Sorry for the crazy long saga. I have a truck driving me nuts and I'm looking for advice.

If this truck starts, I can turn it off right away or drive it awhile, either way, it always starts again, if it has started once within, say, the last hour, maybe a little more. This has been going on for months, and I succeeded with an emergency 8-hour trip to New Jersey and immediate return, knowing the truck would start again after I stopped for gas or food. But when I came back, the next morning, same as always, no start.

If it doesn't start, then it happens after the truck has been sitting several hours at least, and it just won't start. I'll let it sit a day or week, then it will usually start, and the cycle begins again.

This started after last winter, some black ice and a steep hill left the battery to fall over on the radiator hose, which I didn't notice. Everything overheated and tore up head gaskets. I had a dealership replace a head gasket and resurface another. Obscenely expensive, but that work is still under warranty. Less than a month after that work, this issue started.

Should I start with the dealership, where the "warranty" might mean nothing except another crazy repair bill for a truck worth less than I've invested already? How do I make sure they only check their own work and not exploit me?

97 F-150 4.2L 6-cyl, 230k miles. Here's wishing good fortune and sound mind on first responders in the east coast storm this weekend.

 

was the battery replaced or the old one kept?
If it is still the original battery then prolly just change it...or at least have it checked. then move on to the starter and have it checked with inspecting the wires and connections along with it.

it seems like you have a bad connection somewhere? Is it in relation to the work that was done last winter?....maybe, but wouldn't hold on to too much hope of that.

 

Does it crank, but not start, or not crank at all?

No crank = electrical issue, start at battery

No start = Fuel delivery issue

When it has been sitting for a few days and it wont start, what do you do that gets it to start, Jump it? What? When its not starting, have you tried to jump it?

 

When it won't start, it still cranks. If it does start, it starts right up, I don't have to grind it. I get it to start by leaving it alone, taking the motorcycle to work, and trying again another day.

I had it in to a local shop where they kept it for a few days, left a fuel pressure gauge on it overnight and didn't see any drop in pressure the next day, but it never did the no-start for them. They seemed pretty clueless in any case.

I have checked the battery with a multimeter when it wouldn't start and it was fine. Maybe I should get my own fuel pressure gauge and try to monitor that part of it. I'll try jumping it too. thanks.

 

What does "Fine" mean with the battery? What was the numerical voltage.

 

actually I don't remember now, 12V at least. I'll have to do it again I guess. What is the acceptable range?

 

At this point you have no clue so must look at two areas for an issue.
1. When your in this no start, look for ignition present or absent, then you have sort of a direction to go in.
2. You need to understand how engine starting is accomplished. If no one knows, you have a nice truck to just look at.
A. The crank sensor begins the whole start sequence. Is the plug on secure?
B. Do you have a PATS system? Is the key good etc?
C.Is the DTR switch on the trans good in neutral and drive?
D. Is the crash sensor switch part of a fuel issue?
Cam shaft position sensor and drive. Plugup secure?
Any codes set?
Until some one begins to take a look in these areas and understrand what is suppose to happen it will be a long time and a lot of MC rides to work.
If a shop is doing it they have to be paid shop time but need and want know what to look at.
A lot of items were taken apart to do the last repair.
Good luck.

 

Thank you for your esoteric response. I will have to study more to get the terminology and understand what you are saying. Getting the truck to start is important, but understanding what's going on is even better. And, like you said, I want to get as close as possible to the actual issue before turning it over to a shop. I have already taught myself to fix computers in the same way: by troubleshooting discarded machines.

I have one question on your first point.

I don't understand what I should look for. If the engine cranks, doesn't that mean I have ignition?

Looking nice is not an option, or even an issue for me. I think the previous owner used spraypaint on the body while drunk.

I am trying for a working connection between the OBD port and a netbook computer using a $7 OBD cable. Not ideal, but cheap, and the issues so far are on the computer side.

 

Try and listen for the fuel pump when the key is turned in the key on, engine off position. You may have to keep your door open and lean downward to hear it but as far as I know, it should cycle/prime every time. It could be an intermittent pump failure. At 230k I would be considering it.

A noid light may come in handy to check for the presents of ignition/spark while trying to start it (no start condition) Also injector pulses. Something should show up.

 

Nope. Spark plug firing and injector firing have nothing to do with the starter cranking circuit other than they are all electrical functions.

In order to start, the starter has to crank the engine, you have to have fuel pressure, you have to have air, the injectors have to pulse, and the coils have to fire the spark plugs.

 

If the engine cranks don't that mean I have ignition?
...These statements are why I sometimes get tired of trying to help when the person trys to push back on indepth advice given.
The answer is NO. It's a computer driven hardware motor for every function that happens.
A fault anywhere causes reaction or no action.
You have to understand or you get nowhere.
You came here to ask, now listen.

 

thank you. you make it sound so simple that even I might get it. i am headed out to a bookstore now to try and soak up some more of this stuff.