cleaned engine today... now won't start... coincidence?

[Will]

You blasted the engine with 1,000psi of water. It's not it's fault. There's water in something.

 

[baxtej44]

You blasted the engine with 1,000psi of water. It's not it's fault. There's water in something.

i didn't figure anything would be wrong lol.... the engine cleaner was at a way lower pressure anyway, and i rinsed it at lower pressure too.


i wasn't blaming the car wash place though
my family uses the same thing on all their engines... i don't do it everytime i go there, just when it gets dirty enough.

 

[kennykenny]

honestly, i would have no clue what it sounds like haha....

It makes a buzzing sounds, similar to the noise your refrigerator might make. This is always easier to hear if you have a friend turn the key for you while you put your head near the tank, it will only sound for about 2 seconds when the key is turned.

 

[baxtej44]

It makes a buzzing sounds, similar to the noise your refrigerator might make. This is always easier to hear if you have a friend turn the key for you while you put your head near the tank, it will only sound for about 2 seconds when the key is turned.

thanks, got an uncle coming by, soon hopefully, i'll try that out.


maybe he will know what one sounds like, it could be hard for an untrained ear to hear it, like my own.


i'll keep it updated on here.

 

[triumphrider-1]

we tried that, still didn't work. but like i said, it engages (belts move and such), so it can't be the starter can it?

with a bad starter it just goes "click click click click"?

The click I would associate with a dead battery. Dying starters (from my little experience of it) just sounds like an electric motor free wheeling (the gear doesn't engage the flywheel).

I would just pop the distriubtor cap and look for moisture; no sense in wasting time with the other stuff if their not the issue.

 

[baxtej44]

the uncle i had come look at it can't hear the fuel pump.


popped off lines, and barely any fuel came out, and this was after trying to start it about 5 times.


so there's no, or barely any, pressure between the tank and the filter.



sooo... chances are fuel pump? he said that's it for sure, since he can't hear it, and he should have had fuel just SPILLIN AND SPILLIN out when he popped off those lines.

 

[Shran]

You should hear a "whining" noise for about 1-2 seconds when you turn the key to "on" without moving it to "start." That's the fuel pump pressurizing. If you don't hear that, I would say it's probably your fuel pump relay that got wet since they are not sealed against moisture. If it's not working then you will have no fuel anywhere but the tank and a little in the lines. Happens to mine all the time when I get in deep water.

 

[pocket-rocket]

Try smacking the bottom of the gas tank with a rubber mallet and see if it starts. Sometimes that shock is enough to convince the fuel pump to start working again. This doesn't mean that it will stay working for weeks or moths, it means, yeah, for sure your pump is bad and it's time to pull the bed to change the sucker.

 

[baxtej44]

i will add some things to the list before i buy a fuel pump... wait will i need two if i am replacing? isn't there one mounted in tank and one outside of the tank? a low pressure and a high pressure? which one is bad if it doesn't start up?

however first, i will check the inertia switch. where is this on a 1988 xlt 2.9L 4x4?

also, the relays, electrical components correct? where are these, under the hood somewhere?



any easy grounds to find that i should look for or something?

 

[Shran]

Inertia switch is under or right above the carpet under the dash on the passenger side. The fuel pump relay is on the passenger fender under the hood. It's a little black cube with wires attached to it. Should look something like this...

I would seriously look at fuses and the pump relay before you go replacing pumps. Pumps don't usually just die suddenly. And yes, you are right, there are two pumps, one on the frame rail and one in the tank. The one on the frame rail is the loud one that you can always hear when you turn the key to "on" and the one in the tank is much quieter.

One more thing to look at is the ground for the fuel pumps that is connected directly to the negative post on the battery. It's a small wire about a foot long with a connector on it. I have accidentally unplugged that before, which makes the fuel pumps not work.

 

[baxtej44]

Inertia switch is under or right above the carpet under the dash on the passenger side. The fuel pump relay is on the passenger fender under the hood. It's a little black cube with wires attached to it. Should look something like this...

I would seriously look at fuses and the pump relay before you go replacing pumps. Pumps don't usually just die suddenly. And yes, you are right, there are two pumps, one on the frame rail and one in the tank. The one on the frame rail is the loud one that you can always hear when you turn the key to "on" and the one in the tank is much quieter.

One more thing to look at is the ground for the fuel pumps that is connected directly to the negative post on the battery. It's a small wire about a foot long with a connector on it. I have accidentally unplugged that before, which makes the fuel pumps not work.

i will drive down to work and look for those things.


i've seen a black ground come off the black negative terminal of my battery, and it goes directly straight forward towards me (if i'm standing in front of the truck) and is connected to a bolt.. is that the ground you are talking about?

 

[Shran]

i will drive down to work and look for those things.


i've seen a black ground come off the black negative terminal of my battery, and it goes directly straight forward towards me (if i'm standing in front of the truck) and is connected to a bolt.. is that the ground you are talking about?

Well there are two wires that come off the negative post. One big one that usually bolts to the engine block, and another small one. The small one is the one I was talking about.

 

[baxtej44]

it was the relay...


it had at one time been knocked off the bracket that it's supposed to be on, and was hanging downward, so when i washed the engine, water got in there.


$13 fix, got a haynes manual as well....


also, there's a cover that fits over the air filter area, the relay was supposed to be mounted under there, if it hadn't had come off of the bracket, this probably would have never happened.



such a small thing... made into such a large discussion. just goes to show that for one thing wrong, there is about a million things that could have caused it.
live and learn....

 

[Psychopete]

i will add some things to the list before i buy a fuel pump... wait will i need two if i am replacing? isn't there one mounted in tank and one outside of the tank? a low pressure and a high pressure? which one is bad if it doesn't start up?

There is quite a bit to the fuel pump circuit than a couple pumps and some wire. IMO, I would start diagnosis at the fuel pump relay (green plug) and make sure that the circuit is doing something. The fuel pump should run 2 times for 1-2 sec. each once the key is put on run. The computer essentially controls the fuel pumps.

There is also a way to test the fuel pump circuit directly at the diagnostic connector. Could be the relay got wet, maybe a blown fuse link, etc. It could be a lot of other things other than the pump itself. You'll really not be happy if the pump is not the problem.

I really recommend a specific diagram for situations like these, they are priceless for situations like this.

Pete

 

[Shran]

Glad to hear you got it fixed... like I said, been there about five times now. I need to relocate my relays into the cab or something because they get wet. My wiring is a mess and is just zip tied to the inner fender so these things happen to me a lot.