Would not start!

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Craig Long

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Feb 4, 2002
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So my Trac is not my daily driver but my weekend warrior doing odd jobs, pulling trailers, moving furniture and a little offroading. So yesterday after moving some furniture and hauling a lawnmower I go to my local gas station to get some cold adult beverages. Jump in the Trac and the engine turns over but would not start, starter working, battery good just would not start. I checked every fuse and relay, so my brain is saying either fuel pump or filter. I changed the fuel filter (pain) about 3 years or so ago so it could need another. After about 45 minutes it started so I wasted no time hauling but back to the house where I could work on it. Get home no issues, started every time and checked last night no issues.



Anyone have any clue why my Trac had this issue!



Overall it has been a very reliable vehicle with only things wearing out so far are cruise(need to buy part don't use crusie much) and my radio fried about 2 months ago(smoke came out of it)



Thanks,

 
see if you have fuel pressure by turning the key to on, engine off, and depress the schraeder valve on the fuel rail. If it squirts out, you have pressure and the pump is working. If so, depress the pedal to the floor and try cranking it. If it starts, your IAC solenoid is not opening... If not pressure, check fuses and reset the inertia switch... keep us posted..
 
A weak fuel pump may still result in getting a squirt of fuel from the schrader valve but there may not be enough pressure to get the vehile to start so be careful of that test.
 
Drove it yesterday with no issues, starts like a new car! I will check the schraeder valve and see what it does. I have checked all fuses and the fuel shut off switch. Hopefully it was just a small gremlin that needs to be run over, but we all no it's never that easy.



Thanks for the input I will keep you posted. I need to keep my Trac running for at least another 2 years or so.
 
If you do a search. Awhile back we had a rash of members, with intermentent inertia switches.

After fuel pump changes and filters. It was the inertia shutoff switch. If it happens again bypass the switch.
 
My trac wouldn't start the other day after work. It was a REALLY hot day out and when I went to start it up it would turn over but not catch.



I did a quick Google search and found a post on a different forum (that I'm not a member of) where the OP had a similar problem - Gen1 trac not starting on hot day - where someone suggested pressing the Fuel Pump Relay switch to get it to start.



Well I gave it a shot and it started up like a brand new truck immediately after.



I haven't had the problem again, and haven't really looked into it further, but from what I read on that forum post, it seems to be a somewhat common condition and near impossible to replicate.



I don't know if your situation is similar to that which I described above, but if any body knows what the deal is, I'm listening.
 
Here is something else simple to check before spending any dough.



Pop the hood. On the passenger side firewall, there is a long connector, with a bolt in the middle. That goes to the trucks computer. Make sure it's tight!



I had an issue just like described on my 2002 ST, one day, it just wouldn't start, then eventually it ran for a while, then left me standed, not starting. Then after messing around with it for a while, it ran again... slowly getting worse... Once it even stalled out while driving on the interstate.



I swore it was the fuel pump, because I noticed, when it wouldn't run, when i clicked the key forward before starting, I didn't hear the pump hum like usual.



After messing around under the hood one time, and had the key on, I noticed that connector was loose, I tightened it, and haven't had the problem again, and that was about 100K ago.



Hope its something simple.

Good Luck.



 
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Dang truck did it again! Yesterday very hot day drove it to my parents house, several hours later drove it to a gas station. Would not start, would turn over in an attempt to start but would not, ended up running the battery dead trying to start it. Walked 2 miles home.(needed the exercise and to de stress as I had a few people who would come get me) Put a jump box on the old beast and she started right up. So question is could a bad cell in my 6 year old battery be the issue or do I change out the fuel pump? Or both? This is not my daily driver so it will be this weekend before I attempt to fix it.
 
A bad battery can cause weird things to happen but if it was cranking ok until you wore tha battery down then I wouldn't consider the battery as a source of the problem. I'm still going with fuel pump.
 
So the truck started fine yesterday after sitting all day, cranked 3 times no issues, 4th time a no go. The engine would turn over but not start. I am going to check the Battery and will change the fuel filter(pain). Plugs only have about 40K on them. Pain to change as well. I will pull a few and see what they look like.
 

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