crankk, no start, No power to fuel pumps 1988 2.3l

[Farmerrye]

Hey again everyone,


My ranger has been struggling, it would start fine and run fine until about 2500 rpm in any gear then starts to stumble and lose power. I replaced the TPS which didnt fix a thing, now the truck wont start. i dont hear either of the fuel pump and replaced one and still hear nothing. my relay is getting power 12v to everything with the key on. with the key off i get 12v to the power and 1.5-1.1 for two of the slots and nothing on the last one. the wiring on the relay is terrible. check out the picture. what do you think i should check next?

 

[tomw]

You can buy new relay sockets that come with 'pigtails' that are ~5-6" in length. You then cut your wires and splice into the pigtail wires, and solder or use butt connectors. The colors do not matter, but the position does if/when you were to do that.
If not, then either get some electricians tape and protect the conductor, or get some connectors that will fit into the relay socket and trim your wires.
If you replaced the TPS and it won't run the pumps any more, you might try putting the old TPS back in place. Your replacement may have shorted the compter or grounded something if it was not an exact match. Hope for the best on that one.
A TPS should not have the 2500 rpm limit effect. You'd more likely be running out of fuel due to pump(s) failure or limit, or a partially plugged fuel filter. You could/should run a pressure & delivery test on your pump(s). Some have two, one in-tank that lifts the fuel and a second on the frame that pressurizes for injector function. Depending in vintage, there may be a filter hidden behind a U-shaped plate, bolted to the frame rail. Some are 'accumulators', and some are filter bodies with replaceable filter element inside.
tom

see also: http://www.repairconnector.com/
and http://www.fordtechservice.dealerconnection.com/Renderers/ie/wiring/svg/images/connectorcatalog.pdf

and of course your local parts stores ... you could even use wire cutters at a local boneyard ...

 

[Farmerrye]

You can buy new relay sockets that come with 'pigtails' that are ~5-6" in length. You then cut your wires and splice into the pigtail wires, and solder or use butt connectors. The colors do not matter, but the position does if/when you were to do that.
If not, then either get some electricians tape and protect the conductor, or get some connectors that will fit into the relay socket and trim your wires.
If you replaced the TPS and it won't run the pumps any more, you might try putting the old TPS back in place. Your replacement may have shorted the compter or grounded something if it was not an exact match. Hope for the best on that one.
A TPS should not have the 2500 rpm limit effect. You'd more likely be running out of fuel due to pump(s) failure or limit, or a partially plugged fuel filter. You could/should run a pressure & delivery test on your pump(s). Some have two, one in-tank that lifts the fuel and a second on the frame that pressurizes for injector function. Depending in vintage, there may be a filter hidden behind a U-shaped plate, bolted to the frame rail. Some are 'accumulators', and some are filter bodies with replaceable filter element inside.
tom

see also: http://www.repairconnector.com/
and http://www.fordtechservice.dealerconnection.com/Renderers/ie/wiring/svg/images/connectorcatalog.pdf

and of course your local parts stores ... you could even use wire cutters at a local boneyard ...

thanks for the reply

it did the sputtering thing when it had the old tps, maybe that is it. after all it is off a 2.3l 1988 mustang.... i will also get a new relay and connecter.

Where and what color are the fuses/fusible links for the fuel pump/relay wires?THe wires shorting hopefully just popped a fuse or the relay.

i changed the fuel filters a while ago and had to replace the obscure fuel accumulator because dumb dumb me opened it up thinking it was a canister style fuel filter..... will keep you posted

 

[RonD]

That picture is the bottom of the EEC relay

2 reds, a yellow and a black wire

'88 Fuel pump relay will have, a Red, a Yellow, a Tan and an Orange wire

They both use the same relay and socket parts.


Fusible links will be on the starter relay(solenoid), on the same post as the battery positive cable.

Both EEC and Fuel pump relays will use a Blue Fusible Link(30amp) on their Yellow wires
These have 12 volts key off or on.

 

[Farmerrye]

That picture is the bottom of the EEC relay

2 reds, a yellow and a black wire

'88 Fuel pump relay will have, a Red, a Yellow, a Tan and an Orange wire

They both use the same relay and socket parts.


Fusible links will be on the starter relay(solenoid), on the same post as the battery positive cable.

Both EEC and Fuel pump relays will use a Blue Fusible Link(30amp) on their Yellow wires
These have 12 volts key off or on.

Thanks for the clarification I will fix the eec relay connector and test the correct relay will keep u posted thanks

 

[Farmerrye]

That picture is the bottom of the EEC relay

2 reds, a yellow and a black wire

'88 Fuel pump relay will have, a Red, a Yellow, a Tan and an Orange wire

They both use the same relay and socket parts.


Fusible links will be on the starter relay(solenoid), on the same post as the battery positive cable.

Both EEC and Fuel pump relays will use a Blue Fusible Link(30amp) on their Yellow wires
These have 12 volts key off or on.

SO i tested the correct relay and all the wires get 12v except the one wire that is under the source wire the diagram looks like ....
(12v)
(0V) (12v) (12v) I jumped the current to dead wire and the pumps turned on. when i did this the EEC relay started flipping out and clicking open and closed very fast. any thoughts on why this is or is this normal??? will test current at all the fusible links, I cant trace the one dead wire back to a fuse, does it change color?

thanks for all the help so far I think i am almost to the bottom of this

also my battery wont hold a charge, must be shorting out somewhere.....

 

[tomw]

EEC relay was being back-fed from the computer would be my bet. It was supposed to feed power to the computer, but with the fuel pump energized 'manually' the power being at 12v is fed back into the computer control line .. which may be in turn feeding the relay, but not well, so it buzzes.
tom

 

[Farmerrye]

EEC relay was being back-fed from the computer would be my bet. It was supposed to feed power to the computer, but with the fuel pump energized 'manually' the power being at 12v is fed back into the computer control line .. which may be in turn feeding the relay, but not well, so it buzzes.
tom

What do you recommend, with the key on the battery starts to drain. Not sure how to get things back to normal. It just rolled over 300k and was still feeling like there is somuch life left. With the key off the relays is getting voltage could this mean there is a short somewhere?

 

[tomw]

When you added 12v to the 'dead' conductor, you energized the relay, making the field work, pulling the relay 'switch' contacts together to send power through to the pumps.
A relay has what I would call 'power' connectors and 'switch' connectors. The power connectors are the larger gauge wire that carry the power that the 'switch' connectors turn on and off using the relay. The switch connectors are generally one to ground and one to a source 12v that will be enabled by the computer or other device. You can use a relay to switch trailer lights on and off, tapping the 'switch' power from a headlight or parking light as desired. You then do not overload the light switch in the dash beyond its rated capacity to turn the lights on and off. You use a little bit of power to turn on the relay when the lights are on. You supply the relay using a larger gauge wire from the + terminal of the relay over by the battery. The relay will send the power out on another larger gauge wire back to the trailer connector and run all the trailer lights without taxing the original light switch.
Same deal with the fuel pump relay. "Signal" from the computer energizes the relay coils, closes the relay contacts and sends power to the pump. The computer will provide signal for a few seconds, and then STOP. Until the engine is running, when it again supplies power. The relay 'enable' wire or switch should lead back to the computer. Futzing around with bare wires can cause damage to the computer bits. Spurious feeding of 12v into the computer is not a good thing to do.
If you hear the pumps run when the ignition is turned to ON, then check the signal the computer monitors for 'engine running', and if it is good, then you may need a computer.
tom

 

[Farmerrye]

When you added 12v to the 'dead' conductor, you energized the relay, making the field work, pulling the relay 'switch' contacts together to send power through to the pumps.
A relay has what I would call 'power' connectors and 'switch' connectors. The power connectors are the larger gauge wire that carry the power that the 'switch' connectors turn on and off using the relay. The switch connectors are generally one to ground and one to a source 12v that will be enabled by the computer or other device. You can use a relay to switch trailer lights on and off, tapping the 'switch' power from a headlight or parking light as desired. You then do not overload the light switch in the dash beyond its rated capacity to turn the lights on and off. You use a little bit of power to turn on the relay when the lights are on. You supply the relay using a larger gauge wire from the + terminal of the relay over by the battery. The relay will send the power out on another larger gauge wire back to the trailer connector and run all the trailer lights without taxing the original light switch.
Same deal with the fuel pump relay. "Signal" from the computer energizes the relay coils, closes the relay contacts and sends power to the pump. The computer will provide signal for a few seconds, and then STOP. Until the engine is running, when it again supplies power. The relay 'enable' wire or switch should lead back to the computer. Futzing around with bare wires can cause damage to the computer bits. Spurious feeding of 12v into the computer is not a good thing to do.
If you hear the pumps run when the ignition is turned to ON, then check the signal the computer monitors for 'engine running', and if it is good, then you may need a computer.
tom

Thanks for the reply Tom. When I jumpped the wires the fuel pump would turn on and stay on, as I mentioned the eec relay starts to fire on and off and continues to do so until I disconnect the wires. Knowing that I tried to jump the eec thinking it was the fuel pump how likely is it that I fried the computer. How could I check this? I have fuel pressure at the rail again. Haven't been able to get it running because the battery won't hold a charge as there is a short somewhere in the system draining the battery.....

 

[tomw]

You would use a scan tool to check the computer. If it reported no problems, then you would use a VOM and probe to the specific pins that should produce a ground for the relay(s) involved. There should be 12v on one side of the relay winding[switch] and ground on the other. As I think about it, the computer provides ground in most cases to things that are powered from a fusible link or fuse from the fuse box or PDB, vintage dependent.
Were I doing this, I would connect the scan tool, or analog VOM as directed, and put the box into self-test, do the test engine off and then do the test engine running. See if it will pass or has internal codes. If it won't communicate, you have a pretty good message that it is not functioning properly...[pun intended]
tom