89 Won't run after engine wash

[hapser]

Hey all, I'm hoping someone with more knowledge about the engine electrical can help me.

I have a 89 bronco with a 5.8 in it.

I had an oil leak that got oil all over the engine so I decided to wash the engine off. I sprayed some degreaser and waited about 10 min, then proceeded to rinse it down with a small pressure washer.

I left the hood open for a few hours while things dried out then got in and it took 3 tries to get it to start. I drove across town and when I shut it off at my friends house it wouldn't start again.

After towing it home I sprayed a small squirt of starting fluid and it fired up. I made it half way down the driveway and it started to sputter and died with the engine light flashing rapidly. I figured things were still a little wet so I let it sit overnight. The next morning it still wouldn't start. When I turned the key on, I heard the fuel pump relay clicking on and off. I remembered that a couple years ago I had washed the engine and the fuel pump relay filled with water and when I replaced it everything worked fine.

Here is where things get tricky. I pulled the cover off the relay and made sure it was dry inside and that it worked. I tried the starting fluid again and it fired up and ran, but when I shut it off it always needed that little squirt of starting fluid to get going again. After doing this 4 times the fuel pump relay will no longer turn on by itself. I can push the relay closed with my finger and hear the fuel pump turn on though.

So I tried using the starting fluid to get it going and holding the relay on with my finger and it still won't run. It will continue to run as long as I keep spraying a squirt of starting fluid every second or so.

I also put a gauge on the fuel rail and I have about 43 PSI getting to the injectors. I've been told that anything 30 or 35 and above is enough to run.

Looking at this wiring diagram, I am wondering if it's ok to use a test light to check the TAN-LT GRN and RED wires on the fuel pump relay. I don't want to nuke the computer.

The best I can figure is that the computer is not telling the fuel pump relay to turn on and is also not telling the injectors to fire.

Anyone have any ideas about what might be wrong or what I should check?

Also a guy at Autozone told me I could get the computer codes by using a jumper wire, but I can't remember how. If someone could refresh my memory that would be great.

Thanks.

 

[miesk5]

yo hapser,

WELCOME!

re; "... get the computer codes by using a jumper wire..."

Try the Self Test for Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC)s by my pal, BroncoJoe19

http://broncozone.com/topic/14269-code-reader/page__pid__74587__mode__threaded

The engine temperature must be greater than 50° F for the Key On Engine Off (KOEO) Self-Test and greater than 180° F for the Key On Engine Running (KOER) Self-Test.

Run it around to heat the engine up and shift thru all gears incl Reverse. Then turn off all accessories/lights, etc.

Make sure A/C is off and transmission is in Park (automatic) or in Neutral for a Manual & release clutch.

Do Key On Engine Off (KOEO) portion first.

Look Codes up in my broncolinks.com site using the new Search function.

And Post em here according to:

KOEO

&

KOER

---------------

Pull FP relay and inspect & test. Expect corrosion in sockets and on relay contacts. Test your relays by applying 12 V across the small terminals, listen for the click and check continuity across the large terminals. This will rule out the relays themselves being a problem.

Can you hear the fuel pumps run when turing to start when fp relay clicks?

84-89 Overview & High Pressure Pump Depiction; "...Two electric pumps are used on fuel injected models; a low pressure boost pump mounted in the fuel tank and a high pressure pump mounted on the vehicle frame. The low pressure pump is used to provide pressurized fuel to the inlet of the high pressure pump and helps prevent noise and heating problems. The externally mounted high pressure pump is capable of supplying 15.9 gallons of fuel an hour. System pressure is controlled by a pressure regulator mounted on the engine. The pressure regulator reduces fuel pressure to 39-40 psi (269-276 kPa) under normal operating conditions. At idle or high manifold vacuum condition, fuel pressure is reduced to approximately 30 psi

Check air filter and inside distr cap

 

[Rons beast]

Welcome Hapser.

M5 has most all the info you want. Also look at "recent posts" 3 posts below yours, Dan T had the same question. See Krafty's responce.

ALSO.....check all your grounds,and the starter solenoid. Especially the engine to frame ground and body to frame ground. It's common for these grounds to loose effectiveness after they get age on them then are subjected to water. Especially a preasure washer.

Good Luck

 

[hapser]

Thanks for the replies. I went to get the codes and the check engine light won't even come on anymore. I thought maybe it was burnt out so I swapped it with the one next to it and both bulbs are good.

In my mind this mean one of two things.

1. The computer is dead.

or

2. The EEC power relay is corroded and doesn't work anymore.

I checked all the fuses and all are good.

There are 3 relays that I can see by the air filter box.

One is the fuel pump relay and it is good.

The other is the trailer light relay.

The last one I'm not sure what it is and it has the most corrosion on it. It does work when I check it with the test light though. The wire colors are yellow, yellow/black, red, and black. It click when the key is turned to on.

The wire colors on that last one tell me that it's not the EEC power relay. Where would the EEC power relay be located?

If I can make sure the computer is getting power I am going to assume that the computer is dead. What has me confused is that the engine will run while spraying starting fluid. Would it still run like this even with a dead computer?

Thanks for the help.

 

[Rons beast]

Not likely it would run at all with a dead comp.

If you have power to these relays and bulbs, but they still won't power up, check the grounds.

I personally had hair pulling experiances due to bad grounds.....(I also learned never to use a powerwasher on an engine...or on a roof..or house siding,or soffiting, or prior to painting your house....)

back to your problem.....check if there is a good ground, as well as power to the relays, comp. etc.

Have you checked all the terminals on the solenoid ?

 

[Krafty]

pull off your distributor cap and dry it out. the next best bet it to run through a diagnostic check list to narrow down the source of the problem. check spark and fuel pressure. if both are good then check your idle air controller and all of your other sensors.

and I will recommend......NEVER washe your engine bay with a pressure washer. do it by hand or not at all.

 

[miesk5]

yo,

BROWN socket = EEC Power Relay (near FP Relay)

GREEN socket = Fuel Pump Relay

EEC Power Relay Wiring Diagram in an 89

Source: by SeattleFSB (Seattle FSB)

 

[AdamDude04]

Best way to clean is engine spray cleaner.

Then rinse with the "shower" on a garden hose. But it sounds like you may have water in a sensor.. the sensors aren't nearly sealed as well compared to new vehicles these days. And when you have water between two wires with voltage..what happens?

My guess, watery sensor. Second guess, loose ground.

Third guess, puddle water somewhere that still seeping into the motor.

 

[hapser]

Thanks everyone for the help!

I found the culprit. It was a very corroded EEC relay. miesk5, thanks especially for posting the info about the brown socket being the EEC relay and telling me the location. After I knew that I was indeed looking at the correct relay then I was able to test it using the wiring diagram you also posted. I realized that the red wire needed to be hot when the key was on and it wasn't.

Also Rons beast, the suggestion about cleaning the ground wires and solenoid connections. This wasn't causing my problem but it was causing my engine to start like it had a half dead battery all the time. My engine cranks over better than ever now. Thanks for suggesting I do that.

The pressure washer was definitely a bad idea in this case, but it also was just the straw that broke the camels back. The previous owner had broken the bracket that holds the relays upright and I was lazy and never fixed it. The relays would hang nearly upside down and they would fill up with water. From the looks of the EEC relay it seems to have been collecting water for some time now and when I verifide that it was bad, I cracked it open to see how it looked inside. I dumped out about a half a teaspoon of rust particles and wondered how the bronco was even running a week ago.

I'm going to attach a picture so you all can see how corroded it is.

Thanks again for the help and suggestions everyone.

 

[Krafty]

well in that case its a good thing you hosed it down so it could propt you to look into those little issues. I would also reccommend removing and cleaning your battery connections every few months, the ones on my truck were not tightened onto the posts properly and my truck died when my wife had it in town while I was at work. its really hard trying to teach someone how to fix something over the phone.... I dont know how those IT guys do it.