96TBirdV8

Hello, I'm new to this forum - my first post!

I have a 96 4.6L T-Bird with a sporadic starting problem. Maybe once every couple of weeks when I try to start the car in the morning, the engine will crank, and all of the normal dashboard lights will come on, but the engine won't start.

The symptoms seem to indicate that either no fuel is getting to the engine or there is no spark.

No diagnostic codes are stored by the computer. I have replaced the idle air control valve and had the fuel injection and air induction system cleaned out.

Sometimes it will start after about 15 or 20 minutes after it had first failed to start, which seems to me that perhaps it was flooded by fuel, and the engine was generating a spark. Other times, it won't start at all for days, and only crank.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Joerg-E

Dear Friend,

with my '95 T-Bird I have the same problem !
Please read this - this is what I posted today in some T-Bird forums:

[I]Dear Ford friends,

I hope someone of You can help me out to solve a worrying technical problem !

My name is Joerg, I am male and 37 years old, live in germany and drive a
'95 Ford Thunderbird V6 3.8 LX. He has run app. 95.000 mls and had
never caused serial trouble for me.
But last winter, he started to worry me, and meanswhile he was in
3 different FORD garages - but the problem has not been found !

At first once every few weeks, but now every few days in the morning,
when I want to go for work, he sometimes is not willing to start !
Sometimes he starts without any problem, but some other times he does
not. He behaves like this:

When I turn the ignition key to ON, You can hear the fuel pump for one second.
But when trying to start, it seems like the engine gets no fuel, and it
does not start. It turns - but doesn't come on. The arrow of the Tachometer (rpm)
gauge does not move at all. (So it is maybe an electrical problem ?)
When I make a pause then, and let the ignition key at ON position , after a while
(sometimes after only 5 seconds, sometimes after 5 minutes, and one time
after 20 minutes !) You can hear the fuel pump pumping once more for a short while.
And then he starts as normal.

As I said: It does not happen regularly - You cannot plan it !
It happens in sunny weather, in rainy weather and snowy weather.
I am very worried about this !

In 3 different garages they changed a lot of parts: Battery, distributor cap, ignition
cables, fuel filter. They loosened nearly all cables and plugs and replaced them -
but the problem is still the same. It happens oftener now month by month.

Do You have any clue for me ?
May it be the fuel pump itself ? Or what else ? Electrical problem in a switchbox ?
Had someone of You had a similar problem ? What have You done to resolve it ?

All infos are really welcome !
Thank You in advance

Best regards

Joerg.[I]

I did not get any answer yet - You didn't, too - did You ?

Please, if You got a solution - can You let me know ?
When I get any responses to my post, I will also let You know !

Thank You !
Joerg.

rookie70

you need to check your fuel pressure,the pressure should be 35-40psi

96TBirdV8

Sorry, I had not logged back in for quite a while. I'm sure this answer is too late for you, but maybe someone else will be able to use the information when searching the forums.

The problem turned out to be the crankshaft position sensor. When I was able to reproduce the problem, I had it towed to the Ford dealer so that they could diagnose it.

R.S.LOGAN

" quite a while " I've been sitting here for the last six years wondering what happened and wating for an update / solution !!!!!!!! Joking aside , that is quite a common fault on European vehicles also .

P.s
Hope it's not another 6 years before you get back to forum , all the best .