Hello everyone, new guy here trying to trace down a no start problem. I've been reading the posts and trying some of the things I came across but not this exact problem. It will fire right up by spraying gas into the intake. Not getting power from fuel pump relay to Inertia switch and fuel pump. Did some checking and found that I'm not getting a ground from the PCM to the relay to activate the pump. Is there anything other than the PCM itself that could cause that? I just got the truck so I can't give any history. I just know that it quit running and the owner parked it.

 

Welcome to the forum


2000 Rangers have the PCM connector in upper center of firewall, this could get water inside and cause issues.
Unhook battery and remove this connector, to check it for corrosion, but read below FIRST

2000 Ranger 4.0l will have a PATS(passive anti-theft system) and this system disables Ground for fuel pump relay and fuel injector grounds, same symptom you describe

Does the theft light on the dash work?
It should flash when key is off every 4-5 seconds
If it is flashing rapidly when key is on then PATS is your problem, wrong key or ??
If there is no Theft light on dash then bulb is burned out or previous owner covered it up, not a good sign

There is no way to by-pass PATS
Mobile locksmith with Ford software on a laptop can add PATS keys to get truck working again.
Or tow it to Ford Dealer, but locksmith will be cheaper

Video of Theft light here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGX33bHzw2I

One other thing, the 2000 Ranger 4.0l should have a Starter Motor interrupt as part of PATS, so if key turns on start motor and cranks engine then PATS is most likely not the problem

 

Thanks for the reply Ron. No the PATS is not a problem, it's working like it should. I had an idea this morning and went out and bypassed the inertia switch. Now the fuel pump is working. I can turn the key on and off a few times to prime the system and it will fire up but then dies. Going to check fuel pressure now.

 

If a vehicle is ever in an accident then inertia switch needs to be replaced, the reset button on these is just there to get drive-able vehicle off the road and in for repair, there is no way to actually reset them to "new".

Still reads like fuel pump relay is not getting a good ground from PCM.

2000 Ranger should have 65psi fuel pressure, 60-70psi is spec, when running
And it should hold that pressure, above 50psi, with key off for a few MONTHS, not minutes, hours or days............months

 

Checked pressure, key on pressure only gets to around 10-15 psi. As soon as the pump kicks off after the 2 seconds, pressure immediately drops to 0. Sounds like the pump is no good or is there anything else in the system that could let it bypass?

 

2000 Ranger should be at 60-70psi

It is a Returnless system, 1 fuel line, so really only the fuel injectors and fuel pump are involved in holding pressure.
You would smell gas if a fuel line was broken or fuel filter was leaking.

If you cycle the key on and off a few times does pressure build up?
If not then pump simply can't pump enough fuel

 

No it will not build pressure. As soon as you turn the pump off it dumps what little pressure it had. And not slowly, it's immediate. I will pull the pump tomorrow.

 

Found the problem. The little plastic hose on the fuel pressure regulator was broken and letting the fuel bypass. I put a temp fuel line on it and the truck fires up with 68 PSI at idle and at 2500 RPM. Don't know if that hose can purchased separately or not.

 

2000 Ranger has no fuel pressure regulator on the engine
In 1998 Ford switched to Returnless fuel system with fuel pressure at 65psi
There was no Return line so there could be no fuel pressure regulator at the engine, no place to put it

There was a Pulse Damper added at the end of the fuel rail, it has a vacuum hose attached for safety reasons


So the only device on the 2000 4.0l fuel rail that will have a vacuum hose attached is called the Pulse Damper
It will be at the end of the fuel rail

 

You’re right Ron it’s not on the engine. It’s in the tank on the fuel pump assembly. The fuel goes from pump to the filter on the frame rail, on the same end of the filter as the inlet is another line which returns to the tank to what I’m calling a regulator, may have a different name, and when I replaced the broken plastic hose on the assembly in the tank that comes back from the filter, the system built pressure.