OK, here it goes; about a month ago my check engine light turned on in
my 1989 F250 4x4 (with a 460).
I had the truck scanned for any problems and NOTHING had shown up. I gave it a tune up (oil change, fuel filter, oil filter, spark plugs, cables, cap, and rotor)... it ran good for a little bit, but the next day i went to start it and it would not turn over. I figured it was the starter so i replaced it and it started up, so I drove it for a while. Then I went home and proceeded with my normal business, but when I went to leave, the truck just ticked. I then jump started it and let the Alternator charge the Battery. I drove it around town, went back home, shut it off, and tried to start it up again. It would not start. So I went to the part store and bought a new Alternator, put it in the truck and it still would not start. I then did a Search on ford f250 problems and came across a law suit againist ford for the problem millions of people have had with the tfi Module failing. it also said that it would not show up on a computer scanner, so I went and bought a TFI Module and put that on the truck. It then started right up.
I then figured my problems were over.
I had been driving it for a week, and i was getting ready to go to new jersey
today, so i went to the gas station and put $80.00 worth of gas in it.
Sure enought, I go to start it up (long trip ahead of me) and it just kept turning over it would not fire!!!!
I had a guy try to jump start it but it would not start . After a while it would not turn over instead it would just click. So I then went to the parts store and got a code scanner. The scanner had shown no problems.
I began to guess what may be wrong with it, so I replaced the cables that run from the Starter Relay Solenoid, to the starter cable. Then I replaced the postive cable to the newly replaced Starter Relay Solenoid and got nothing. Once again, I replaced the starter.
The truck started right up!!!..... then it died 10seconds after it was started
I had my friend jump start with his truck and i got it started again. It was running fine for about 5 minutes.... then it died again.
IT WILL NOT START AT ALL ANYMORE!!!!
I dont know what is wrong!!!!
PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME BEFORE I LOSE IT!!!!

 

you keep saying you have to jump start it...you make no mention of replacing the battery or the GROUND cable...test the battery and the ground...i had the exact same truck and a bad ground cable drove me nuts..i did the replace everything deal..been there done that...zap!

 

where is the ground cable at?!?!?

 

Sorry to say it but get some one else to fix the truck by the sounds of it.
Your like a bull in a china shop.
Have you ever stopped to think you need to find out what is wrong instead of using the shotgun approche and shooting a lot of dollars at it?

First, when there is a failure, is there any spark?
Is there any fuel?
Is the charging system working correctly?
etc.
Then you have some real chance of fixing it.
I'm not trying to be smart *** about it but you have to come to this point or keep enjoying failure.

 

the ground cable is from the negative

(-)side of the battery to the block ..follow the cable and see if its got alot of corrosion around it...bad grounds are bad news...zap!

 

sorry but I asked for help not someone to say what they think I should do

and yes i check everything you said
there is fuel going to the injectors and there is spark
I ran my computer first to see if there was and codes being thrown out and there was none I also had someone esle check for codes and HE SAID THAT IT CAME BACK AS NO CODES STORED

Also all I do is work on cars
I most of the time dont need help until I have a prolbem I dont know what it is and how to solve it

I have worked on car for the past 8 years and they have all BEEN FORDs

PLEASE IF YOU DONT have any helpful tips or hints on what it may be or how to fix it dont post on here
I dont want to waste your time so DONT WASTE MINE
COUGH........Bluegrass

 

check the wires to ignition coil. the connections on the 12v side have a tendancy to come loose and get corroded.

 

thanks i dont know what I was thinking i thought it was that cable butI was told by others that there is a braided line that is the ground I wanted to make sure.

YOUR THE MAN!!


NOW THAT IS WHAT HELP IS!!!!

 

I checked the wire i just put them on they are no more then 4 days old I also went over and clean them and put die-electric grease on the connections and still got nothing out of it
thanks for the help if you can think of anything esle let me know

 

are you checking the smaller wires going into the coil on the low voltage side? the high voltage end is where you installed new wires.

 

hey zapster
if it had a bad ground it would not be able to turn over or would it???
because my truck now will turn over all day long now that I changed the parts

ALSO I WANTED TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT WHEN I BOUGHT THE TRUCK IT HAD A NEW MOTOR PUT IN THAT WAS AND I BELIEVE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY (HAVE PAPER WORK FOR IT). IT NOW HAS 7,000 MILES ON THE ENGINE I THINK THE MORONS THAT CHANGED THE ENGINE DID NOT CHANGE ANY SENSORS.
IF SO THAT MEANS THAT THERE IS 150,000 MILES ON ALL THE SENORS
BUT THERE WOULD BE A CODE BEING THROWN OUT IF A SENOR WENT SOOOOOOO I DONT KNOW...........................

 

I ALSO CHECK THEM TODAY AND CLEANED IT OUT AND ADDED die-electric grease to htat side as well
but I will check again

thanks

 

a bad ground...it would just click or do nothing at all...if it turns over then there are other problems...it gets fuel and spark...very strange...it will run then dont..no codes...somewhere there is a bad connection...the braded cable you refer to may be the ground from the cab to the chassis...zap!

 

so you have checked for a spark and actually can see it?
the way i usually check for a spark is to stick any old spark plug into the end of the main wire that goes into the distributor cap and touch the threaded part of the plug to a grounded metal part and get someone to try to start the engine. there should be a constant spark at the plug that you can see.

when you first turn the key to the run position the fuel pump should run for a few seconds without the engine running. you should be able to hear it.
if you try to crank the starter for a while without the main wire into the distributor your spark plugs should get wet with gas. not sure of any other ways to check for fuel except to check for gas coming out of the injectors.

as you crank the engine is there any smoke at all? can you smell gas at the tailpipes? there might be an o2 sensor but i doubt it because the engine should still run with a bad o2 sensor.

if you get fuel and spark and the engine still doesnt run then it might be a fuel pressure problem. if thats ok then it's time to check the compression and or the timing chain.

 

I am goingto do that tonight when my girlfriend gets out of work

there is one other way to check to see if there is any fuel going to the injectors I know on my 89 f250 it is on passerage side fuel rail. the is a valve that looks like the valve to a tire or the valve on a bike and it has a cap like a tire valve cap if you take that cap off and push it down like if you were letting air out of a tire you will get a spray of gas this is where you can also check the fuel pressure at this point too with the gauge

thanks