1996 ford bronco wont run

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Jfaulk31

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I was driving and the whole truck died on me.
It would crank but wouldn't start
I checked fuel pressure
Replaced the tfi module
Replaced the distributor

Found a fuel leak at my fuel rail. I fixed that.

Now it will almost start while turning the key but will not run.

Has anyone else ran into this problem?
 

Tiha

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Cap and rotor? Plug wires?

If you are in florida high humidity can cause problems on those components.

But check the basics, what is fuel pressure reading?
Have you verified spark? Parts stores have a cool little inline spark tester. It has a bulb that flashes when there is spark. It doesn't interrupt spark.
Like this one https://www.harborfreight.com/90-in...JiIPtCvJuxrMI3E5DIAFCo0CENcg8cTkaAndLEALw_wcB

If you have fuel pressure and spark. Are there any codes? what are they?

Then is there compression? How many miles? Timing chain break?

It is a long process but just have to keep eliminating stuff until you find it.

Once you verify all those things then we need to verify that the injectors are getting a pulse.

If it still isn't running then. You have to look at things like bad ECM, or plugged injectors.
 
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Jfaulk31

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Odometer reading is 240,000 but the engine was rebuilt so Im not sure on how many miles is on the engine.

I've got 40psi at the rail.
The ignition coil has 6,500 ohms

I pulled the valve covers off to check if my valves were closing correctly. Both intake and exhaust valves were closed on tdc compression on number one.

I put a inline spark tester on it and I was getting a good spark across all 8 cylinders.

I did the compression test. All the cylinders were at 150 psi.

I'm not smelling anything weird around the pcm.

It wont even run on starter fluid.
 

Tiha

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If you have spark and compression and it won't run on starting fluid, then the plugs are wet or fouled. Did they look wet when you pulled them for compression testing?
Bad gas? Pull some out of the tank, smell it, burn it in a can. See how it reacts.

I had one car that had sat for a long time, It had everything it needed to run but would not. I ended up pulling the fuel rail with injectors and cranking the engine to verify it was spraying fuel and it was, so much that it was flooding the engine.
I reassembled. Unplugged the fuel pump and got it running on starting fluid. After that I plugged the fuel pump in and off it went. Not sure why, but that is what it took.

Actually that reminds me, pull the dipstick, if it is over full on oil, or if there is too many gas fumes in the oil it may prevent it from starting as well. (not enough oxygen)
 

miesk5

96 Bronco 5.0
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Yo Jfaulk31,
Welcome!
As Tiha advised.

Try borrowing OBD II SCAN TOOL at local parts store under their loan-a-tool program with refundable deposit.
Post codes found.



ASAP, find out if speed control recall work, if equipped was completed @ http://www.supermotors.net/registry/2742/80431-2 ... have VIN ready. While there, see most Ford dealer maintenance/repairs done @ any dealership nation-wide.

"Summary: ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS, PASSENGER VEHICLES, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, AND MOTOR HOMES CHASSIS, THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH MAY, UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, LEAK INTERNALLY AND THEN OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN. THIS COULD RESULT IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE."

To confirm current status, use this guide by jowens1126 @ 93 & 94-96 Cruise Control Recalls Repair

Note that the 93 recall is different than the 94-96 recall.

Here's the 1996 Bronco/F-Series Workshop Manual partial @ http://www.diesel-dave.com/vehic/manual/stj/stjleft.htm

96 Bronco Owner's Guide, Maintenance Schedules & Parts and Accessories by Ford @ Owner Manuals | fleet.ford.com

96 Bronco Dealer Brochure @ https://www.supermotors.net/registry/3549/15947-2 ... scroll down

96 Bronco Quick Tips Brochure Excerpts & some Eddie Bauer options @ http://www.supermotors.net/registry/2742/80431-2

Al
 

F1Jim64

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If you have spark and compression and it won't run on starting fluid, then the plugs are wet or fouled. Did they look wet when you pulled them for compression testing?
Bad gas? Pull some out of the tank, smell it, burn it in a can. See how it reacts.

I had one car that had sat for a long time, It had everything it needed to run but would not. I ended up pulling the fuel rail with injectors and cranking the engine to verify it was spraying fuel and it was, so much that it was flooding the engine.
I reassembled. Unplugged the fuel pump and got it running on starting fluid. After that I plugged the fuel pump in and off it went. Not sure why, but that is what it took.

Actually that reminds me, pull the dipstick, if it is over full on oil, or if there is too many gas fumes in the oil it may prevent it from starting as well. (not enough oxygen)
Did you time the distributor correctly when you put the new one back in? Sounds like everything is out of time to me. Find a youtube video to help but you need to bring the engine to TDC on Cyl 1 and drop the dizzy in so the rotor is pointing at Cyl 1's spark plug post. The procedure can be tricky because the oil pump drive will usually need to be aligned with a screwdriver to make the dizzy drop in at the right point.
 

larry105

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I was driving and the whole truck died on me.
It would crank but wouldn't start
I checked fuel pressure
Replaced the tfi module
Replaced the distributor

Found a fuel leak at my fuel rail. I fixed that.

Now it will almost start while turning the key but will not run.

Has anyone else ran into this problem?
I had a problem with a 94 bronco, used to shut off and would not start when it rained, this problem was intermittent. What it was, is the area between the fender and firewall water collected and filled the cavity up along side the PCM. The drain was clogged at the botton of the fender, ThePCM was taken out,let it dry. Put it back and then sealed the area inside the fender with flex tape and spray flex seal (as seen on TV). No problems since.
not sure thats your problem but due to the age of the vehicles, leaves and debris can find there way though the vented area by the wiper blades
 

Robert Hicks

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I was driving and the whole truck died on me.
It would crank but wouldn't start
I checked fuel pressure
Replaced the tfi module
Replaced the distributor

Found a fuel leak at my fuel rail. I fixed that.

Now it will almost start while turning the key but will not run.

Has anyone else ran into this problem?
 

Robert Hicks

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Check passenger side ground wires front inside hood ,my sons did that looked for weeks .look by starter solinoid switch
 

GunnySutton

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I was driving and the whole truck died on me.
It would crank but wouldn't start
I checked fuel pressure
Replaced the tfi module
Replaced the distributor

Found a fuel leak at my fuel rail. I fixed that.

Now it will almost start while turning the key but will not run.

Has anyone else ran into this problem?
My did the same and this is what I did: Replaced fuel pressure regulator, put iridium plugs in, replaced the fuel filter, replaced the coil, and new cap and rotor. I don't know what fixed it (suspect fuel regulator was the culprit) but it runs like a champ. Really low dollar preventive maintenance that got her going again.
 

RustyDusty0128

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The starter solenoid on the passenger side fender under the hood we spent $1,800 trying to figure out what was wrong with mine and that $18 part is all it was.
 

Ric330

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My 94 didn't die on me but I went out and it wouldn't start after having been driven to that spot and parked just hours earlier. Everything tested ok. Hauled it to town. Coolant temp sensor. I'd never heard of such a thing. They said it was giving such a wacky reading that the computer didn't know how to to the fuel/air thing. That was over a year ago and it's been fine since.
 
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Jfaulk31

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Ok so I pulled my cords and all I'm getting is p0122 it says tps sensor low voltage.

I replaced the starter solenoid about a week ago.

I turned the engine over until it blew my finger off the sparkplug hole.

Only 3 of the plugs were fouled and smelled like fuel. I replaced all 8 spark plugs.

I replaced my power wire from the battery to the starter because it had burn thru and shorted to my exhaust manifold.
 

miesk5

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Yo,
Trouble Code: P1705 (5.0L V8 VIN N Auto)
Transmission Range Sensor Out of Self-Test Range
Print this code data
Number of Trips to Set Code: 1

Trouble Code Conditions:
Key on, KOEO Self Test enabled, and the PCM detected it did not receive a Transmission Range (TR) sensor signal in Park or Neutral position.

Possible Causes:

  • * Gear selector not in Park or Neutral during the self-test
  • * Digital TR sensor circuit is open or shorted to ground
  • * Digital TR sensor has failed
  • * PCM has failed.. SMELL IT FOR A DEAD FISH AROMA OR OPEN IT UP TO INSPECT FOR LEAKING CAPACITORS, OR BURNT PCB MARKS.


p0122
Throttle Position Sensor ciircuit Low InputPrint this code data
Number of Trips to Set Code: 2

Trouble Code Conditions:
Key on or engine running; and the PCM detected the TP sensor was less than 0.17v (Scan Tool TP PID reads under 3.42%) in the test.

Possible Causes:

  • * TP sensor signal circuit open (inspect wiring & connector)
  • * TP sensor signal shorted to ground (inspect wiring & connector)
  • * TP sensor VREF circuit is open (between the sensor and PCM)
  • * TP sensor is damaged or has failed
  • * PCM has failed
DTC 121, 122, 123, 124, 125 & DTC P0122, P0123 & P1121 in TSB 94-26-4; "...The following is a list of vehicle symptoms which have been associated with the TPS, but can also be related to other vehicle components. Check engine light, Stalls, quits, hesitation/stumble, fast idle; To minimize the replacement of good components, be advised that the following non-EEC areas may be the issue: Excessive blow-by, PCV malfunction, Vacuum leaks, Fuel pressure, Throttle sticking or linkage binding. MANY VOLTMETERS WILL AUTOMATICALLY CHANGE RANGES WHEN MEASURING TPS OUTPUT FROM IDLE TO WOT. WHEN A VOLTMETER IS USED TO MEASURE TPS OUTPUT FROM IDLE TO WOT, THE METER SCALES OR CHANGES RANGES AUTOMATICALLY. THERE MAY BE AN ERRONEOUS METER DISPLAY UNTIL THE VOLTMETER HAS LOCKED TO THE APPROPRIATE VOLTAGE READING. THE ERRONEOUS METER DISPLAY DOES NOT REPRESENT A DEFECTIVE TPS. NOTE: IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE "RANGE LOCK" FEATURE ON MANY METERS BE SET FOR CHECKING TPS VOLTAGE..."
Source: by Ford via Chilton




 
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hate to ask, but please post if this is a bronco one or two, as they have much different engines and powertrain etc. Though they have similar electronics environments, the engines and strategy are in some ways much different. also, not that it matters much, but if the bronco 1 is it a 5.0 or a 5.8? i saw miesk5 posted a code above indicating a 5.0L? the 5.0/5.8 electronics are pretty similar though.

In short, i feel this could be an electronics issue, or an intake air induction issue (large intake leak)
either way, it sounds like it just died randomly as you were driving and never started after that. so i'd perhaps lean toward an electronics issue. this is a tough one for sure though.

Ok so, lets go down the list of things done...
#1 I've got 40psi at the rail.
got fuel pressure. good. I think this is on the lower side of what's specified, but not a concern right now in my opinion. Perhaps a clue to a stuck open injector? ehh. it wouldn't cause it to just die on the road IMO. would prob cause hard starts, extreme bad mileage etc. we will call this good for now.

#2 The ignition coil has 6,500 ohms
on the secondary high voltage side? the primary side should have much lower impedance, try testing that side. (closer to 10 or less ohms ish.) i'd have to read up on actual impedance of the E-core coil... That being said, you said you had spark when cranking on all eight, so ehh. seems fine.

#3 I pulled the valve covers off to check if my valves were closing correctly. Both intake and exhaust valves were closed on tdc compression on number one/ compression check says 150psi across the board.
Good. not a compression issue. rules out mechanical valvetrain stuffs.

#4 I put a inline spark tester on it and I was getting a good spark across all 8 cylinders.
you have spark. good.

#5 I'm not smelling anything weird around the pcm.
They can fail without smelling weird but good. often if it gives codes it means the pcm is mostly there. not a total win, but it means it's not a brick. don't rule it out though.

#6 It wont even run on starter fluid.
Interesting, as it seems you have spark and compression? hmm.

#7 Starter solenoid...
as mentioned above would not be the problem if the engine cranked but not started. Not the issue here.

#8 transmission range sensor out of self test range
this (pretty sure) pertains to the potentiometer side of the sensor (for E4od transmissions) and it's ultimately a way of the computer determining the commands of the driver via the gearshifter. It has another side of the sensor which is more of a hard switch which detects park/neutral position and interrupts the start signal from the starter relay. Not our issue here as it cranks but won't start...

that being said, a computer fault internally, or bad grounding, or shorted 5v reference from the computer may cause this and the tps to have both these faults as the computer probably uses the same 5v ref signal for each one. interesting note. hmm. you could break out the multimeter, but perhaps we are still barking up the wrong tree and these have been issues separately for a while. did they come up only after this happened? if so i'd check to see you have 5v at the throttle position sensor. if it were shorted somewhere it'd prob cause a no start condition as this 5v reference is what powers most sensors on the engine. without this 5v, the computer wouldn't be able to tell whats day or night, sort of speak. dunno if the computer would be able to throw a code for lack of/shorted 5v ref.

we have tested a lot of basics here and still are not very sure what's going on. hmm.

When it died the first time on the road did it immediately shut off, or did it spudder to a stop?
when you crank does it give any signs of wanting to fire or is it just crank and that's it? (no backfiring via intake or exhaust for example)

the distributor has been replaced and it's super important to ensure it's close to it's correct position (rotor aiming at no1 cylinder at top dead center COMPRESSION STROKE) after the rig does run again, it's important to put a timing light on it and set it exact to the specifications so that the computer may control it's anticipated range of advance/******.

did it have the same symptoms after you replaced the distributor?

I like the bad fuel theory, but spraying starting fluid seemed to do nothing. interesting some plugs seemed fouled though. after enough cranking with no start, you will see fuel fouled plugs. not gonna keep the engine from starting like what you seem to have.

checking battery connections is always a good idea, especially when someone puts on aftermarket battery connectors, which never seem to last long. that being said, the final revision (1996) of electrical for those rigs was much more robust and redundant than the early ones which were basically a computer wire harness laid on top of the legacy wire harness.

hate to ask, but please post if this is a bronco one or two, as they have much different engines and powertrain etc. Though they have similar electronics environments, the engines and strategy are in some ways much different. also, not that it matters much, but if the bronco 1 is it a 5.0 or a 5.8?

i feel i have left a lot of questions unanswered here, but keep up the work. troubleshooting this stuff's a little cryptic with these aging electronics, but there's info out there and a bunch of people too. get back to us. hope all my nonnsense helped a bit. haha.
 

GunnySutton

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Check your wiring hardness forward the battery to the headlights for corrosion. I looked under the tape and found a green spot in the wiring. Fixed it and no more low voltage. Truth be told I just traced the wiring harness by wiggling it until something "unatural" happened.
 
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Jfaulk31

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Truck is running good now.
Reset timing and put distributor back in now cranks and runs good. Probably jumped timing is my guess
 

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