1996 Ford F-150 5.0 5-speed 2wd. I bought this vehicle the morning of this incident and it drove home fine. My friend picked it up to take it to get the exhaust done and as he was in neutral rolling to the red light the truck just turned off. It acted as if you were to just turn the key off. It seems electrical to me rather it be a fuse, relay or sensor or whatever but I’m no mechanic. We pushed it to a empty parking lot made sure she had gas in both tanks and tried to crank her with each tank to no avail. The truck with turn over just won’t crank. I can hear the fuel pumps cutting on but that’s about it so any suggestions are welcome.

 

Just to clarify for others who also will view this tread....Plz clarify....you are saying truck will turn over but wont crank ??
I gather the starter is turning over (that is usually referred as the engine cranking over..so clarify this!!
So is the motor itself turning over...(fan/ pulleys also turning etc) ??????

You also say you hear the fuel pumps.....
If all above are turning etc & the fuel pumps are pumping fuel it should start if you have proper ignition...
So next thing to check would be spark @ the plugs...
Add any other info such as mileage
My experience with these engines is after 120,000 miles or so they can & will jump the timing @ any time......(timing chains jump a tooth two & strip the gears etc)
That also should maybe be your 1st thing to check especially if you have high mileage....

 

Apologies for not clarifying the truck has a little under 250,000 miles. And yes as far as I can tell everything it spinning and turning over and firing just won’t start. Now I had my uncle look at the spark plugs and see if they were firing and he said they weren’t. But her never took them out to see so I’m not quite sure if they were I’ll have to check in the morning. But as far as I can tell the motor is turning over the belt is spinning but it won’t crank. I’ve had suggestions like the distributor, ignition coil and the ignition control module but at this point I’m not sure.

 

Your best bet is to tow it so someone qualified can look at it. I never seen such a wishy washy description of a problem as yours. You say it won't crank,then you say it is spinning and just won't start, then you are back to not cranking.Unless you can get your issue accurately described, any suggestions are just stabbing in the dark.

Cranking= actual spinning of the starter.
No start= starter spins but engine will not fire and run.

 

you should stop trying to start this engine "RIGHT NOW" via the starter !!!!....& only turn it over manually by hand
You may have already done real damage to this engine .....It @ this point highly suggests that the timing has jumped (& broken etc.)

Not picking on you....but your descriptions are very vague & contradict themselves in your explanations !!

EG: you said your uncle looked @ the plugs & said there were not firing ....but did he check for spark ??? This we don't know @ this point??
You will manually need to check to see if the rotor is turning under the distributor cap....Then @ same time see if it is firing on # 1 spark plug ??
If it is not spinning or out of timing....You have major problems!!!!!!!

As said above..... have someone that is competent in checking your problems (mechanic etc)
You need to confirm BY HAND ONLY that the your timing is correct!!

 

Sorry for the contradictions I’m not used to having to explain things over the internet but when I put the key in the ignition and go to start it, it will not start.

 

You better learn to explain if you want any help with this.

 

We are not all mechanic"s ....But try to be short & very precise !!
Here are a few suggestions:
starter is cranking...& motor is turning over....we have no spark @ plugs...or we have spark @ plugs

the plugs explanation as above tells those that are trying to help, that you have some ignition or not ??
we also from your explanations that you can hear the fuel pump so we expecting that it is getting fuel??
So that leaves: it's got cranking / fuel / spark / & if it's got compression it should @ least try to start or maybe start !!

Now we also know it has 250,000 miles; so especially not knowing that any major repairs were done (namely timing chain & gears ) we can assume that maybe that the timing chain has jumped & stripped some/all of the gears.....This can happen very suddenly & usually happens : you shut the engine off & next time you start it ......It jumps & then of course it no starts....
By you cranking it by the starter you risk pistons hitting the valves as everything is now out sync ( valve timing).......... It may have already happened !!! That is why you need someone who knows what to do & especially to check & @ this point to CRANK BY HAND ONLY....
Don't just disappear we would also like to know the outcome of your repairs good or bad!!
Good Day & best of Luck !!!

 

[QUOTE=maco;6671692]We are not all mechanic"s ....But try to be short & very precise !!
Here are a few suggestions:
starter is cranking...& motor is turning over....we have no spark @ plugs...or we have spark @ plugs

the plugs explanation as above tells those that are trying to help, that you have some ignition or not ??
we also from your explanations that you can hear the fuel pump so we expecting that it is getting fuel??
So that leaves: it's got cranking / fuel / spark / & if it's got compression it should @ least try to start or maybe start !!

Now we also know it has 250,000 miles; so especially not knowing that any major repairs were done (namely timing chain & gears ) we can assume that maybe that the timing chain has jumped & stripped some/all of the gears.....This can happen very suddenly & usually happens : you shut the engine off & next time you start it ......It jumps & then of course it no starts....
By you cranking it by the starter you risk pistons hitting the valves as everything is now out sync ( valve timing).......... It may have already happened !!! That is why you need someone who knows what to do & especially to check & @ this point to CRANK BY HAND ONLY....
Don't just disappear we would also like to know the outcome of your repairs good or bad!!
Good Day & best of Luck !!![/QUOTE
The starter is cranking and the motor is turning over but there is no spark at the spark plugs. The only major repairs I know that have been done before I bought it is a new clutch. I put all new spark plugs, a new distributor cap because the old one had corrosion on the points inside, I replaced the rotor and the ignition coil because the ignition coil also had some corrosion on it. The plug wires look somewhat new but I’m not 100% when they were replaced. I have a friend of mine coming to look at it today who owns his own shop so maybe he’ll be able to give me some insight. Also I heard a tip about being able to test my crank position sensor by when I turn it over my tachometer will kinda of move do you know by any chance if that’s true or what that movement would look like?

 

Ok you provided some good info above !!......
Just because the tach is moving that dose not tell you if it has jumped timing & is out of position.....
As I suggested @ this point turn by hand only....you can turn with a big socket on the big nut that holds the crankshaft pulley on..

First disconnect the wire that feeds the spark to the distributor cap....remove the cap....rotate the crankshaft as described above (yes it is easier with the plugs removed)
1st when you hand crank it make sure the rotor is turning within the distributor.....if it is not there is your problem....timing has probably jumped!!!! also if it binds up solid & you can't crank it....STOP right away as you are probably hitting & bending valves !!
From what you have said It sounds to me like you have been cranking & it is not binding up....just guessing here??
Going from memory in my old body here so bear with me (it has been a long time)..........& I will try to explain as simply as I remember...it could be a little different !!
Others may chime in with exact answers??
There should be a timing mark on the flywheel pulley itself....usually a straight line....align that line with "0" on the timing indicator.....(memory here ??) I believe 0 is the bigger "V" / notch & will be @ one end of that indicator.....indicator will also have 5-6 V's / notches or more.......
Memory here I think 10 will be marked &/or each notch is 2 degrees of timing.....
When you line up that pulley mark to Zero.....check where the rotor is pointing in the cap...with cap on it should be pointing exactly @ the # 1 spark plug wire position!!
if it is as little as plus a 1/4 '' away something is not right,,,,recheck & double recheck till you are happy it is correct !!!
If is not now check that it is maybe pointing directly opposite @ (180 degrees) from that # 1 spark plug wire position !!!!
Now if it is way out @ 180 degrees, to prove correct timing keep rotating the crank pulley another full turn & again align that pulley mark with 0 on the timing indicator again .....
If you align that mark Up @ 0 again...... & it is directly pointing @ the # 1 spark plug position in the cap, your timing should be okay!!
Engine fires @ each plug in sequence on every 2nd revolution!!
Follow up:
So if rotor is turning in the cap.....check your timing marks by rotating by hand to align your timing marks....If that proves correct & you have no spark.....you have other electrical issues with either coil or CD box..............GOOD LUCK & keep us informed plz!!