2004 cranks, wiil not start? Timing chain slip?

[modelageek]

Just picked up a 2004 Ranger 4.0. 130k miles. Owner say he drove it home one night and the next morning it would not start. They towed it to a shop and the only thing the shop thinks it could be is a slipped timing chain. I cranked it over and it sounds fine? I did not have a scanner to check for codes. The owner said he originally thought it was going to be the fuel pump. I will have the truck in a few days and will check spark fuel, etc. I looked around briefly for the Schrader valve but could not see it. Does anyone know where it is located? TIA All thoughts are encouraged!.

 

[adsm08]

I haven't seen one slip yet. I've seen the chain guides break...


Some of the SOHC engines didn't have a schreader on the rail. Some are on the passenger side, similar to the 2.9, and some are on the very end of the driver's side. They kept moving it.

Also check the crank balancer. I have seen them break and cause a no-start.

 

[modelageek]

I haven't seen one slip yet. I've seen the chain guides break...


Some of the SOHC engines didn't have a schreader on the rail. Some are on the passenger side, similar to the 2.9, and some are on the very end of the driver's side. They kept moving it.

Also check the crank balancer. I have seen them break and cause a no-start.

Thanks adsm. I will check the crank balancer area when I get the truck. If the guide broke would it make a "noise" when cranking it? sounds fine when he cranked it over for 2 or 3 seconds a couple of times. The theft light was blinking every 3 seconds without the key in it. The same as it does on my 04 Ranger. I never looked at the light with the key in it.

 

[adsm08]

The chain guides make noise, but usually only once it starts.

 

[modelageek]

I haven't seen one slip yet. I've seen the chain guides break...


Some of the SOHC engines didn't have a schreader on the rail. Some are on the passenger side, similar to the 2.9, and some are on the very end of the driver's side. They kept moving it.

Also check the crank balancer. I have seen them break and cause a no-start.

OK. Picked up the truck. 2004 4.0 134k, auto. cranks over but will not start. I checked fuel pressure it was 65. I put a spark tester on #4 and #5 wires and it lit up, I checked the #2 injector KOEO and had 12 volts. when cranking it went down to 10.5. The battery is a little low. I am charging it. I checked for a codes a few times and got no codes. I took a picture of the balancer. Not sure what I am looking for? it seems OK should. Should I observe it while cranking? CEL comes on KOEO. theft light flashes every 2 seconds and goes off after 3 seconds when you go to KOEO thanks.

I did ask the owner again and he said his Son had drove it parked it and everything was fine, He came out 2 hours later and it would not start. He could be lying but I do not think so. all thoughts are encouraged.

 

[adsm08]

Balancer looks ok. What I have seen is that it comes apart, and the toothed part, which is the tone ring for the crank sensor, doesn't turn. It's not a super common occurance.

I have two more test for you to try.

1) Using a test light, check the ground of the injectors while cranking. I'll give you instructions for building a tester at the end of this post.

2) Check the plugs to see if they are wet after cranking.



Injector pulse tester:

Go to the junk yard and find a 95-2001 Explorer, F-150, Ranger, Crown Vic, pretty much any Ford with cruise control, but it HAS to have cruise control.

Get under the hood and look around the brake master cylinder, you are looking for one of these:



Grab that guy and one if the plate light sockets anything that holds a 194 bulb, and a few inches of wire. If you can't find any of those harnesses at the junk yard they go for about $25 at the dealership, just tell them you want a cruise recall harness.

Cut the smaller male plug off the harness and splice it to the light bulb socket, and put a good bulb in it. You can also make a 3-way splice with the female end so that you can have the bulb and the injector plugged in at the same time.


It will plug into about 90% of Ford's injector plugs for the last 20 years.

Once you have that built you can plug into an injector plug and see if the injector is being pulsed. If it is the bulb will glow dimly during cranking and at idle and get brighter as the engine is revved.

 

[modelageek]

Ok adsm08. Thanks for the info. I will try and stop by the JY tomorrow. is the tester I am building different then a noid light? After I test it if the light is not coming on what does that indicate the issue is? is it a bad PCM? crank sensor?

 

[adsm08]

The tester is similar to a noid light, but different. A noid light uses an LED and will provide a cleaner representation of on/off. Since this uses an incandescent bulb the results are a bit more open to interpretation, but functionally it gives the same information about what is happening, for a lot less money invested in the tool.

If the light doesn't come on either the PCM crapped out, or you have a wiring issue.

If all 6 injectors have no pulse I would suspect that the PCM is at fault because a wiring issue would have to take out 6 separate wires.

It would still be worth resistance testing the wires back to the PCM before replacing it if your light doesn't light.


Sparks say the crank sensor is working.

 

[RonD]

If you want just pour/spray some gas into the intake and see if it fires then dies, if so then fuel is the problem.
Or after cranking pull a spark plug and look to see if it is wet with fuel.

You shouldn't have spark if the CKP(crank position) sensor for the balancer is bad.
CKP sensor pulse starts the spark and that starts fuel injectors.
CPS(cam position sensor) times the injectors, but engine should still start if CPS was bad, just wouldn't run as well.

As far as I have seen the CKP sensor is the only "sensor" that can cause a no start.
These rarely fail.
Computer of course can cause a no start.

Try disconnecting the battery for 5 minutes, then reconnecting, that will reboot the computer to factory settings.
Some times the simple things are the best to try first.

 

[modelageek]

hopefully this video will work. It is the truck cranking over!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fcBl0ruc8s&index=1&list=UUy9GBuZiHg8hgWXQMcPrp9w

 

[adsm08]

Ron, I have seen the CMP fail causing a no start.

 

[RonD]

Ron, I have seen the CMP fail causing a no start.

I always thought that would be a good software upgrade, never knew they did it though.
Cam sensor sending a pulse means the shaft is turning, which means, hopefully, the oil pump is also turning.

If the pulse was mis-timed I would think the engine would still run but in batch fire, "limp home mode".
If no pulse at all then software should disable spark.

Is that kinda what happens or will just being mis-timed also cause no start?

 

[modelageek]

Anyone listen to my video?

I poured some gas into the TB and got nuttin.

I went to the JY this morning. All I could find was this harness. It was sitting unconnected in an empty engine compartment of an explorer. Not sure if everything is there or not.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[RonD]

If you added gas and still have a no start/no fire then you have a spark issue, which needs to be addressed first.

Video link is asking for sign in

 

[modelageek]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fcBl0ruc8s&index=1&list=UUy9GBuZiHg8hgWXQMcPrp9w