celldweller454

I have a 1988 Ford F150 4.9 manual transmission 2WD.

So it drove perfectly fine yesterday. Parked it thn this morning it just started the aforementioned problem. I went out put a new ground wire on it just in case it wasn't getting enough juice. So far that's all I've done.

I'm not very mechanically inclined persay but little things I can usually figure my way around.

I'm fixing to try to figure out where I put my multimeter and and test the spark plugs..gods know it's liable to be lost in the abyss since I haven't used it in ages.

I can't hear the fuel pump coming on but I also have bad hearing so I can't really say anything on that end.

Anyone have any other suggestions I might try? Thank you

wde3477

Suggest to be sure you or a friend hears the fuel pump - should be a 2-second priming cycle when you roll the key to On. Do you smell gas after you've tried to start it for a while? If you push the Schrader valve (looks kinda like an aluminum tire stem valve) on the fuel rail on top of the manifold - is there plenty of pressure? If not, then could be a fuel pump relay issue, or the fuel pump itself.

If fuel is not an issue, then look at spark. Suggest to just pull and ground a plug and turn the motor over to check. If no spark, suggest the likely candidates are the TFI module on the side of the distributor, the pickup (PIP) module inside the distributor, or possibly the coil. There are tests and checks for all of these, so no need to start shotgunning parts at the problem. Beyond that, there are more obscure issues - but suggest to do the easier and higher probability stuff first.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

celldweller454

So here's where I am now. I got a couple friends to come over to help me out. They couldn't hear the fuel pump kick on. Ok to double check everything I decide I want to check the spark plugs for fire. I go to find my multimeter while I'm inside these two take it upon themselves to check the spark plugs. I come back out to them standing around the truck and telling me that they took a spark plug out..put in the wire..put the other end against the motor to check for a spark. There was a flash of light and now nothing works. I took the battery to autozone to test it and they said it was bad. Replaced it but still same results. I'm wondering now if computer blew or something.

celldweller454

I took the computer off last night. Does anyone know how to test it by chance? I called Autozone but all they said was that they couldn't do it.

I just hate to go out and buy a new one without knowing for sure that this one is bad. A retired mechanic friend of mine said that grounding the spark plug like that runs a chance of burning the computer.

To answer some questions. I never did get a gas smell after turning it for abit.

I haven't tried testing the fuel pressure yet. To be honest I don't know how. Should probably google search that.

fomoco998

Don't put the cart before the horse . Use smart diagnostics . Check fuel pressure could just be relay or inertia switch.

Chris_1

iTrader: (1)

You buy a fuel pressure gauge because that's cheaper than paying a mechanic to use his and sometimes not much more than the fuel to go borrow one and take it back.
You screw it on to the schrader valve on the fuel rail on top of the motor and turn the key to on.
If you have less than 45 psi (on your truck), you don't have enough fuel pressure.

andretti05

spray a little starting fluid in the intake manifold. If it starts for a second and then dies off, you have a fuel delivery problem. If it doesn't do anything, you have a spark problem.

Sounds to me like you have a fuel delivery problem, but you won't know until you do the proper tests.

celldweller454

Thanks for the replies.

After some thinking I said 'you know if that spark blew the battery it could have blown the ground wire as well. so I put a different ground on it and got it turning over for a couple of minutes before it quit again. The ground I put on I knew had a burn spot on it so it's not surprising that it might have went out.

I went out last night and picked up a new ground wire,some spark plugs and starter fluid and about to go put those on.

I was checking autozone and it doesn't look like they have a fuel pressure test thing. It's like $50 to buy.

Question though. My F150 has two tanks. Wouldn't that mean 2 different fuel pumps? I tried it on both tanks the other day and it wouldn't start.

celldweller454

Well we put a funnel in the fuel tank to try to amplify the noise but didn't hear anything. Tried spraying starter fluid into the manifold and got no results either. I would have thought that starter fluid in it would get it going for a few seconds.

Debating if I should break down and buy the fuel tester or not.

Seems odd that can't hear the fuel pump and acts like no fire. I'm assuming no fire because it didn't start with starter fluid sprayed into it

celldweller454

Ok another update. I literally went outside lightly tapped on the distributor with my fingers and it's started up and stayed running 4 times so far. Tapping on the distributor may or may not have anything to with it I dunno I was just frustrated and said I don't know what else to do so why not.