Starting Issue

Good afternoon folks! New user here and recent acquisitioner of a 2001 Ford Ranger 3.0L with approximately 117k miles. Truck is in great shape, and I keep it garaged and run it around a few times a week. Everything has been running just fine, started right up, ran fine, no problems.

About two weeks ago, while coming home from work, I started the truck in the parking lot and the engine turned but wouldn't "catch". I turned the key off, waited a moment and tried again. On the second try it finally caught, but sputtered and shook a little and then got up to normal idle after a second or two. I thought it was strange and dismissed it. Ever since then, the truck fires up the same way.

When starting it cold, it almost always fails on the first try, the second try almost always catching, but sputtering a little before getting to normal idle. When starting it after it has run a little, it will fire right up on the first try, no problem. I've checked some of the basics...making sure air filter is clean, ran a code checker (no codes to report and all systems normal according to the code reader), etc. I'm getting no loss of power when driving it...after starting it runs just fine. My gut feeling is that there is an issue with a sensor somewhere.

Today I popped the air filter off and shone a light into the MAF and it appears to be clean (at least to the naked eye). I should note that when I depress the gas slightly when cranking it makes it fire faster the second time around. Sometimes I'm able to get it to start the first time, although it shudders and spits still). Could the Crank Position Sensor be causing an issue like this? Any other ideas for me to check on? Should I just try and replace the MAF?

Thanks in advance and hope everyone is having a great Sunday!

Welcome to TRS

Reads like a fairly common issue with Fuel injection systems.

Try this test
Turn key on, count to 3 and turn key off(do not crank engine)
Repeat the on and off 2 more times
Then try to start engine.

2001 Fuel injection requires 65psi of fuel pressure but will work to start engine down to about 25psi.
If fuel pressure is being lost while key is off then when you try to start engine it may or may not start the first time, and if it does start it will struggle to stay running until fuel pump can build up 65psi of pressure again.

To prevent fires in case of an accident the fuel pump can not just be set to run full time if key is on, so if engine RPMs are 0 then the fuel pump will only run for 2 seconds.
So when you turn on the key engine RPMs are 0, so fuel pump runs for 2 second, that adds about 15psi of pressure.
If pressure was down to 0psi then 15psi wouldn't be enough to start engine, cycling key off and on gets another 2 seconds so we are close to 30psi now, enough to start the second time.

Once engine RPMs are above 400 fuel pump comes on full time, so with only 30psi pressure it may struggle a bit until full pressure is built up.


If you do not smell gas in the engine bay, and your MPG has not dropped significantly, then probable cause for pressure loss is the fuel pump assembly.
Fuel pump has a built in Check Valve, basically a flap that is pushed open when pump is on and then is pushed closed by pressure when pump is off, so it holds pressure in the system, if this leaks there would be no smell of gas or loss of MPG, pressure/gas is just leaking back into the tank.

But in 2001 if you look at the fuel filter in the frame rail under the drivers seat you may find it has 3 hoses, these 3 hose filters also have a Check valve inside, and not to expensive to change, and should be changed every 5 years or so in any case.

The above test runs fuel pump for 6 seconds in a row so should get you 45psi.

Fuel pump check valve failing doesn't indicate fuel pump is failing, up to you if you want to change it sooner than later, cycling the key on and off doesn't hurt anything.

Thank you RonD! I just tried the diagnostic test you prescribed and sure enough she fired right up after "priming" the system with 3 key cycles, not one bit of struggle in the start. I will check into replacing both check valves. And if there is one thing I've learned with a Ford, is that if you have to work on one part, might as well replace them all (warranting replacement of the fuel pump too) just because if I don't...well we know what is likely to happen... haha

Thank you so much and I will replace the check valves and report back!