2001 Mustang GT won't start...why?
03-17-2013, 12:48 AM
#11
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Missouri
Posts: 14
Checking fuel pressure I agree with. Not so much coils, but you never know. You could also spray brake clean toward the tb ( air tube off of course) and try cranking (be warned ford does not recommend spraying cleaner in the tb, but I have had no issue with the throttle cleaner I use). Im really drawing blanks and could be way off, but a faulty IAC valve can cause alot of issues. maybe to the point of no start. The pump makes more sense because the whole intermittent thing. Are you gettin any DTCs?
03-17-2013, 07:37 AM
#12
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Maryland
Posts: 11
Personally if it were me I would see if I could get my hands on a code scanner and see what it's throwing out.
Even if the CEL/MIL lamp is not lit there can still be codes that may aide in diagnosis.
If you can't get one you can take a rubber mallet and if you can get under the car
give the gas tank a few smacks while someone would try to start it.
Car ramps work fine for this if you have a set, if not it's something like $50-60 to get a set from a parts store and you'd need them most likely anyway to get the tank down to swap the pump.
(Make sure on the ramps that the wheels are chocked, e-brake is on and you're not in gear!)
If it starts while doing that then most likely it's the pump.
Even if the CEL/MIL lamp is not lit there can still be codes that may aide in diagnosis.
If you can't get one you can take a rubber mallet and if you can get under the car
give the gas tank a few smacks while someone would try to start it.
Car ramps work fine for this if you have a set, if not it's something like $50-60 to get a set from a parts store and you'd need them most likely anyway to get the tank down to swap the pump.
(Make sure on the ramps that the wheels are chocked, e-brake is on and you're not in gear!)
If it starts while doing that then most likely it's the pump.
03-17-2013, 11:24 PM
#13
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 180
Personally if it were me I would see if I could get my hands on a code scanner and see what it's throwing out.
Even if the CEL/MIL lamp is not lit there can still be codes that may aide in diagnosis.
If you can't get one you can take a rubber mallet and if you can get under the car
give the gas tank a few smacks while someone would try to start it.
Car ramps work fine for this if you have a set, if not it's something like $50-60 to get a set from a parts store and you'd need them most likely anyway to get the tank down to swap the pump.
(Make sure on the ramps that the wheels are chocked, e-brake is on and you're not in gear!)
If it starts while doing that then most likely it's the pump.
Even if the CEL/MIL lamp is not lit there can still be codes that may aide in diagnosis.
If you can't get one you can take a rubber mallet and if you can get under the car
give the gas tank a few smacks while someone would try to start it.
Car ramps work fine for this if you have a set, if not it's something like $50-60 to get a set from a parts store and you'd need them most likely anyway to get the tank down to swap the pump.
(Make sure on the ramps that the wheels are chocked, e-brake is on and you're not in gear!)
If it starts while doing that then most likely it's the pump.
03-18-2013, 03:15 PM
#14
Hello again guys. Well, I haven't been able to work on it since Friday. The weather got cold again and it's been raining as well. The last couple of times I tried to start it it would just crank, I haven't gotten as close as I did on Friday mid-morning. Also, just so you all know, NO, I am not getting any DTC's (check engine, security, etc.) I think my best bet right now will be to wait for some decent weather, install the new fuel pump I have, and see what happens. If nothing changes then my next step may be plugs, wires, and coils. Thanks again for all your help and input, I really appreciate it!!
03-18-2013, 03:36 PM
#15
yes your next step should be the pump. And if that doesn't work I would change the crank sensor before I changed your plugs and coils. You need to realize your car will start and run even if half your coils are bad like I said before you likely hood of all 8 coils being bad are very slim.
03-18-2013, 08:15 PM
#18
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Maryland
Posts: 11
Have you actually put it on a scanner to verify this or are you going off of "No lights on the dash are lighting up to show this"?
Hate to say it, I really do but there's also a chance that the computer's dead in it.
There's a thousand names for this critter, Electronic Control Unit, Body Control Module, Powertrain Control Module, so on and so forth.
To really verify fuel pump failure it's pretty simple, on one of the fuel rails there's a Schrader valve(Looks like what you pump air into the tires through)
Get a fuel pressure tester and hook it onto the rail, if there's at least 35-40 PSI while trying to start then you're fine. 35 would be rather Low but it should be enough to get it to sputter to life if only briefly.
Honestly if you just throw parts at it without some troubleshooting you -might- get it and it'll run...Or else it still won't and that $200+ fuel pump and sender unit now no longer mean a thing to this process of getting your car running again.
I'm not trying to be mean but honestly some tests and stuff need to be done to be sure you're not just throwing money in the toilet, there's just So many things that can cause this
Numerous sensors, wiring, relays, modules and more, take it from me; It's not fun to get new sensors and more.
I mean technically it could even be your exhaust system!
If a catalytic converter melted down/clogged up you might not able to push the exhaust out then it's just as bad as sealing up the intake so it can't breath.
There is also an inertia switch that can go bad or if you hit a bump in the road big enough recently could shut off the fuel pump
Hate to say it, I really do but there's also a chance that the computer's dead in it.
There's a thousand names for this critter, Electronic Control Unit, Body Control Module, Powertrain Control Module, so on and so forth.
To really verify fuel pump failure it's pretty simple, on one of the fuel rails there's a Schrader valve(Looks like what you pump air into the tires through)
Get a fuel pressure tester and hook it onto the rail, if there's at least 35-40 PSI while trying to start then you're fine. 35 would be rather Low but it should be enough to get it to sputter to life if only briefly.
Honestly if you just throw parts at it without some troubleshooting you -might- get it and it'll run...Or else it still won't and that $200+ fuel pump and sender unit now no longer mean a thing to this process of getting your car running again.
I'm not trying to be mean but honestly some tests and stuff need to be done to be sure you're not just throwing money in the toilet, there's just So many things that can cause this
Numerous sensors, wiring, relays, modules and more, take it from me; It's not fun to get new sensors and more.
I mean technically it could even be your exhaust system!
If a catalytic converter melted down/clogged up you might not able to push the exhaust out then it's just as bad as sealing up the intake so it can't breath.
There is also an inertia switch that can go bad or if you hit a bump in the road big enough recently could shut off the fuel pump
03-18-2013, 10:51 PM
#19
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 180
At that rate see if you got pressure on the rail, bleed it out and prime the pump a few times and check for pressure again. This can be done with an old wire hanger or pocket screwdriver if you can't get your hands on fuel pressure gauge. I'm with lupin, throwing parts at it could go on for days.
03-19-2013, 11:57 AM
#20
1st Gear Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 52
As said before troubleshoot the problem. You can put all the money in the world into parts for your fuel system only to find out that a sensor is bad. No sense in throwing away money.
It hasn't been mentioned yet but could his MAS be bad or just have broken? Causing it not to run on it's own but it could run when his foot is on the gas pedal?
Just a random thought I had.
It hasn't been mentioned yet but could his MAS be bad or just have broken? Causing it not to run on it's own but it could run when his foot is on the gas pedal?
Just a random thought I had.