Screwed it all up. Help

[Cantgetoverthehump]

Been having what I thought were/are fuel issues. I know better than to guess and assume, but that's exactly what I did and why I'm in over my head asking for help. Had hesitation, intermittent lapses in power under load, increasingly hard starts, to the point it would start at any point in the day or temp,if I hadn't drove it recently...cpl hrs... finally started stalling repeatedly when it was driven just a few miles. Changed plugs,wires,coil, thermostat. All were needed and all improved performance, except for hard starts and stalling. Used all my insurance tows trying to keep up with work and truck having issues. Was told by untrained people "obviously" like me. That it was the fuel pump. Changed it and now it just cranks,won't try to start off starting fluid. I'm at witz end about to lose my home,job, vehicle...I literally don't have any family to help,no auto inclined friend to help. $2200 left to my name, a wife and two dogs, one month to find a new home and a truck that won't get me to work. But if by some miracle I can be walked through this mess I've created to my truck, I have a chance to rally this all back in. I know my stupidity and stubbornness and panic caused it. I just need a good guy to walk me through. I'm a carpenter not a mechanic. It's a 1994 Mazda b4000 extended cab, 4.o ,2wheel drive. I don't know it's history other than it was a farm truck and I have had to shift it on the column since I bought it. I was told second gear didn't work. I take off in second and skip third to overdrive. It's automatic transmission. Help, please

 

[Blmpkn]

"Won't try to start off starting fluid"

As in, you won't try giving it some? Or the truck does nothing when you give it some?

 

[Bgunner]

If it refuses to fire on starting fluid you have a spark issue. Check to see if you have spark and go from there.

 

[Cantgetoverthehump]

"Won't try to start off starting fluid"

As in, you won't try giving it some? Or the truck does nothing when you give it some?

It just turns over, no Ignition.

 

[Blmpkn]

Hmmmm. @RonD ?

 

[Cantgetoverthehump]

If it refuses to fire on starting fluid you have a spark issue. Check to see if you have spark and go from there.

Thanks, why would it have spark at the beginning of fuel pump replacement and not at the completion? And would that be the same issue with my previous problem of it not starting? Trying to understand where the spark cuts out and begins again. If that makes any sense. When I got it, it was mostly running on 4 cylinder's. It had power and seemed comfortable to drive up the road and back. When I started tuning it up...it was kinda an immediate improvement. But gradually the new jolt of power seemed to be diminished by the rest of the engine. Absorbed or robbed by the whole of the issues.if that makes sense either?

 

[RonD]

No, really doesn't make any sense

Gasoline Engine needs 3 things to run, take any one thing away and it will no longer run
1. Spark, at the right time
2. Fuel, with the right mix of air
3. Compression, needed to heat up the gasoline to become a vapor, a spark plug can only ignite gasoline vapor not liquid gas

For now we will "assume" you have enough compression, as the 4.0l OHVs didn't usually have cam/crank timing issues

So spark and fuel is next
If you spray fuel into the engine and try to start engine, Called 50/50 test, you can take fuel off the table at that time
So you are testing Spark and its timing
If engine does not start then you have a spark issue
If it does start then you have a fuel delivery issue

So do the 50/50 test
And report the results


Things quit working on vehicles, they work one day and don't work the next day that just how it happens
Maybe something you did, may just be random
Doesn't really matter, if you want it to work then you need to fix the problem

After a problem is fixed you may then decide to trace the reason something quit working, which is fine, but FIX IT FIRST, then you will know what the problem actually was so you can then trace the issues causing it


"I wonder why I got a flat tire just after changing my oil?"
"What the heck"
The two are most likely unrelated, lol, but.............are they????
In any case, diagnose and repair
Ask why later

 

[Eddo Rogue]

More often than not, finding the problem is trickier than fixing it.

 

[rumblecloud]

Hi Cantgetover. Welcome to TRS
Very sorry to hear of your issues - both with your personal life as well as with your truck. Seems like that's normal sometimes: when one thing goes everything else does too.

Please do follow RonD's suggestion as that gives us all a basis from where to start.
Spray the starter fluid into the throttle body and try to start the truck. Then tell us the results and we'll go from there.


How long have you owned this truck? Any history at all might be helpful -- not that it matters as it is your truck now, so let's go with that.

 

[black_demon69]

Anyone think of the fuel cut off or the neutral safety switch or the fuel pump relay?

 

[Twizzler09]

Anyone think of the fuel cut off or the neutral safety switch or the fuel pump relay?

Thought about that myself, but those are all moot points if it doesn't fire on starting fluid.

 

[gaz]

CGOTH,
Since it does not start with starting fluid and you have replaced the coils:
1) make CERTAIN that you have reconnected the wires to the correct coil pack terminals
2) the new coil packs could be faulty
3) you may have a failed ignition module or when you replaced the coil packs it was damaged or not properly cleaned.
4) could be your PCM

Regardless, just focus on one component at a time, eliminate it or resolve the delema, then move to the next.

Just keep calm and thoroughly test 1 component at a time. You will herald over the machine...at least for a moment, until something real goes wrong, then you will be triumphant!!.