Trying to test fuel pressure to determine if fuel pump is working properly. Removed the upper intake to access schraeder valve. Connected gauge, turned on ignition and bumped starter. Gauge barely moves, hardly any gas comes out when schrader valve depressed - not the usual spray from a pressurized system. Trying to determine if pump is bad OR only powering on for a second and then shutting down since all connectors are unplugged from upper manifold. Does anybody know if you can get a good reading with the upper manifold off? Damn near impossible to attach to schrader valve with the manifold on.

History of this project:
Previous owner gave up trying to fix and I bought and towed home
Will sometimes start and run extremely rough for a few seconds and then shut off. Sometimes can't get to start at all
Previous owner replace crankshaft sensor, XYZ switch, O2 sensors, plugs and wires - and put some seafoam and additives in gas
I pulled fuel pump, drained tank and put in fresh premium, cleaned plugs, Checked compression on all cylinders (all even around 150)
Oil and coolant look good with no contamination
Pulled manifold to put in new coil packs and wanted to check fuel pressure while manifold was off

 

 

 

If pumps are priced as Best suggests, that's cheap enough just to do the job and have a piece of mind.

have you tested anything electrically? Is the pump getting voltage?
can you test your gauge on another vehicle, make sure its functioning?

 

New fuel pump and coil packs came in today. Installed pump and was still getting very low pressure when turned ignition on and off and bumped starter. Put coil packs on and reconnected top manifold. Turned on ignition and now get full pressure (50-55 lbs). Guess you can't get good fuel pressure reading with top manifold off. Probably shuts down pump as soon as it senses that a lot of the sensors are not connected. Guess I bought a fuel pump I didn't need but is one more thing off my long list. Anyway still can' t get it to start - sputters like it is trying to start but won't catch. When first tried to start it threw a P1884 code. Cleared it but now doesn't show any codes. Not sure what else would cause a no start condition. Plugs, wires and coil packs new. New fuel pump and fresh gas. Compression good on all cylinders. Previous owner said he replaced O2 sensors, Crankshaft sensor and XYZ switch. Not sure if they could be installed wrong if that is possible. Would TPS or MAF sensor be possible? If I could just get it to start it would hopefully throw some codes to troubleshoot. Had Discos before but this got me stumped.

 

You say you've replaced coil/plugs and wires...but did you check for spark? When you pull some of the spark plugs, do you smell fuel in cylinders?

​​​​​​​ Brian.

 

Just read entire topic and see that it does start once in a while, but runs rough. How many miles on engine, and did the previous owner give you any tips on how it stopped running, immediately or running worse over a period of time? If you have spark, fuel in cylinders and compression at the right time...my next step would be to see if the cats are plugged. I'm assuming you've already checked the air filter housing for obstructions.

Had a no start issue on a custumers car once, had fuel, spark, etc (should run in theory)...well, low and behold, mice had made up residency inside the air cleaner housing, between air filter and intake tube (chewed a hole through filter). And had made up quite the cache of dog food, stored there for the up coming winter months. Well, small pieces of dog food were getting sucked into the intake manifold and through the combustion chamber...and eventually ended up on the front side of the cats...plugging them completely. Unbolted y-pipe...started right up. Talk about a head scratcher...about lost my mind figuring that one out.

Repairing no start vehicles is a process of elimination and verification. Verify what you have/don't have and eliminating odd/out of the ordinary issues.

​​​​​​​ Brian.

 

Has 169,000 miles. Oil and coolant look good with no contamination. All cylinders compression check evenly around 150. Wasn't running when I pulled plugs to compression check. Plugs were newer but were all consistantly gas fouled. Cleaned and put back in and started right up - ran rough for a few minutes, stalled and wouldn't restart. Seems to be getting some spark but the spark timing is off. In the old school days you could just turn the distributor a little but this is the electronic computer age.
Mike

 

If you don't mind throwing parts at it and If you can't confirm if the crankshaft sensor is a Bosch, install a Bosch. The cheap ones can fail out of the box and cause what you're describing. Not a definite solution, but one that will snakebite you. And it can be installed wrong, there are spacers which have been known to be omitted or put back wrong and can damage the flywheel triggers. If you cut and bend the sheet metal in the wheel well you can reach it more easily.

 

Just for the heck of it, check the ignition relay in interior fuse box. Left lower relay, make sure it is pushed in tightly. The 03 that l bought recently had similar issues, weak - then no spark, would start for the previous owner - run roughly and stall -then wouldn't start again. Previous owner says it has no fuel pressure, he changes fuel pump, same results as before...he finally gives up. In steps me, l assume it's the crank sensor, change sensor, still no start. Pull plugs and smell gas...hmmm, can't be the crank sensor then (wish l would have verified this before changing crank sensor, anyhow). Check for spark, none, then l think l see some but very weak, then none again...hmmm? Checked coil pack fuse (#23, interior fuse box, if l remember correctly), good. So, l go to check the ignition relay...and as my fingers touch it...it falls out into my hand. Thought to myself...no way...yes, way...pushed it in tightly...and she fired up.

Ease five minute check, and you just never know.

​​​​​​​ Brian.