need help with a hard start issue

[JB3]

I have a 1994 ranger, 2.3 5-speed. the issue im having is a very hard start regardless of temperature or use.

It might take 15 minutes to get the truck going and it will crank, start for half a second, and die. Once its running, it runs great, idles great, gives good power and is otherwise completely reliable.

If you try and start it right after shutting it off, it will fire back up, but if you wait as much as 5 minutes, you are back to a very hard start.

It has a new fuel pump, fuel filter, coils, tune up with new plugs and wires, and IAC. It has good fuel pressure and is getting spark, I just can't get it over this difficult start issue.

Any help would be much appreciated, I would love to be able to trust the truck

EDIT- I am tinkering on it this morning in the parking lot of a tile supplier where it won't start yet again

 

[RonD]

On the 2.3l Dual spark plug engines only the Exhaust side spark plugs and coil are used when cranking.
Intake side starts working when RPMs are above 400.

I would still do a 50/50 test to ID Spark or Fuel as the issue
Next time there is a no start, spray some Quick Start(ether) or gasoline into the intake manifold and crank the engine.
If it starts and dies then fuel is the problem
If it doesn't start then spark is the problem
50/50 quick and easy

Assuming you are not loosing fuel pressure, which would fit your symptom to a "T"
I would pull out the ICM(ignition control module) and have it tested, also check the wires on the connectors as they can fray.


One long shot which I have read about, and it happened on a 2.3l, is a failing TPS(throttle position sensor).
If the TPS wires, or sensor itself, is shorted it may send computer 5volts on the signal wire, this would cause computer to shut off fuel injectors as part of the Clear Flooded Engine routine found in all fuel injected computer systems.
So on next no start unplug TPS and then try to start engine.
Long shot

 

[Mark_88]

I agree with RonD that it is most likely fuel issues and not spark issues. If you think about it, the fuel pressure when low needs time to build up and you may be doing things (like flooring he pedal) that are counterproductive out of frustration.

At this point there is all kinds of speculation as to what it might be so the best thing is to simply spray some fuel or quick start into the TB and crank it.

I do have one question though...has this just came up recently and have you had overly damp weather since this started?

 

[JB3]

Thanks for some great info, i will do some tests and post back. I had to abandon the truck yesterday and go to work, i can play with it today though.

As to wet weather ive owned the truck a couple months and it had this starting issue when i bought it. I thought at the time fuel delivery so replaced the pump and fuel filter. Im going to retest the fuel pressure again just to be sure. It does not seem to be connected to humidity or temperature though.

 

[Keith44]

just thinking here, but how many miles since fuel filter was replaced?

Might be that simple

 

[JB3]

just thinking here, but how many miles since fuel filter was replaced?

Might be that simple

Fuel filter is brand new as of last week, less than 50 miles. Ive barely driven it anywhere due to this starting problem

Truck overall has 90k miles on it

 

[JB3]

to update,

the problem turns out to have been an intermittent crank sensor failure combined with the truck having jumped 2 teeth on the timing belt.

 

[Mark_88]

Good to hear you have found an answer and working on or arrived at a fix...

 

[JB3]

Good to hear you have found an answer and working on or arrived at a fix...

one more thing! The brand new IAC valve was also sticking. Truck was running like crap, though it is starting reliably. That is also getting replaced.

I ultimately had to outsource the job after testing the fuel and spark. My diagnostic time was widely spaced windows in a busy work season, so sent it off to a mechanic who was instructed to re-test everything new thats been installed first off.

Costing me more money, but I need to put this truck to work asap so the time wasted is more costly.