Ford - E150 :: 1988 Not Starting And If Start Then Ran Rough?
Mar 23, 2011
1988 Ford E-Series Van ford van starting problems I have a 1988 ford van e150 302 that wont start. when it did start, it ran rough, then progress to needing start fluid to start. Now it cranks but wont start at all. it sat for almost a year with additves in gas but it does smell now unlike normal gas. it has sta-bil and gas line anti freeze as additives. A rail mount high pressure pump was put on two years ago. Could the hi-pres pump been installed backwards? Now it will not start even with starting fluid, just cranks and tries(pops and backfires a little sometimes). I towed in to a mechanic to get diagnosed.
In regards to the 1988 ford van start problems, the mechanics said that fuel is bad and needs drained, that in tank pumps seem to have pressure(low pressure pumps). the rail (high press pump) they say tests 15-20 psi only. the want to drain tanks, replace pump and "go from there". They also said a multitude of problems can happen from "bad gas" ranging from injectors needs cleaning to bent push rods, lifters and crank shaft can be damaged. All may need cleaned, fixed or replacing. does this seem a little fishy ? Could it need the timing set? Or injectors bad?
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I just finished replacing the entire AC system on my 88 E150 ... All was well at first but shortly after finishing the r12 charge, the clutch began to click very loudly when engaging or disengaging. You can clearly hear it inside the cab. The air gap was set to .028 which is within spec according to the manual. I checked the air gap today and it was about .030
Am thinking,, could the snap ring have come loose that holds the pulley on allowing the pulley to be pulled forward when it engages? Once engaged the tension from the belt pulls the pulley back in in alignment? It sounds like two pieces of metal smacking together, even when it disengages. Kinda of like if you had the pulley in one hand and the clutch in the other and smack them together.
I did have a little trouble getting the snap ring to seat in the groove on the bottom side of the snap ring. I know it locked in the groove very good where the gap in the ring is and on both sides. The thicker bottom of the ring, I was not absolutely positive it was in all the way. i lightly tried tapping on it and it wouldn't go in any farther. There was no visible gap, I just couldn't tell if that thicker part was in all the way.
I used the proper removal and install tool when setting the air gap. The install tool threaded onto the compressor shaft and pressed the clutch plate on as you tightened the outer nut, so I didn't use a hammer...
I have two different new clutch plates. I used the one on the right as the one on the left fit a little tight on the shaft. The compressor is a FS6 xbolt and all the parts are motorcraft. What to check?
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How would I test (if Possible) the A/C Clutch Cycling Pressure Switch on my 88 E-150 4.9L? I had to replace the evaporator, it was leaking along a seam. I have a feeling the Cycling Switch is bad too.
I was hoping for a simple test w/o Gauges. The Switch is in a real tough spot to remove it. I also heard they could be adjusted. There are no leaks in the system and no blockages, that we detected when we evacuated and recharged the system.
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When it's cold outside my car will start up, but not stay running. The only way I can get it to stay running is to keep my food on the gas for up to five minutes. Once the vehicle is warmed up, it stays running. If I start it every hour or so, it will run fine. It's just when it's been sitting out in around zero degree weather overnight for example.
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Ford E150 Conversion Van 1991, V8. Replaced spark plugs, wires, fuel pump, fuel injector, cleaned gas tank, replaced gas. Ignition turns and starts but sputters loudly and stalls soon after. We've tried just about everything but it won't stay running.
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1999 Ford E150 with 150K on it. This van has generally been a champ, but it's recently developed a habit of not starting.. sometimes. I replaced the battery a couple months ago, and the starter sounds fine, it always cranks enthusiastically, but the engine won't start. It's as though it's out of gas, but there's plenty of gas. And I'll retry every so often, and then all of a sudden, hours or days later, it will just start right up like nothing ever happened.
On one such occasion I finally paid to have it towed to the shop. And the mechanic goes out, turns the key.. and it starts right up. So then they run the standard diagnostics, said the fuel pressure looks good. So they don't have any idea what the problem is either, and their only suggestion is to tow it in again next time it doesn't start, or leave it with them for a long time until they can recreate the problem.
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1994 Ford E150 5.0L. Will not start when the weather is above 70 Degrees F. No fire from coil...
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When damp or foggy, my 1990 Buick Century 3.3 will either not start or start and idle rough. Spraying WD-40 on coil packs and wires work. I tried click and clack's method of misting water on the 3 coil packs and wires when idling, and got arching on middle coil, # 2 wire to top of coil pack. Do I need to replace that coil, or just the spark plug wires? The slight mist of water on that middle coil stalled the engine, and it would restart after WD- 40 was sprayed on the coils/ wires.
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About 6 weeks ago I became the proud owner of an '88 240 wagon with ~ 235,000 miles.
When turning the key over to start Lucy (that's her name) most times she will crank for 3 to 5 seconds before indeed starting. I can avoid those 3 to 5 excruciatingly long seconds if I let her crank for a time or two then let her rest for a second - after that she will start up immediately when I turn the key again. This situation happens probably 14 times out of 15. The 15th she will start like a dream the first time. I have had the battery tested (although I could not find a date on the battery and the previous owner did not know when it was purchased), and I have completed a full tune up (plugs, wires, rotor and cap) among other maintenance issues as well.
Attached File(s)
Lucy.JPG ( 3.4MB )
Lucy_Under_the_Hood.JPG ( 3.87MB )
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I have just bought a 1988 740gl turbo and I was driving it the other day and when i came to a set of lights just as i stopped the car stalled on me then wouldn't start...
I left it for a hour or so came back and it started and i drove away and only went a few kms home.... what would this be I haven't driven it since!!
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I have a 1988 Toyota (4 cylinder) Pickup truck, with a very intermittent starting problem, that is driving me crazy. It has had the starting problem for over a year now. Normally is starts easily, within one second with the starter motor, no gas needed, and it starts smoothly.
When it has the problem, I turn key, and I only hear a click, and the dash lights are lit, but no starter motor sound.
Early on I would call for a tow truck, but it usually started when they arrived.
I got angry one time and turned the on and off rapidly, nothing. Meditated for about 10min to calm down. Nope, still angry, so turned the key rapidly again, and the starter motor engaged, but the engine didn't start.
So I did that again and gave it some gas, then a lot of gas. The engine was running very rough, like all cylinders were not firing, then it spews out a huge cloud of blue smoke, and the engine evens out. That's my usual pattern now: turn the key like crazy wait a few minutes or even an hour, and keep trying.
It is usually fine for 2 to 7 days with no problems. But a couple of times it has had the problem twice in the same day. The problem seems to happen most when the engine is cold, or after a short trip. A few times, it has had the problem even after a long trip, when the engine was still hot.
What has been replaced in the last year? In this order: starter motor, battery, hot lead to fuse box, battery terminal clamps and wires, fuel pump, mass air flow (don't know what that is), catalytic converter, and master relay. (OK the master relay probably isn't related because rain water leaked in and dripped on the fuse box in the cab.) (Also it has 133,080 miles, and a rebuilt engine put in 4 years ago.)
After the mass air flow and catalytic converter change, the truck has started with no problems for 3 months. Now the problem is back! Same symptoms.
When they last worked on the truck they did a tune-up and they said the starting problem could have been caused by the starter motor not being lined up properly so it would "jam". That would explain why the starter motor wouldn't go, but it doesn't explain the miss-firing when it does finally start going.
I also notice that after they do some work on the truck, it starts fine for about 2 weeks with no problem. So maybe something is getting wiggled into a happy position when they work on it?
If this is an "electrical" problem, what can be done to find this very intermittent problem? Also, just before the the problem started happening again, I noticed there would sometimes be about a 1/2 sec to 1 sec delay from when I turned the key, to when the starter motor would go.
Attached is an audio file of what it sounds like.
1) starting normal,
2) turning key and only clicks,
3) the rough start after many tries.
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About 2 weeks ago my 1997 Buick Park Ave (115,000 miles) began running bad during a heavy rain storm. It was running fine. Then all of a sudden at a stop light the motor hesitated and wanted to stall. I nursed the gas peddle and limped home and turned the car off. The car hesitated and sputtered all the way home as if I was running out of gas.The next day the car would not start. It turned over but would not start. I tried starting the car for three days. My mechanic friend later diagnosed the car and stated the computer was not functioning correctly. He replaced the computer. The new computer seemed to correct the problem.
The car ran great for the next 2 weeks. Yesterday, it was raining hard while I drove the car about 150 miles without any problem. Then suddenly again the motor started running badly. Again, the motor wanted to stall and hesitate as if I was running out of gas. I limped home again. This morning I tried to start the car without any luck. In addition to installing a new computer, In the last 2 months I have changed all the fuel injectors and installed new spark plugs.I have also changed the fuel pump and repaired the fuel tank. My mechanic say the cam sensor and crank sensor are operating correctly. There is spark coming from the coil packs and to the spark plugs. I do not want to randomly change parts.
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I recently bought this cavalier about a week ago its and 88 automatic trans with 1.8 4 cylinder I thing not that it matters much. I noticed the exhaust had a smaller pipe from the manifold and the rest was strung with a bit bigger pipe and was attempted to crimp the pipes togather it was loud so I crimped thhe pipes better and used exhaust glue to patch the holes it runs better now to a point. but when I start the car it revs up a fair im guessing 3 grand since I have no rpm gauge but then it dies down to a low idle to the point were the car shakes a little bit.
with the exhaust fixed I can get it up to 20 kilometres an hour with my foot off the gas when I turn fully it wants to lurch ahead/backwards. when I took it out for a highway drive today I came to a stop sign so I slowed and stoped and the car stalled out. started no problem. but I also tried later putting it in neutral and it doesn't stall as I role to a stop it doesn't shake in neutral. I would like to have this fixed but I need some pointers as of were to look. im not sure if this means anything but when I got the car it had a bad enough radiator fluid leak at the hose meeting the heating car on the engine side of the fire wall I repaired that and no longer leaks.
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Truck in question has 175k, is the TBI version (fuel injected carburetor design), has had the plugs cap and rotor replaced fairly recently.
When cold, it starts and runs normally. As it warms (after around 20 miles) it starts running rough, then after getting warmer/full operating temp, it will stall at stop signs and runs very rich - so rich you can smell the unburned fuel. At this point it is also difficult to start and requires adding some gas pedal.
I am thinking a vacuum issue, or something that is not allowing it to transition from the warm up cycle to normal cycle.
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I have an '88 EXP Escort with the non-HO 1.9L
I was noticing a rough idle (vibrating, sounded like it was bogging down)
I changed the plugs, wires, cap and rotor. Still happening.
Noticed that my o2 sensor was unplugged. Plugged it back in. Still happening.
Went to check the air filter and noticed the insane amount of fuel that was coming from my injector.
I am getting horrible gas mileage (8-12mpg)
Here is a video of what I am seeing: [URL] ....
What would be causing that much fuel to be sent out?
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I have a 1988 Buick PA Electra. Car idles rough and shaky at a stop light. When warmed up service engine light comes on for a few seconds then goes off. I've changed ignition coil box, wires, plugs, ignition module, fuel injectors, fuel filter. It seems like there may be a vacuum leak. Car has only 114,000 miles on it and I don't want to give up on her. Before this she was running smooth.
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Any way to tell if the ECU is faulty? I hooked my analyzer up to my friends 1988 Ford ranger 2.3L and it wouldn't even detect that the ignition switch was on. He was driving it the other day and is shut off on him while he was making a turn and it wouldn't start back up. We have rebuilt the distributor by replacing the pick-up, rotor button and cap, and we had the ignition module tested and found it was good. We have also replaced the coil. When the ignition is turned to the on position, the fuel pump comes on and never cycles off.
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I have tried about everything i know about cars on this truck!! It ran great when I got it until a head gasket got blown so I tore into it and replaced them both torqued heads to specs. Made sure valves wasn't to tight. Distributor is in correct spot timing is correct had ignition module tested good!!! Coil tested good replaced both fuel pumps and put new tank and sending unit in the truck b/c it needed it new fuel filter replaced return line firing order is correct 1 4 2 5 3 6 it is getting fire it will crank and crank sometimes act like it is going to start then not also I can get it to run for about 3 sec on 3 or 2 cylinders it seems to have plenty of compression as well!! only thing really I can think of that could be wrong is computer? Also one last detail tried pull starting it as well still wouldn't go.... V6 2.9L...
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when I turn key I should hear fuel pump, I don't. I can jump pump & it will run but it still won't start. I reset inertia switch, switched pumps (new one) still won't start. What next????
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My 1988 XLT 4x4 2.9L truck can't make up it's mind. Oil light comes on when ever it wants. I replaced it with a new one to make sure it wasn't bad. My lifters start clanking then they'll stop making noise when ever . Oil light goes out.Runs great. I let it Idle and once warm oil light pops on again. Rev it up light goes out then comes back on at higher rpm. Let Idle lifters clank again...and so on. seems erratic. Weak oil pump???? slop plugging pick up screen??? I'm running 20w50 oil is has 188,000. It ran today for 1/2 hour no oil light no noise then Here we go again..clanking valves ,oil light on...
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I have a 1988 Ranger 2.9 V6 that sits most of the time. The fuel pump quit working so I removed the bed and replaced the pump in the tank and the inline filter near the engine. I did not replace the inline high pressure pump because it still made a humming sound so I assumed it is working. Now when I turn the switch on I hear both pumps working but the truck will not start. It seems like it wants to fire or fires for just a second but just wont completely start. Is the system supposed to be primed and if so how?. I suspect a fuel problem but I dont know how to check pressure or check to see if fuel is getting to the engine. What to do next?
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