Needing advice.

[Cathy282010]

Hi dont know if it gets on here or not but need help from anyone. 1988 ford ranger 2.9ltr manual the truck turns over but no spark and i can not hear fuel pump turning on when i turn the key on.. Changed ignition module. Relays. Distributor. Coil. Computer. I have power going to coil
Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Alan_nc]

OK. Starting point:
Was it running when you started replacing things?
Or...What happened just before it quit running
If you don't know the "running" history (bought it not running or has been a long time since it ran).
You can hear the fuel pump running - is it getting fuel to the (I'm guessing carb).
If you are not getting spark at the plugs get a meter and start backwards until you find the point where you have electrical power.
If you have points - watch as the engine turns over and make sure they open and close correctly. Check that you are getting power at this point. Check the point gap.

Good luck and let us know what happens.

 

[Cathy282010]

OK. Starting point:
Was it running when you started replacing things?
Or...What happened just before it quit running
If you don't know the "running" history (bought it not running or has been a long time since it ran).
You can hear the fuel pump running - is it getting fuel to the (I'm guessing carb).
If you are not getting spark at the plugs get a meter and start backwards until you find the point where you have electrical power.
If you have points - watch as the engine turns over and make sure they open and close correctly. Check that you are getting power at this point. Check the point gap.

Good luck and let us know what happens.

Hi yes it was running was driving it then it sounded like it had a little miss. Then when i got on high way it just quit. I am getting power far as i know to the coil. If that helps.. No i can not hear fuel pump coming on. I do have a click noise on the relay over on passenger side. The truck do wind over just no spark

 

[Alan_nc]

Have you tried pulling a spark plug wire off. Hold it (with something insulated) an inch or so from the plug and have someone try to start the truck. There should be a big blue spark from the plug to the wire end. Check more than one plug just to make sure it's not just one wire.

When you were replacing all those items: Did you try to start the truck each time you replaced each one of them?

Have you done a visual check to see if there is oil or water coming out from any places in the engine? Any puddles under the truck?
If it turns out you do have spark you probably need to do a compression check next.
Double check to make sure you have connected all the wires properly to everything you replaced.
It is always tricky to get a new distributor in correctly. Make sure you didn't get it in 180 degrees off.

 

[Cathy282010]

We took spark plug out with wire attached and turned it over and no spark from that plug.and everthing we replaced we tried starting after wards and no spark and no fuel pump comes on.. He said the rotor button is facing the firewall.. Not rhe front. And no fluids anywhere from what we can see

 

[Cathy282010]

Something i should mention when we turn the key to like accessory it has power to ignition module and he said there is power to his coil wire.. If that helps any..

 

[Alan_nc]

You need to ground the plug to the block for it to spark.

The rotor will point in the direction of each spark plug. You can't install a distributor based on the direction the rotor is pointing. Take a look in the Ranger book (hope you have one). You need to read the section on how to install a distributor. There should be a description here on the site if you don't have a book.

When the points open and close can you see a spark? I am not even sure if you have points in this distributor. Some other member can chime in with how to check that the distributor is in correctly and how to make sure you have power there.

 

[Cathy282010]

Thank you so much will try that.. Would you know if that would give power to the fuel pump?

 

[Alan_nc]

That has nothing to do with the fuel pump.

If you take off the gas cap, put your ear close to it and have some one turn the key on you can usually hear the fuel pump run. If you don't hear a wrrrrr ing sound it may not be working.

Stupit question but you did check to make sure you have plenty of gas (something I spent many hours trying to solve once)

 

[duffy]

A stock 88' should be fuel injected with electronic ignition. No carb and no points. In order to check spark with the plug out it MUST be grounded to the engine......if you lost power you may have the condition you describe (no spark and no fuel pump) but you would have other problems also I believe.

 

[Curious Hound]

Have you trued squirting some starting fluid in the intake to see if it will burn that? If it tries to run on starting fluid , then it has spark and your problem is fuel.

 

[Cathy282010]

There is plenty of gas when ya turn the key on dont hear the humming noise.. It only a fairly new fuel pump like 2 months old

 

[Curious Hound]

What is telling you that it has plenty of gas?

 

[Curious Hound]

The fuel pump only runs for a couple seconds when you turn the key on. Just to make sure the pressure is bumped up a bit. Then it doesn’t run again until the engine is running - rpm above a certain number to prove engine is running.

 

[Cathy282010]

What is telling you that it has plenty of gas?