light, and wait for some interval (or not at all) based on a semi-educated guess about how much glow plug time might be necessary for the current temp?
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I've been having this occasional starting issue with my truck. I turn the key and the engine acts like it's going to fire up, so I let go of the key and it doesn't start. Then I try to restart it and either it cranks and fires a few times before it starts, or it fires right up and the starter grinds because I couldn't let go of the key fast enough.
I've had this problem a few times before, but lately it seems to be happening more often. It works normally 98% of the time. Maybe I'm just not letting the engine crank long enough to get it to run before letting go of the key.
Also, the spark plugs were just changed 10k miles ago and when the truck is running it runs great.
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Strange condition? If I kick it down hard into passing gear (or downshift hard into any gear for that matter), it pukes and sputters for a few seconds before clearing up and coming to life. No issues with normal driving, or dead stop hard acceleration, just on the downshift.
I’ve got a Magnaflow cat back on there and am wondering if opening up the exhaust and reducing the back pressure is screwing with the ECU a little? Is this just the nature of the stock Ford tune and it wasn’t as pronounced with the stock exhaust as it is now? Trucks an '06 FX4 5.4L and only has 70,000km on it.
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Recently I bought an 01 Passat with a V6. Intermittently, when I go to start it, it cranks and cranks and doesn't catch. When this happens, the EPC and check engine light come on.
Other than that it is a fine car, I'm the second owner, and it was thoroughly maintained at VW dealerships and specialist. Recently there was a new oil pan and starter put in (w/in a month--previous owners).
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I bought a 2001 F250 V10. When I first started it cold at the dealer that I bought it from, it cranked for a couple seconds and didn't start. I cranked it again and it caught and started right up. I figured it probably had to do with the truck sitting for a while with no one looking at it.
The next week of driving it, I never had any issues with it not starting on the first try.
1,900 miles later, it's sitting in my driveway in Minneapolis. It's Thursday and I haven't driven it since Sunday. I go out to start it, it cranks and catches, then immediately dies. Subsequent tries to start only result in cranking with no hint of catching. I've given it a few minutes to cool off between attempts and still nothing.
It's 24 degrees out. I'm not sure what weight oil is in the motor. It's got a full tank of fresh gas that was purchased here in Minneapolis. The battery is strong, as it's cranking really fast.
I've just come over from a 93 F250 Diesel, where I might expect problems starting at this temperature, but issues from a gas engine surprise me. What this might be? I bought this truck to be more reliable than my 93 that had 276k miles on it. This one is only a baby with 80k miles.
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My Focus has 102,000 miles. It has thrown a p0171 code and I have been attempting to fix it. So far this is what I have done:Changed MAF, air filter, PCV Valve, plugs, Valve cover gaskets, Bank 1 O2 sensor and fuel filter. All new. I have cleaned the throttle body, fuel rail intake manifold. Cannot hear vacuum leaks and tested for leaks with carb cleaner.
Symptoms: engine cranks but has a hard time starting, usually on second try. When tank is about half full I get Rough acceleration, higher RPMs (doesn't change gear) and engine stalls on hard left turns. Idle gets rough at times but usually stabilizes at around 700 rpms.
At the beginning, #1 spark plug chamber had a lot of oil in it. It's been a few months and no oil after Valve cover gasket and PCV change. Tested coils and the plugs get a spark. Before I start messing with the fuel pump, am I missing something else that I can do?
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While the owner of 2 Ford Trucks, I also have a 2004 Ford Taurus with 28K on it. For a while now the vehicle is hard starting, cranks but acts like it is not getting fuel, however, I can hear the pump come on. Other times it starts right up, but a clicking sound can be heard coming from the firewall area. At times the gauges will not immediately respond when the Vehicle is started and then all at once they will begin to work. Now, my check engine light is on, but my hand held obd will not read it. All the terminal pins look great, obd tester works on my other two vehicles, cigar lighter working, the fuses i checked are good. Vehicle runs great. Can this all be related to a bad module?
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It happened about 6 months ago, when I was getting ready to leave work then all of a sudden, the R wouldn't start. Flipped the key on and off in the ignition a few time and it started. had a weird idle, bouncing all around at about 1000rpm. Driving it home, the car wouldn't hold an idle and i had to play with gas the whole way home. Once home i could not get her to start again. Checked for spark, had spark but change all 6 plugs and coils anyways cause the service was due.
I scanned the car with a scanner just to check the codes and all i got was a pending crankshaft sensor code. Replaced the sensor cause it wasn't too expensive and i didn't want it to be an issue. I have also notice at the time that the fuel pump wouldn't initially prime when opening the driver door. Got a new job, and didn't have the time to mess with the R, but now I am trying to get her running again.
With the fuel pump not priming I immediately went to think of fuel, and replaced the fuel pump relay with a brand new dealer one. I haven't retested for air/fuel/spark since I just started to re-work on it. But last time I did have spark as when I sprayed some starter fluid, she chugged a little. Also now, when i disconnect and reconnect the battery i hear the initial prime, but when the key is turned to the on position, I don't notice a secondary charge.
I checked the fuel line before the rail and there is some type of pressure(I don't have the tool to check precise pressure). I also scan the car now with just a code reader and I come up with nothing current or pending. I am in the process of trying to borrow a vagcom to read further into the car.
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Shade tree mechanic, new to diesels and new to forum. I have the dreaded 03' 6.0 F350. It cranks over strong but will not start after its warmed up. I went to Auto Zone and they gave me the following codes: P2291, P132B, P0672, P0402, P0284. Once it's started it runs fine.
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My 03 GTI 1.8 is having start issues. It cranks up fine, but it sputters to a start. It doesn't idle high and fall down to the 850 mark like normal, it just lugs itself into low idle. I have to then throttle it until it stops sputtering and I have a smooth rev. Then after that, the car runs fine. I can stop it and start it up again fine when it's warmed up. I have checked multiple things already.
-The Ignition coils are in excellent condition
-Spark plugs are normal, but not exactly perfect
-Fuel pump works fine
-Battery was tested and is clean and good
-Throttle Body is clean (at least to the eye, Im cleaning it next)
-Oil was changed when I changed the sensor along with filter.
I should mention I changed the crankshaft position sensor a month ago. The block at least from under the car is filthy, but I don't know if that affects anything.
I had a check engine light, so I got its codes read (I'm out rn, but when I get home I can show you) and decided to just take it to a shop. When I took it, the light went away, decided to start as normal, and the shop just charged a huge fee for the diagnostic and nothing was fixed. I really need to know what to do with this, I daily it every day and its starting to bother me a lot now.
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Ok so... have an 04 that has more issues than Playboy magazine... any DIY tips or tricks...
I dont have an original key but the key I have has worked before. Motor cranks but wont turn over. Have tried the battery unhook thing, didnt work.
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Truck has been running perfect and is my daily driver. Went grocery shopping with the wife and made two stops and drove it home. Parked in the driveway. No hint of any issues but when I went out a couple of hours later we went to head out to dinner and it cranks and doesnt start. Nothing out of the ordinary anywhere. No check engines lights, no theft lights flashing, nothing to indicate an issue. Engine sounds perfectly normal cranking, I can hear the fuel pump when I turn the key. I cleaned the battery terminals today because they had some corrosion and I checked all of the fuses that have anything to do with fuel or fire and nothing was blown.
I also went and bought a Fuel Pump Drive Module and installed it and still nothing so I took it back.This is a pretty pampered truck, not a torn up beater. What else I should check? Will probably town it to a shop tomorrow if I dont have anything else to try but I am at a loss at this point. I tried to listen with a stethoscope and I dont hear the injectors firing or the COP's. Oh I also shot it with starting fluid and nothing happened so I dont believe its fuel related. I think something is keeping it from firing the COP's or the injectors arent firing. But what could it be? Nothing happened to the truck last time I drove it. Oh I did check the fuel pump cutoff button as well. Nothing there either.
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My 2005 cranks but will not start. I spray starter fluid in throttle body and it will start but won't stay running. I've replaced the fuel pump and the fuel sender unit which is located under the spare tire. After I replaced the fuel sender unit It started and ran for about 30 seconds. It quit when the fuel line popped off the fuel pump and pushed gas all over the ground. I secured the gas line back on and now it won't start again unless I use starting fluid.
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I just went out to move my truck to take out garbage and it cranks but doesn't start. It is 4.6L 4WD. I sprayed ether in intake no change. Checked all fuses all good. It has been raining pretty hard the last 3 days and it has been sitting in rain all 3 days. I checked for codes with a simple code scanner no codes. But the code scanner I used is not able to do KOEO or KOER tests. I know it needs new plugs but it has never sputtered or died on me. Has slight misfire but not engine stopping. I havnt had any check engine lights or problems before.
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My 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo won't start...It cranks strong but won't turn over..I can hear my Fuel Pump kick on from the back of the Vehicle but it won't kick on listening from the engine compartment??I checked all fuses.I had a tune up a couple of months ago..My check engine light was on before the tune up and my mechanic said that the tune up corrected the problem the car was coding out... I've been told to check the ALARM by turning the alarm on and off and also unlocking the car Via the driver door.. This didn't work.. I've been told to check the Fuel cut off switch(RESET BUTTON) for my make and year but can't seem to locate it...
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Brought a 2006 f350 6.0 from the action and knowing it was damaged from the frame, i went ahead and brought a another f350 6.0 2005 from someone around town, the last owner is calming the truck was stole, and most of the engine was stole, and the windows where damage. ( I just wanted to buy the truck for the body so i can transfer the engine to this one! ) but instead of switching the engine, me and my dad went ahead and only put the missing parts back onto the engine....
I can tell the last owner wasn't telling the truth, and me and my dad where thinking the last owner made up his own story about the truck being stole !! I did a vin check and noting came up about having a bad history!!!!!!!!! I'm thinking something went bad in the truck, and the last owner did his own fault story... Anyways!!!
we finally put everything back in place, and the truck cranks, but does NOT start!! and also has no spark. sometimes it sounds like it does wanna start!! we check the fuel, and wires, oil, fuel filer! everything good, but the truck has no spark, and where not sure if thats the problem. and also switch out the Crank sensor. Still no luck!!
And also there is smoke when we crank. battery are good too, and even left the truck 28 hours on the wire to head up the engine!!
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Bought a truck from a guy the other day. Long story, but he was a con artist. Told me the battery was dead from cranking it, he couldn't hear the fuel pump so he thinks it needs a new one. Got it home, checked fpdm, it was unplugged. Plugged it in fp running now. Charged battery. Cranks slowly won't start. Appears the engine has been changed. Have codes P0201-208, all injector codes. Cranking it over reminds me of an older distributor type engine that if off its timing. But also of cranking with a low battery. There's a new starter on it already. I'm going to pull the converter bolts on the weekend to see if they may have bound the torque when they installed the engine. Injector codes?
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My 04 f150 has been sitting upwards in my drive way for a month now won't start cranks great with full power..
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So when I try to start the F there is a single click heard. Battery is tested good and is only 6 months old.
Been trying to locate the starter. From what I believe is it in the V install Valley? Meaning the entire cover needs to come off?
How to find / get to the starter. I will continue to see if the connection of cables are good.
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I have a 01 f-150, 4.6L, with 160k miles on it. Symptoms: It idles fine with an occasional surge. It sputters in all gears like a misfire (all plugs and COPS replaced 2 months ago). Sometimes it stalls out going down highway or as I turn in my driveway. It also seems like its slipping a little without the "hard jerking into gear". Occasionally the rpm meter will peg low and then return to normal.
The only code that I received was P1451. I changed the canister vent solenoid but the symptoms remain. I've checked voltage on the TPS (the variable voltage checked out but I didn't get the 5V ref. voltage). I've cleaned the MAF sensor. I've also changed the fuel filter. I've resistance checked the connector to the PCM and found several pins that are at ground. I'm not sure what to do next.
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