1999 2.5L Ford Ranger Start-up Question - Ford Forums

Viral · 11-02-2009, 13:00

Greetings, Ford Forums.

Today in Florida was a brisk 69 degrees Farenheit with about 58% humidity.

Bear with me as I'm not entirely savvy with automotive servicing, but I'll try to describe my problem with as much detail as I can. About an hour ago I tried to start my 1999 Ford Ranger. Now, when I turn the key on, there is usually a "vvvvvvt" noise followed by a click, which I assume has something to do with the fuel injectors or fuel pressure, not entirely sure which. After that, I turn the engine over and it starts right up.

Not so today. Instead of the "vvvvvvt-click" noise, I heard a different sound; I can best describe it as a faint "rrrrrrr-reeeeee-click" when I turned the key on. The sound seemed to come from the center of the engine, near the intake manifold. Maybe something was clogged, or maybe there wasn't any fuel being fed into the injectors, but I don't know. Regardless, the engine would not start when I tried to turn it over.

I tried a few more times, turning the key off and then back on before trying to turn the engine over, continuing to get the same sound. I then heard the familiar "vvvvvt" noise on the 3rd try, but the noise seemed to come from the back of the truck. The engine sputtered for a few moments upon turnover, but failed to start. One more try after that, and it started up and ran fine.

I don't know if it's relevant, but yesterday I washed the truck and did spray some water around on the underside.

If anyone would possibly help me figure out what parts make these noises, whether or not they might have caused the problem, and why they would have caused a problem in such a case, I would greatly appreciate it. As stated in the topic title, the truck is a 1999 Ford Ranger with a 2.5L engine. Thank you.

**rtg143** · 11-02-2009, 13:28

That sound is probably the fuel pump. When you turn the key on, without starting it, the pump runs for a few seconds. It will do that every time you turn the key on. The sound you heard was probably the pump on it's last legs.

Viral · 11-02-2009, 17:12

I was kind of thinking it might be the pump. Is it relevant that the gasoline in the tank is almost a month old, and that the truck hasn't been started more than once or twice a week as of late? Perhaps the lines got clogged?

**rtg143** · 11-02-2009, 17:28

That shoudn't bother it but it would be a good idea to change the filter anyway. Did you listen for the fuel pump hum?