tcross

my 98 f150 wont start. left the lights on last wends jumoped it and it started and ran fine til now. drove it this morning round 6:30 drove my wife to work about 10 mile round trip. went to go start it around 3:30 this afternoon and it wont start. It has power everythng works but when I go to start it, it crnaks but wont start. The battery gauge drops when trying to start it. I tried jump starting it with but same thing. Please Help! thanks

Frank_Ford

It is hard to say exactly but if the computer is not receiving a signal from the crank shaft sensor (located behind the A/C compressor or the cam shaft sensor (located in the right front side of the engine, it will crank but it will not start. The Crank shaft sensor is the most likely because it collects a lot of oil and dirt. To remove it you have to remove your drive belt, take out the bolts holding your A/C compressor, and move the compressor to the side to access the CSS. Not a bad job but be careful when you put it back because it is easy to disconnect the electrical connector plug in to the compressor and your A/C won't work if unplugged.

Before you do all of that, see if you can get at the electrical connector to the Crank Sensor and try cleaning it up if it is dirty and oil soaked. They usually fail because oil and dirt gets on the connector or on the face of the sensor and stops sending reading to your computer (a/k/a PCM).

These sensors have been known to quit all of a sudden. When they work, engine runs fine and when they don't work, engine does not run because the computer does not know where and when to send the spark to your engine.

A new crank sensor cost about $25 and the cam sensor is about the same.

tcross

believe i found the problem. I banked on the gas tank with a big wrench and it started. Thats what I have to do now to start it so Im guessing it the fuel pump.

akdoggie

Sounds like it. Could be crap around the fuel pump screen you are knocking off also. Definitely sounds fuel pump related. Good luck. At least you can check your fuel tank straps while you are down there.

tcross

ya that be nice if it was just stuff around the fp screen but with my luck its the fuel pump itself. Its never anything cheap to fix. my dealer put a new tank and straps on almost 2 years ago but keep getting letters from ford for the recall. thanks for the input guys

TUROCK150

Check to make sure the fuel pump connection is not loose or it'll spark.

tcross

are you taliing about on the top of the sunding unit that goes into the tank?

tcross

I just tried to take my kid to school and i let it run for about 10 min before i left. I pulled outta my driveway and it started sputtering when I stepped on the gas. Then it stalled a few min later. It will start but run for a few seconds. Was reading that it cold be the fues or the fp relay. But gotta listen and see if the fuel pump is working first.

tcross

Also what do you guys think about changing the fuel pump and strainer than the whole unit?

JCR 56

If you can find just the pump and put a new strainer on it, that would be just fine, and a hell of a lot cheaper, than changing out the whole unit.