2003 Ranger 4.0L V6

After sitting for a few hours (3-4 or longer) or overnight truck cranks longer than usual, fires, then sputters and dies. Try again will fire and rev up then die again. After that it will start up and run and idle normal. Drives/idles fine afterwards. Starts fine again if restarted soonish after shutting off. No check engine light, no codes on my reader, no apparent smoke. There is some smell of fuel when first trying to start up. Fuel filter has been changed, changed the fp relay as I had changed it a while back and just wanted to make sure. Any other suggestions?

Thanks

 

Before starting after an overnight, try turning the ignition ON for a few seconds. Do this several times to see if you can prime the fuel system.
If it starts and runs correctly, the gizmo which is supposed to hold fuel pressure might be bad. It's part of the fuel pump assembly.

Does, "....as I had changed it a while back", mean you changed the fuel pump? If so, what brand pump did you buy?
Many here will advise using only a Motorcraft pump.

 

Thanks for the reply. It was the fp relay I had previously changed not the pump. I did the key on off you suggested and sure enough fired. Fuel pressure test confirmed loss of fp while shut off...down to 7-8 psi after about 3 hours. Fuel pump was replaced and seemed to solve the issue....after coming home from shop I went and filled up. Made it 2 blocks from gas station and truck died while driving, got it restarted but again rough start sputters dies then aftter a couple tries started up normal 2 blocks later did the same thing. Drove about 30-40 miles afterwards with zero issue.

Went out after sitting about 3 hours at home and it started fine but the idle was not normal. Instead of the usual 12-1300 rpm after start up and quickly dropping back to the 700 range it sat at 700ish and was struggling to idle with lots of fuel smell like it was flooding itself. Restarted a few minutes later and was back to normal. Any ideas? Gonna have the fp tested again tomorrow to see if its a bad fp put in.

Thanks.

 

Two guesses.
Bad IAC valve?
Inoperative MAF sensor?

 

So an update. Fuel pump was losing pressure and that was changed as previously noted. Also had fuel leaking into 4 of 6 cylinders... were wet with fuel after vehicle sat overnight or longer. Injectors were all changed and everything seemed back to normal for about a week and a half. Come out tonight after vehicle had sat for about 30 hours and same start up issue again. Starts sputters out and dies, lots of fuel smell, crank it over again and fires up and runs normal again. Any other ideas/suggestions?

 

No CELs? "pending" CELs?

 

No CEL, No codes whatsoever.