2004 Ranger Not sure what is wrong.

[Fast Eddie]

To RonD's point, though:

You may very well be hearing the fuel pump only after it's sat over night. But it's not a function of whether it ran, just a difference in how it sounds when the system is/isn't pressurized to begin with.

Thanks for the clarification. I'm out of ideas on the OP's original problem, other than the fuel pump. Mine was throwing misfire codes on 4&6. Coil pack, plugs and wires, as he did, and that fixed everything that was wrong with mine. Forget why I changed the pmp. Tough getting old and wrenching all the time.

 

[Fast Eddie]

Thanks for the reply. No it firmly goes into park. I had no idea about not hearing the fuel pump cut on every time I start the truck. Thanks for the info.

I don't have a lift in my shop.So, I plan on just taking the bed bolts out and sliding the bed back some and you can access the top of the fuel tank and the fuel pump that way. That is the way I did it on replacing my Dad's Mazda B3000 fuel pump not to long ago.

See above responses. Are you hearing it every time, regardless of 'down' time?

 

[brc777]

I think what I hear and have been thinking the fuel pump has been cutting on all these years is what someone stated earlier. It is the fuel pump safety system cycling when you turn the key to the start position.

 

[Whidbey Guy]

Hi, I am new to the forum. I have a 2004 Ford Ranger Edge 2wd with the 3.0l v6 with 144,000 miles and auto trans. I love this truck. I've owned this truck for 4 years and I have maintained it well. I wouldn't be afraid to take this truck anywhere until now. What I am about to describe didn't happen suddenly. It has just got to the point where I am scared to drive it. The truck cranks right up runs and shifts fine and it will take you anywhere. But now when you drive into town (for example) and you get to your destination and turn the truck off. When you get ready to get back into the truck it will turn over but not crank back up. But if you let the truck set for 30-45 minutes it will crank right up. I hear the fuel pump cut on, there are no lights on the dash, hooked up my scanner and there are no codes. I checked all fuses inside and out and they were all fine. It started this about a year ago. But in the beginning you didn't have to let it set but for a few seconds and it would start right up, and it just did it occasionally. Now it has became a constant thing. On a total different issue about six months ago I changed the coil pack, new plugs, and plug wires because a miss started while driving between 45-50 mph. I replaced all parts with all genuine motorcraft parts.

I was thinking it may be the fuel pump. But before I started throwing parts at this problem I wanted to see if anyone had this problem.

This Tuesday it did leave me stranded. I went to two places went in and came out and it started right up, but at my third stop it would turn over but not crank. I waited as long as I could until I had to get someone to pick me up to finish doing all the things I had left to do. It took about an hour and I went back to the parking lot and the truck fired right up.

I drove it home killed it and tried to crank it and it just turned over and would not start. I went back outside a few hours later and it started right up.

Any ideas, suggestions, any comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You

brc777

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My truck, a 2004 with a 3.0 does the same thing with the exception of when the starter is turning over it acts like the engine has slipped time. Have you noticed this on your truck?

 

[nickname23]

Check your fuel filter, I've replaced my fuel pump recently and it's very quiet no hum I even exchanged it 2 days later just to be sure, best way although messy is to leave the delivery line off and try n prime if it shoots fuel it's working. Fuel filter will cause a hot start issue.
Also make sure the filter is the correct one you can buy the cheaper one they get replaced so much king of the hill made fun of it.

 

[nickname23]

Does it have power on the wheels even at takeoff? Crankshaft Position Sensor could be on its way out, this happened to me again on two separate trucks.
This even with a good filter will eventually cause a misfire and everytime it happened to me it was always missing under load usually highway speed, once you hit a hill and the load increases it can stall.
Safer way to test is turn the Max AC on and idle when parked, eventually you will hear the engine start getting confused and sputtering.
Could be both filter and sensor.