Country road so I had time to look a few things over...I didn't hear the slight buzz of the fuel pump with the ignition in the secondary position. Correct me if I am wrong but I should have heard it, correct?


I wanted to try the "swap relays" trick but the relay for my Horn and Fuel System are different sizes.


Tapped on the fuel pump with a 2x4, nada.


Rockauto has many fuel pump choices...Carter, Bosch, Delphi? Any recommendation on a brand?


And to be honest, I do not know the size of my fuel tank either - 26 or 35. How do I tell?

 

For tank size, check your build sheet. If you don't have one, there is link to get one in the FAQ section. (or, any dealer should be able to get one as well.)

Are you sure the fuel pressure is the issue? Pump will only run for about three seconds, unless the PCM sees the engine turning.

If you end up having to replace the pump, Denso, or Delphi.

 

For the record I had a similar problem with my truck where I lost 2 ignition coils the same year, and an Accel coil the year before. Basically the truck ran great until it didn't, and then wouldn't start. At the time of the last replacement there was spark from the coil, but just barely.

I keep meaning to replace my crankshaft position sensor with another OEM one but haven't made it that far back into the engine bay for quite awhile, but that is on the "to do" list.

I replaced my fuel pump about 5 years ago (either Delphi or Bosch) and was disappointed with how clean the tank and filter screen was. I'm really not sure it needed doing either, as my problem was a cracked cylinder head that led to stalling out.

 

...and I sat on a sunny country road for 3 hours before a tow truck could get there. In July. In Texas.

The second time it happened I picked up a $40 Bosch coil in town and it fired up again and has been running well since.

 

Have you had any low idle issues? On my '01 Ram it acted up slightly on low idle then died at a stop light. Did not want to restart until I put the throttle down a ways. Turned out to be the Idle Air Control motor. Have you checked to see if it will start/run with some throttle applied?
Had a similar issue years ago with a Charger. Thought it was no fuel, replaced pump and filter and found out in the end it was the coil. Not a bad idea to keep a spare around.

 

Thx all!




Update from Mechanic:

First off, the truck started right up for him of course! errrr
- 50psi of fuel pressure
- tested the coil (check)
- The truck has started 3 times now and was run for different intervals (never driven "around the block" though - just idled) and it never died.


I trust my mechanic and his tests. Does the fuel pressure seem ok at 50psi?

I too have had a recent stint of bad coils. ALL Borg Warner (BWD) sourced from O'Reilly's. But aren't coils either good or bad, never really intermittent?

I've got new wires, plugs, cap and rotor but I did not replace the small part inside the cap/rotor - is that the CAM or CRANK sensor?

These are the types of problems I just hate...even my mechanic said, you are welcome to come pick it up but the "event" is likely to recur at some point in the future...but he (and I) also didn't want to just go throwing parts and money into it without diagnosing it properly.

In case I didn't mention before, I have NO CEL Light.

 

Looking through my records, the last time I replaced the fuel pump was in Dec. 2009 at 220k. Time-wise this is the longest I have run the pump. It's possible it got jarred around enough on the tow truck to give it one last breath. 7 year (70k miles) fuel pump; keep running it or replace it?

 

Leave it. 50 PSI is good. (where it's supposed to be.) Wait for the truck to fail again. (it will...) and see what's missing, spark, or fuel. Take it from there.

 

That is the cam sensor aka ignition pickup in the distributor.

 

Cam sensor has nothing to do with ignition. It's all about injector timing.