My 2004 DII abruptly died in traffic.
Checked and swapped fuses and relays on the side of the road but no change. no codes.
Replaced the CKP with a BOSCH. Plug was very dirty and oily. Old sensor looked OK. No ferrous contamination.
I've got a TekPro so was able to test fuel pump and relay and I can hear it buzz and the relay click.
Reset adaptive values per the RAVE.
Cranks but does not start.
New battery (group 27). Starter replaced last year. Rotates very well.
It will run on starter fluid - sounds normal so I have good spark, no timing chain or significant mechanical issue.
Checked continuity from sensor plug back to the ECU and I have less than 10 ohm on any wire, no opens, no shorts to ground or adjacent wire.
I've owned this 2004 from new and its had only a few visits to a shop, otherwise its all been self performed work.
I have not dug in to the dash fuse panel as suggested in other posts.
I have not checked fuel pressure - I'm stuck in an RV park on a trip and can't really tear it apart to get to the schrader. Unless someone has a trick???

Any suggestions would be appreciated

 

So, thinking it thru, you say it runs on starting fluid, that would point towards a fuel supply issue, so try to diagnose that system first. You say it has power, as evidenced by the clicking relay, which would also be easy to diag by checking for power at the fuel pump connections. Then, if you've got power where it needs to be, you can assume a restriction like a clogged filter or collapsed fuel lines or clogged injectors (less likely), or a bad/weak fuel pump (more likely). That's where I'd start anyway, for what it's worth, good luck.

 

I've seen the line fall off the fuel pump or get a hole in it and pour fuel right back in the tank vs it going up and out the fuel line to the engine. Easy enough to pull the pump and inspect it!

 

It turned out to be the fuel pump. All of the electrical tests of the pump made it appear that it was working.
Got some fuel when the schrader was depressed while pump was actuated.
I pulled the pump and did not see anything obvious with hoses or filters.
I ordered a tester online but despite the description it had the wrong adapter. It had a schrader style adapter but larger diameter than the rail.
None of the big 3 auto parts stores had an adapter or tester for rent in the area I was in.
I had resigned myself to replacing the pump regardless since it was the original and getting to it is a little it of a pain.
My 04 has secondary air so I got the Bosch pump online (69339).

Curious to know while I waited for the pump to be delivered, I made myself an adapter. I was stuck in an RV park over Christmas so getting parts was not easy.
Just pulled together what I had in the truck and RV.


The female right angle schrader came from some extra parts in a harbor freight multi-use pump (p/n 63591 for the version I had tucked away).
The male end was from a set of air bags.
This let me attach to the schrader on the rail. With the fitting now up and out where I could reach it, I used a stick style tire gauge to read the pressure. I got 5 psi.
REMEMBER - you are measuring fuel and it is flammable - BE CAREFUL. Wear your protective gear.
I verified it was reading correctly by filling the hose with water to simulate the fuel, attaching the female end to a tire at 55 psi, and reading the fluid with the stick gauge and an electronic gauge. No reason you couldn't replace the male schrader with a pressure gauge and a hose nipple adapter for a more permanent version which I plan to do.
The new pump works perfectly.

 

Thanks for letting folks know.

 

I had a similar incident years ago with a 1982 Lincoln Mark VI. It ran really bad, and I had to feather the throttle to get it to drive. It was one of the first fuel-injected cars out there and was only OBD1. After several weeks of unsuccessfully diagnosing it, changing ignition modules, fuel filters, etc, I bit the bullet and took it to a mechanic. The first one popped the air cleaner lid off, and toothbrush-cleaned the TB with Berrymans, didn't change anything, suggested it was a valve timing thing, and wanted to charge me for repairs that didn't do anything. The next shop I took it to, I watched him hook up a fuel pressure gauge ("You're getting WARMER!") turned the ignition on, and registered fuel pressure that was within specs, but when we turned off the ignition, the pressure quickly bled off. ("You're RED HOT!") THAT mechanic, (since he OWNED his own shop and must really KNOW what he's talking about, right?) suggested it must be a valve timing thing, too. He said the timing sprockets have nylon teeth that get worn and it must have jumped time. OK. So that's a second mechanic, who owned his own shop, suggesting it to be a valve timing issue, and suggested he replace the timing chain and sprockets, and in the process, since some plastic teeth may have fallen into the oil pan, to remove and clean out the pan, too. When I picked up the car, with my wallet $1000 lighter, I began to drive away, AND THE CAR STILL RAN EXACTLY LIKE IT DID BEFORE I took it in. No power, stumbling, having to feather the throttle as if it were running off an accelerator pump on a carburetor. UGH! Then I actually engaged my brain and remembered the fuel pressure gauge bleeding off when the pump was turned off. Hmmm. "Let's drop the tank and check the fuel pump itself." Mind you, I had always heard the pump running, had replaced the factory inline filter at least once, so I didn't really think it could be the pump, but regardless, it's the only thing left. Long story, but it turned out to be the $2.00, 3-1/2" long section of rubber fuel hose between the pump and the mounting flange, inside the tank, that was split and allowing fuel to dump back into the tank. The pump was building pressure, but that pressure leaving the tank was just enough to keep it running at idle, but not enough to run under any load. Lesson learned. The fix can be simple, but not really obvious.

 

Fuel injection has been widely available from the late 1960s onwards.

 

But weren’t all the 1960’s fuel injected vehicles mechanical, not electronic FI?

 

Didn't say electronic.

 

Toché. Let me restate. The first Ford V8 produced with fuel injection.