Truck won't start

[rw02kr43]

I've had this truck for a long time and it's been sitting idle for about 3 years. I put in a new battery and started it. It fired right up and ran and idled for a while perfectly fine. Then it died. I can't get it to start back up. It's full of gas and new battery. It will turn over and try to start but won't catch. Any ideas? I know it's not much to go on.

Thanks
Jason

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Year? Engine?

Try to snort some starting fluid in the intake....if it starts its a fuel problem...if it dont its ignition.

 

[rw02kr43]

1998 4L 4x4 130k miles

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Try the starting fluid thing i just mentioned....itll point us in a direction. Also wouldnt hurt to get a scanner and scan it for codes

 

[rw02kr43]

well with the starting fluid it will start. It will also idle fine as long as it's being sprayed. But then will stumble and die. So it is getting fuel. Sure can smell it. And has spark cause it will run.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

well with the starting fluid it will start. It will also idle fine as long as it's being sprayed. But then will stumble and die. So it is getting fuel. Sure can smell it. And has spark cause it will run.

If it runs on starting fluid then its NOT getting fuel....the starting fluid is whats igniteing...so you go spark.

Can you hear the fuel pump running?

 

[rw02kr43]

can hear it and it smells. Smells bad. Also no throwing codes

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Try holding the acclerator to the floor while cranking, see if it starts or does anything different. If you do that it shuts the injectors off,..it may be flooding....but its weird it started on ether.

 

[rw02kr43]

I did do it with it floored. It didn't seem to make any difference. Also if it is running and I floor it then it will either rev high like it should or it will die.

 

[RonD]

3 year old gasoline is no longer gasoline, and will not burn in an engine very well, plus all the water in the tank will have settled to the bottom, so you are sucking in water and "varnish" which is why it smells so much

Use a hose down the filler and siphon off as much as you can out of the gas tank
Then add 5 gallons of "fresh" Regular 87 octane gasoline with ethanol added, 10% ethanol is best
The ethanol can bond to remaining water so it can be "burned", gasoline can't bond with water, it separates, and water is heavier so settles to the bottom of the gas tank where fuel pump sucks it in

 

[rw02kr43]

I did put in about 3 gallons of 87 with 10% last night. I can put in more or put in the vaccum line and suck out everything I can and start fresh

 

[RonD]

It would depend on how much "bad" gas was in there to start with

I assume extended cab so 20gal tank, 1/2 full would be 10gal so 3gal would help but 10gal would better
But yes, I would drain as much as you can and add as much fresh gas as you can


If engine runs by adding fuel manually but stops when you stop adding the fuel then the fuel in the tank is not burnable
And it could also be the fuel filter is now clogged because screens inside dried out and crusted up
So I would also put in new fuel filter, just on spec, $10-$15

Gasoline can not be ignited by a spark, only gasoline VAPOR will ignite with a spark
The Vapor is what is lost first when gasoline sits, so it simply can not be ignited by engine spark on its own

 

[rw02kr43]

Well I can't get any fuel out. I put in a few gallons of fresh gas and then try to siphon it out with the pump and I'm not getting anything. I ordered a new fuel filter so we'll see if that makes any difference.

 

[RonD]

And you can Hear the pump running for 2 seconds with key on?
It only runs for 2 seconds but can be heard in the cab

You can jump the Fuel Pump Relay in the engine fuse box to turn on fuel pump full time to drain the tank if needed, or to test if pump is working

There is an inertia switch in the cab, passenger side footwell up above carpet level mounted on the firewall, has a red button on the top, if button is UP the press it back down to reset the switch
Inertia switch cuts 12v power to fuel pump if there is a sudden change in inertia, i.e. an accident(sudden stop or change in direction), or a roll over

 

[rw02kr43]

Yeah I can hear it. What gets me is it ran for a good bit idling then just died. So I think the fuel pump part is working