2000 ranger crank, no start

[russell_2486]

ive got a 2000 ranger, 2.5L 4 cylinder. it was parked for past 3 months, pretty cold a lot of the time. now i cant get it to start. did start up pretty easy with starter fluid but then stalls right out when its gone. can hear the fuel pump engage when i turn the key. checked inertia switch as well as fuel pump fuse/relay under hood, all good. also getting fuel pressure at the shrader valve, trying to test how much, on my 3rd faulty fuel pressure gauge from autozone. got a reading of 50psi one time, then lost pressure pretty quickly, unfortunately it was leaking at the connection to the valve, so i dont know what to credit the loss of pressure to. have to find another place to rent a gauge from. wondering what to look at next though. timing belt is fine. i see other people talking about the injectors, the pressure regualtor, and also a damper on the rail. any help greatly appreciated. also should mention it was at a quarter tank. i added 5 gallons yesterday with a bottle of that stuff to add to fuel in the winter. so a little over half tank now on a pretty flat surface

 

[RonD]

2000 Ranger has damper on fuel rail, no fuel pressure regulator.

Fuel pressure should be 55-65psi

If fuel pump is running when key is first turned on, AND!!! you have added fuel to the gas tank <<<< very important for a car/truck that has been sitting, add 2 to 5 gallons, regardless of what gauge says.

Then it could be low pressure BUT.....if engine starts by manually adding fuel then fuel pump would come on full time so pressure would go up above 50psi and engine should stay running.

Cycle key on and off 3 or 4 times, that will build up pressure in fuel system, then try to start engine, crank it a few times, do not touch gas pedal while doing this.
Pull out 1 spark plug, if injectors are working and there is fuel in the tank then spark plug will be wet with fuel.

If plug is dry then fuel injectors are shut off.
Disconnect TPS(throttle position sensor) wires, if TPS has an internal short that will shut off fuel injectors, long shot but not a no shot.

Try starting again.

 

[tomw]

If this is a returnless system, the fuel in the fuel line will not go back to the tank, ever, except by draining back. It has been in the fuel line & tank for 3 months. If it was 'aged' when you bought it, and maybe not 'winter blend', it would be harder to get it fired off.
Adding fresh would add some easier to burn HCs, but they have to get to the injectors.

All this leads up to possibly disconnecting the fuel line and engaging the fuel pump. Catch all the fuel delivered in a gas can so you can put it back into the tank. When you think you have gotten to 'fresh'-er fuel, stop, and re-connect the fuel line.
If hard-to-burn fuel was the problem, you should have better odds with fresher 'mix'.

You can do a similar process if you spend the $$s for a gauge. I got one that has a relief valve that can be used to measure volume. It has a piece of hose attached that can be put into a container, which allows fuel pressure to bleed off, or caught for measurement.
You might not have all the adapters that came with the gauge you are renting. I think the one I got had the "Popular Mechanics" brand label (though having nothing to do with the mag) from Pep Boys back when there were no parts shops near(closest was 15 miles). You need to get the proper adapter to be able to actually measure pressure and volume.
Note, the pressure in an inflexible system will drop very low with the release of a very small volume of fuel. Fuel does not compress, so the only pressure maintained after pump shutoff would be from the 'walls' flexing, allowing expansion, and then trying to contract after the pump is de-powered. That indicates the need to actually measure volume over time as pressure can be developed, but a clogged fuel pickup 'sock' could limit flow, and then the engine wouldn't start...
tom