New fuel pump, still no sploder.
This is begining to piss me off.
Actually, it has long since pissed me off.
So anyway. The new fuel pump cost me a sore and near broken nose, and three bloody knuckles, and I still don’t have a running truck. ECM next. If the ECM don’t fix it, the t4ruck sits out side the rest of the winter while the van comes indoors. Damned if I’m gonna give up the nice warm parking place for a non running vehicle.
34 comments Og | Uncategorized
After you’ve sacrificed sweat, blood, bruises and time to the mechanical gods, the least the Exploder ought to do is run, dammit.
So, did changing the fuel pump solve the fuel pressure drop?
If it did, then you have fuel, spark, and compression. The only thing left is timing – is the spark getting there at the right time. Of course, that is the job of the ECM…
Fuel pressure is to spec, and doesn’t dip. The pressure was almost at spec before, cewrtainly not what I’d think would cause a problem.
Damned if I’m gonna give up the nice warm parking place for a non running vehicle.
Yeah! THAT’LL larn it!
M
If the ECM doesn’t do the trick. Shoot it in the head like a horse.
When you get this vehicle running, you will have to drive it for another 250K to wear out all the new stuff.
After you get your tool for lifting the chip(s) out of the ECM module housing, examine the socket carefully, with a strong light and a magnifying glass. If there has been any kind of short, you should see evidence of it in the socket.
If you are going to replace the chips without testing (a straight R&R), consider one of the upgrade sets with controllable input. With them (they start at around 50% more) you can “tune” the engine for it’s current job. If you are driving long stretches of freeway, you can dial back the power and get better mileage, and if you are in hill country, or towing, you can boost the power output (moves the power band).
I’m considering one of these sets for my (currently running) Mazda B2500, to give me enough poop to tow 2,000# (right now, towing is limited to 500#).
BTW, Og, it seems strange to me that the ‘sploder never threw you a code, especially if it is the ECM gone bad. Have you checked your code reader on another car?
Dog- it’s a ford. Chip is soldered to the board, and coated wiht epoxy. The whole unit gets replaced.
I used bulb grease on the pin array for the connector, too, just to make sure it’s working.
Slash: I intend to! LOL!
Riverdog typed:
I’m considering one of these sets for my (currently running) Mazda B2500, to give me enough poop to tow 2,000# (right now, towing is limited to 500#).
Be sure to get the chip that upgrades the brakes at the same time. :-(
Seems like you got a dead horse, hoss.
You can use a timing light top ensure the spark signal is hitting correctly.
You don’t say if you get any sounds when cranking. Maybe a compression test is in order.
It is a delicate thing to get enough air and gas into the cylinder and deliver the spark just at the correct point in the pistons movement.
I think a compression test is the next step. Make sure the hardware portion of the equation is working. Diagnosis the old fashioned way rather than throw parts at it.
paul: Read back. Compression test. Noid test. Spark test. Yadda yadda. Whole troubleshoot/diagnostic routine, by the book, the whole way.
Trust me, I’m dying for new eyes to look at this thing. I should have the new ECM wednesday, we’ll see how it all goes then.
It’ll really suck if it ends up being just a loose connection some where, or a broken wire.
Indeed it will, Kurt.
Og. Sounds deeply suspicious of a grounding problem somewhere.
Might be futility, but I’d find every connection to every ground you can get your hands on, disconnect ’em, wirebrush ’em and put ’em back tightly.
This goes to crap like grounds from the horn, all relays, etc. and yadda yadda, ad-infinitum.
Modern automotive electrical systems are so interconnected, that even a bad ground from the air-conditioning clutch relay can frazzle other aspects of the ECM’s calculations.
It’s the most royal Pain in the Ass in the whole troubleshooting lexicon, but it’s bedrock to the baseline checklist.
Oh, and a bad ground doesn’t always translate to a readable scan-code. Especially if it’s only a degraded ground, which is still conducting 20% or 30% of it’s allotted current. Especially where sensor’s grounds are concerned.
Hence, the “zero-timing” of every identifiable grounding point. Ya just never know.
Jim
Sloop New Dawn
Galveston, TX
yeah, Jim, I’ve been removing ground straps and brushing them and retightening them all along. Plus, the things like coil pacs and injectors are all positive common, ground doesn’t become an issue there-and I’ve tested the ECM for proper voltage and ground, and it’s OK.
Jim just scared the crap out of me. Simple so simple, yet so debilitating. I forgot all about the grounds.
LOL! Not THAT Jim, Dick. This is a good Jim. A no shit guy, I’m surprised you don’t hang together already.
Don’t worry bud. I knew exactly which Jim it was by the thoughtful, precise, and informative comment. As opposed to the shit stains Jimtard of Tardco, Inc. has a tendency to leave behind.
Sounds like you’ve got all the bases covered…one other random thought…distributor (if it has one) 180* out of phase?
Other than that, I’m putting my money on a wacky ECM, or the aforementioned squirrelly grounds.
yeah, coil pacs. The distributor has gone the way of all flesh- Ford now uses an electronic control center and a “coil pack”. THe distributor has, in it’s place, a cam position sensor- which is working, I tested it, and hell, replaced it on general principles.
jimtard of Tardco. LOL!
It would probably be easier to come up with the correct diagnosis if it was somebody else’s Explorer. After they beat you up and make you bleed you become less a mechanic and more of a brawler. At least your fight fans are solidly in your corner.
LOL! Gum, you are probably right.
Og, the only other things left, aside from the ECM, would be to re-tighten the muffler bearing and top off the headlight fluid.
‘Cause after that, I’m outta guesses.
Jim
Sloop New Dawn
Galveston, TX
LMAO @ the “Tardco, Inc.”!!! And thanks Og, for the good word.
Gorgeous day here. I think I’ll take the PTR-91 to the 300 yd range.
LOL! Jim, I also just got done changing out all the Johnson Rods. I had to go out special and buy a set of Metric Crescent wrenches and screwdrivers.
Guess I shouldn’t bitch about the hard time I had swapping the mirrors on my Ram, eh?
*g*
Many years ago, a mechanic told me that there’s only 3 things can be wrong with an engine:
Ignition
Carburation
or
Something else
That narrows it right down.
“the only other things left, aside from the ECM, would be to re-tighten the muffler bearing and top off the headlight fluid.”
Christ! (smacks head) I forgot all about the headlight fluid…
Apply the left handed monkey wrench libiraly(sp) and maybe she’ll go. I dunno but you just about have the price of a new engine, unless my math is faulty. Some one didn’t throw a ping pong ball in the gas tank? Cept your doesn’t even run.
Can you get one of the instant read out scanners? That might point to somehting. Seems like there is one that keeps a log so you can use it to diagnose starting issues. Oh for the old days when is was spark, gas and timing.
I have a scanner. The computer doesn’t throw any codes. I believe the engine is fine. I’m not sure what the problem is, but now, by god, I’m going to win.
At least you have a ‘Merican vehicle, I shudder at the cost for parts when the Honda SUV decides to get froggy. I agree with Paul and long for the days when all you did was pop the hood and everything was right there ready to be worked on. (Would be happy if you could just get to all the dag nab spark plugs again.)
Hope Wednesday is your red letter day Exploder wise.