Hello,

New to this forum, and DYI mechanics in general so hope I am doing this right.

I have a no-start condition on my 2004 4.0l ford ranger 4x4.
Car will crank but not turn over.

So to start diagnosis I checked for ignition and spark, we are good to go there it seems. Ran a OBDII just for any codes, and found none (used ANCEL ad310 scanner). Checked the fuel pump inertia switch, that does not seem to be the issue either. Checked the fuel pump relay and fuel pump fuse, did not seem to be burnt, also switched the relay with one I knew was working just to be sure. Power distribution board seemed ok as well, no brown crusty badness. So next, I was going to check fuel pressure. However, I looked all over for the fuel pressure test port and can not find one. I have read that some of the 2004 4.0l do not have one. So, how do I test for my fuel pressure to determine whether or not I have a fuel pressure issue. Secondly, what do I need to do to determine where the issue is. Do I run an electrical power test to the low pressure fuel supply pump to determine pump failure? How do I know if it is the fuel filter? annnd I really hope its not the fuel injectors!

I know there are a bunch of questions, and I appreciate the time and advice

I do so love my little ranger, I just want to hear her rumble again.

 

Welcome to the forum

Anytime you have a Crank but No Start you do the 50/50 test FIRST
Get a spray bottle with some gasoline in it, or a can of Quick Start(ether)
You want to put some fuel into the intake manually
So there are a couple of ways to do that
Pull off the larger air tube on the intake, push open throttle and spray fuel in, you can leave the large tube off for the test as long as the fan doesn't hit it
OR
Take off the brake power booster hose at the booster end and spray fuel into the hose, put this hose back on

Try to start engine
If it starts and then dies you have a fuel delivery issue
If it doesn't start then you have a spark issue, or..........compression issue
50/50 instant results

Works on any gasoline engine from a lawn mower to a V12

This will tell you if fuel is the issue, and pretty quickly, lol
Testing spark doesn't really work unless you test spark and spark TIMING at the same time, thats what 50/50 test does


As far as fuel pump
You can HEAR it run for 2 seconds when key is first turned on, but it only runs for 2 seconds, its a safety thing
But you can turn the key off and on as much as needed and it will run that 2 seconds every time
So try to listen for it running, its not quiet, makes a HUMMMMM you can hear in the cab
Its in the fuel tank and there is only the one fuel pump.


And because it has PATS(passive anti-theft system) the THEFT light on the dash will flash rapidly if the Key in the ignition doesn't "pass the test" this turns OFF injectors and fuel pump
So No Start if that happens
Theft(padlock) light should come ON with key on and then go OFF, that means Key "passed the test", OK to start

 

Thanks Ron for the detailed explanation.

So I did the 50/50. I put gas in a small spray bottle, took off the rubber house and held open the throttle. Tried turning the car while spraying. Was not sure of the amount of gas required, so may have put a little to much into it. Did get the car to sputter once for a second. But after repeat attempts, did not get anything else. Even took a while of spraying and cranking to get the sputter of life.
I will try again tomorrow with the ether after I let some of the gas evaporate.

However after looking at some other posts, and from what you said here. It may very well be a spark problem.

 

Yes, it would be hard to flood out a cold engine, reads like spark or compression issue

The 2001-2011 4.0l SOHC engines have timing chains that can slip, and you lose compression so no start and barely fires
Did you notice any "rattle" noises previously with engine running?

Spark is pretty bullet-proof on these, one thing to watch for is the CEL(check engine light), it comes on with the key on
When you crank the engine it should go OFF, that means its getting a good signal from the crank sensor, this times the spark plugs so they spark at the right time
If CEL stays on then crank sensor is most likely the problem

 

WELL!!! Today is a good day! went and got the quick start fluid, and she started right up! three times in a row!!! That just made my day!
Dealing with a fuel delivery issue seems like a much easier thing to accomplish!

 

Good work

Thanks for posting results