1995 XLT cranks but won't start intermitently (most of the time)

[duckdogwhiskey]

I am new to the forum and really appreciate all of the excellent information here. My 95 XLT will always turn over strong but will not start even with spray about half of the time. On the times that it will not start with the spray, it would definately react from the spray and sort of cough but then die. It began doing this about a year ago, but suddenly improved with no work done and now is reoccuring. It will run fine for several days and suddenly refuse to start even with starting spray. A day or two later it will crank and run fine. It has only died on me once while driving, but I have felt a hesitation a few times when suddenly accelerating. I changed the fuel filter last week, and it did have some gunk. After doing so, it ran 3 days fine, then no start. I have changed the plugs but not the plug wires. The positive battery clamp needs to be replaced, as it gets loose sometimes, however, since the starter turns over fine, I don't suspect this would cause a no start. I have also changed the fuel pump relay. I just read on the forum about how to run the self test and plan to try that,.... assuming I can get it to start and reach operating temperature. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[miesk5]

yo!

Replace that positive battery clamp; remove NEG BATTY Clamp first; clean & inspect that too; look for wire strand corrosion within all connectors (look closely in, as far as u can see)

Do you have a volt-ohm meter?

You can start cking for power @ batty..and when it does crank the starter over you should have ~10 Volts at batty (+ and -) during cranking.

and 14.xx volts while running

then ck grounds at Engine to frame, batty to same area and back up to the ground metal strap to intake manifold and over to firewall

Also. is the Check Engine Light lit?

check for codes by our pal BroncoJoe19 Visit My Website

Remember to have engine @ Normal Operating Temperature before doing the KOER portion; that nay be tuff..but hopefully you can get it running.

 

[duckdogwhiskey]

yo!Replace that positive battery clamp; remove NEG BATTY Clamp first; clean & inspect that too; look for wire strand corrosion within all connectors (look closely in, as far as u can see)

Do you have a volt-ohm meter?

You can start cking for power @ batty..and when it does crank the starter over you should have ~10 Volts at batty (+ and -) during cranking.

and 14.xx volts while running

then ck grounds at Engine to frame, batty to same area and back up to the ground metal strap to intake manifold and over to firewall

Also. is the Check Engine Light lit?

check for codes by our pal BroncoJoe19 Visit My Website

Remember to have engine @ Normal Operating Temperature before doing the KOER portion; that nay be tuff..but hopefully you can get it running.

Okay, I plan to change the terminals/wires tonight and give it a go. I might as well pick up an ohmeter as well since I am trying to start doing all the work on the vehicle myself. Could it really be that simple?Check engine light is not on but the abs is, as has been the case since I have owned it- 3 yrs. Thanks for your help and I will post the results.

 

[miesk5]

ok,

Yes, an bad conn. will cause troubleshooting & starting grief. As well as a bad cell in the batty; I had one last week. Would start fine one morn then had a long cranking delay before the voltage and current flow started up.

Pick up a DVOM (digital volt ohm meter) @ Wallymart etc. under $20.00 and prob less.

In case you work on it today or tomorrow; I'll be away.. by our pal Seabronc http://broncozone.com/forums/index.php?sho...amp;mode=linear

I believe it was for the Duraspark ign but the overall daig is same, starting w/batty condition.

Also, you can diagnose that ABS problem with a self test.

RABS Self Test; except 93-96; "...The 90 service manual gives a routine to pull RABS codes. When the light comes on, don't turn the truck off before reading the codes. Put it in park, chock both front & rear of the wheels, note whether the red brake light is lit also, then momentarily ground the test connector. The test connector comes out of a large loom under the dash, coming through the firewall, near the parking brake. On mine there are 2 similar connectors in that area, the correct one has only 1 black wire with an orange tracer running to it, & was hidden on top of the loom. The correct one is hanging down on the bottom right of the pic below. After you've grounded & ungrounded the wire, the yellow abs light starts to flash. Count the flashes. It said to not count the 1st series, because it may start in the middle. The last flash of the series is a long flash. Then it repeats over & over, until you turn the key off. Count all of the short flashes & the long one together (So 4 short & 1 long is code #5). If I remember right, it should be a number between 2 & 15 or so. If you follow Steve83's sig link, & then go to his Brakes & Hubs album, he has the code definitions for RABS.."

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/708365/...3187.jpg%20alt=

Source: by ElKabong

RABS DTCs http://www.supermotors.net/registry/media/280857

Source: by Steve83

 

[duckdogwhiskey]

ok,Yes, an bad conn. will cause troubleshooting & starting grief. As well as a bad cell in the batty; I had one last week. Would start fine one morn then had a long cranking delay before the voltage and current flow started up.

Pick up a DVOM (digital volt ohm meter) @ Wallymart etc. under $20.00 and prob less.

In case you work on it today or tomorrow; I'll be away.. by our pal Seabronc http://broncozone.com/forums/index.php?sho...amp;mode=linear

I believe it was for the Duraspark ign but the overall daig is same, starting w/batty condition.

Also, you can diagnose that ABS problem with a self test.

RABS Self Test; except 93-96; "...The 90 service manual gives a routine to pull RABS codes. When the light comes on, don't turn the truck off before reading the codes. Put it in park, chock both front & rear of the wheels, note whether the red brake light is lit also, then momentarily ground the test connector. The test connector comes out of a large loom under the dash, coming through the firewall, near the parking brake. On mine there are 2 similar connectors in that area, the correct one has only 1 black wire with an orange tracer running to it, & was hidden on top of the loom. The correct one is hanging down on the bottom right of the pic below. After you've grounded & ungrounded the wire, the yellow abs light starts to flash. Count the flashes. It said to not count the 1st series, because it may start in the middle. The last flash of the series is a long flash. Then it repeats over & over, until you turn the key off. Count all of the short flashes & the long one together (So 4 short & 1 long is code #5). If I remember right, it should be a number between 2 & 15 or so. If you follow Steve83's sig link, & then go to his Brakes & Hubs album, he has the code definitions for RABS.."

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/708365/...3187.jpg%20alt=

Source: by ElKabong

RABS DTCs http://www.supermotors.net/registry/media/280857

Source: by Steve83

 

[duckdogwhiskey]

Thanks for the help Miesk!

So last night I had planned to change out both battery cables but after looking, the cables themselves looked reasonably fresh so I opted to change the terminal ends rather than pulling new cable. After doing so, I hooked up jumper cables from my wifes car and let it charge for about 15 minutes. The Bronc did not start immediately but it did start with starting spray. The starter seemed to be turning noticeably faster after charging even that short period. While at orielly's getting new terminals I noticed they had a ford tester behind the counter for $29 so I got it. Figured it was worth the dough to save a bit of time making the jumper and counting when the sun was going down. That said, I tested in the engine off mode as per instructions and it gave me a 111-all clear. I was in the process of doing the engine on test when I realized that I had forgotten to disconnect the tester and turn it off before starting the engine. The engine began to rev so I immediately turned the tester off and removed but I think I fried the tester by leaving it connected, as it would only give me the 000 and would not initiate a test in engine off or on mode. Plan to make the jumper today rather than spend another 30 on another tester. I suspect that the alternator may be going out as I had firestone put on a serpentine belt that blew out a couple of weeks ago and they said the water pump and alternator needed to be replaced but I wasn't about to pay them the $1300 they quoted for these 2 things..... Really, I think that I am going to find that the sickness isn't just a symptom of 1 problem but several. The truck had been neglected before I got it (used as a beach machine by the quantity of sand that was under the bed carpet), and I haven't done much better in that field other than the occasional oil change. This morning it again took several doses of starting spray to successfully start. Fuel pressure problems also? Fuel pump? More trash in the new filter? My tank is metal but looks OK from the outside.... When the truck starts and runs you would never know there was a problem. Thanks for the advice on testing the battery. Will do so as soon as possible, probably Wednesday night and post the progress or lack thereof.- Sorry such a long post.

 

[miesk5]

That DTC scanner is prob ok; will look up possible causes for it to show 000.

Return it if you can.

Pull that battery and get it tested for free at NAPA or Advance Auto etc. Or better yet, see if you have an "Automobile Electric Shop" in area.. they have better test equipt. and will do many tests for free (starter - alt, batty, relay on pass inner fender, etc.)

A possible alteternator problem thing is to try and charge a batty using the alternator. I have a Link in my site under ALTERNATOR, Battery; General - on it

Can post Links later on testing for Fuel (listen for Fuel Puimp starting upon key ON - etc.), Ignition (spark at a plug wire), etc.

And I see our pals BroncoJoe, Bill, Seabronc, JSME84 and all are here to go thru those steps once you rule out the BATTY and connection/cables

 

[duckdogwhiskey]

That DTC scanner is prob ok; will look up possible causes for it to show 000.Return it if you can.

Pull that battery and get it tested for free at NAPA or Advance Auto etc. Or better yet, see if you have an "Automobile Electric Shop" in area.. they have better test equipt. and will do many tests for free (starter - alt, batty, relay on pass inner fender, etc.)

A possible alteternator problem thing is to try and charge a batty using the alternator. I have a Link in my site under ALTERNATOR, Battery; General - on it

Can post Links later on testing for Fuel (listen for Fuel Puimp starting upon key ON - etc.), Ignition (spark at a plug wire), etc.

And I see our pals BroncoJoe, Bill, Seabronc, JSME84 and all are here to go thru those steps once you rule out the BATTY and connection/cables

 

[duckdogwhiskey]

The 000 isn't a code, it is just the first numbers that come up when you turn it on. I plan to have the batt and alternator tested at lunch. That should give me something to go on. Thanks again.

 

[duckdogwhiskey]

I am new to the forum and really appreciate all of the excellent information here. My 95 XLT will always turn over strong but will not start even with spray about half of the time. On the times that it will not start with the spray, it would definately react from the spray and sort of cough but then die. It began doing this about a year ago, but suddenly improved with no work done and now is reoccuring. It will run fine for several days and suddenly refuse to start even with starting spray. A day or two later it will crank and run fine. It has only died on me once while driving, but I have felt a hesitation a few times when suddenly accelerating. I changed the fuel filter last week, and it did have some gunk. After doing so, it ran 3 days fine, then no start. I have changed the plugs but not the plug wires. The positive battery clamp needs to be replaced, as it gets loose sometimes, however, since the starter turns over fine, I don't suspect this would cause a no start. I have also changed the fuel pump relay. I just read on the forum about how to run the self test and plan to try that,.... assuming I can get it to start and reach operating temperature. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[duckdogwhiskey]

Okay... If not starting was bad enough, I went home at lunch and thought to myself, "self, you have an hour. Why don't you try the engine on test with the jumper wire you just made?" So, as I brought the rpms up to 2000 in order to bring it to operating temperature to do the test, It dies. That is new. It has only died after starting one time, then immediately restarted. It would not restart so I decided that maybe there was so much junk in the tank that the filter I put on last week might be plugged. Since I just changed it, I figured I could dump it pretty quick and maybe get back to work on time. I dumped the fuel into a glass jar from the filter and both ends of the line and it looked...pristine. So, my thinking is that junk in the tank is ruled out. I put the filter back on and it started right away. I recranked the engine several times just to see and had no problems. You hear the fuel filter priming before you start the engine. I guess the next step is to do the tests and get my alternator and battery tested. Would a bad alternator or battery cause the engine to die?

 

[BroncoJoe19]

Would a bad alternator or battery cause the engine to die?

Yes and no. The engine can run for a while without an alternator, but eventually the battery will be so dead that it will stall. When that happens the battery will not have enough cranking amps left in it to crank the engine.

So in your case, you were able to crank the engine and restart it a number of times after it stalled, so I would say that the alternator and battery did not cause it to stall.

OTOH poor connections CAN cause it to stall, and CAN cause an intermittant problem.

Did you get a volt meter yet?

You still want to check your battery and alternator.

You want to visibly examine your connections, and check them with a volt meter.

I'll list for you how to use a volt meter to check your grounds, and a list of grounds for your truck.

You want to check these grounds with the ignition key turned to run, or with the engine running.

Be careful that you do not wear loose clothing, dangleing jewelry, hoodies, or long hair that can get caught in any moving parts.

How to Check a ground

Turn the power to the circuit on, and using a digital volt meter, put one lead to the grounded wire, and the other to a good ground. If there is voltage, clean your ground.

Turn power to the circuit off, and use a self powered test light, or an ohm meter, and test the grounded wire to a good ground. IF the light goes on, or there is continuity on the ohm meter, then the ground is probably good. (There may still be ressistance in the connection, if significant one will see it in the ohm meter, or the light may not shine brightly.) Using a DVM is a better method!

good ground.

The best ground is the battery neg terminal. There may be some resistance in the battery connector, and wire(s) that then connect to the engine block, body frame, and interframe connections. To locate a good ground, one should use a DVM digital volt meter, and put one probe to the bat neg terminal, and the other to a ground. Ideally there will be no voltage recorded (unless there is an open) a few millivolts are acceptable. If one finds voltage, one must locate any poor connections between that ground and the neg terminal of the bat, and clean it.

 

[BroncoJoe19]

Here is a list of grounds for a '92 - '96 bronc

I took a look in my Haynes manual.

They list 10 separate grounds... A-J.

A. Starter mounting bolt

B. Right front of Engine compartment near the battery

C. Lower left front of engine

D. Right front of engine compartment on upper radiator support.

E. Left front of engine compartment Upper radiator support

F. Bottom of cowl panel

G. Rear of left fender apron

H. Behind bottom of right cowl panel

I. Left rear corner of cargo area near rear lamp assembly

J. Under center rear of vehicle on rear cross member.

 

[duckdogwhiskey]

Here is a list of grounds for a '92 - '96 bronc
I took a look in my Haynes manual.

They list 10 separate grounds... A-J.

A. Starter mounting bolt

B. Right front of Engine compartment near the battery

C. Lower left front of engine

D. Right front of engine compartment on upper radiator support.

E. Left front of engine compartment Upper radiator support

F. Bottom of cowl panel

G. Rear of left fender apron

H. Behind bottom of right cowl panel

I. Left rear corner of cargo area near rear lamp assembly

J. Under center rear of vehicle on rear cross member.

 

[duckdogwhiskey]

Thanks for all of the good information. I am going to be able to run the engine on trouble codes tonight, and hope to get my batt and alternator tested at lunch. For now the truck is starting and running good. After I dumped the fuel filter yesterday, it cranked right up but I left it at the house and caught a ride back to work in case it wanted to die on the way. When I got home yesterday evening it cranked right up, and It cranked easily this morning and I drove to work no problems. Like I said, the fuel in the filter and lines looked fine when I dumped it so I am assuming my dumping the filter was just a coincidence. This weekend I will have a chance to check all connections with an ohmeter. Again, thanks and I will post any progress or resolution to this problem.

 

[duckdogwhiskey]

Got the pull code tests done using the jumper and flashes. Came up again 111- All clear on the engine off tests, and got 538- "invalid cylinder balance test due to throttle movement during test", and 632-" Overdrive transmission switch cancel- no action during run test". I am assuming when you say to press overdrive in the start up of the Koer test, that you mean the cruise button, is this right? The truck is running beautifully since after I dumped the fuel filter yesterday, but as I said, the gas I dumped looked fine...

 

[fordsohc46]

you are supposed to push the overdrive button on the end of the shifter during koer test and also turn steering wheel and hit brake pedal. i would say maybe you have a firing issue i.e. crank sensor or dist.

 

[BroncoJoe19]

The error codes that you are getting appear to be operator error during the test.

You have an E4OD trans. It should have an OD on/off switch either on the dask, or perhaps at the end of the shifter, as mentioned above.

Are you still having issues?

 

[duckdogwhiskey]

Thanks guys. I never even realized that the truck had overdrive, so maybe the test was not accurate because I didn't push that button, or maybe that is why the code about the overdrive came back? I am going to run the test again to make sure that I get it right. The truck is running like a champ right now, but I am not sure what if anything I have done has to do with it. Here is what I have done so far:

- Changed fuel filter

- Changed air filter

- Changed fuel pump relay

- Changed battery cable terminals

- Put 2 bottles of Lucas injector cleaner in tank. I did this first and it didn't seem to improve things.

Without a doubt, my battery cable terminals were loose. After I changed them things progressively got better as the alternator was able to charge the battery. The starter spins much faster now, and normally does the job on the first crank.

Thanks for all your help. I will rerun the test, but for now the Bronc is happier than its been in a while. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />