Hook up a scan tool and check for DTC's. If there are any, then write down the code and tell us.

 

go to an autozone and have them check the codes, i you dont have a scaner.

 

Yes. It's free.

 

Yeah but my car does not run, so getting to AutoZone is not as easy as it could be. That's why I was asking, before I push it to the local Advance Auto(luckily only a few blocks away) I was wondering if I even have a trouble code.

Thanks though fellas, i'll just man up and push it over there with a friend.

 

Thats a hell of a push, hope you ate your wheaties this morning. Try checking ebay for a cheap code reader?

 

I always thought the light was supposed to stay on when the key is in the on position but not running. It's even one of the things checked when you get an inspection :dunno

 

I did read somewhere that the MIL stays on for 4 seconds during "key on engine off", then it shuts off. Ah, who knows? I think i'll just push it. My neighbor will help me and it's pretty flat roads so not too big of a deal if that's what it takes.

Maybe next time you guys drive your mustang leave the key in the on position prior to starting it and let me know if your light stays on.

Thanks guys for the advice.

 

Mine stays on until after the car is started then goes out.

 

^ same here

 

Have you checked for fuel and spark? Does the engine turn over? If you can provide a little more info on what the car is doing and not doing I'm sure someone on here can help out from there. Good luck.

 

Thanks again for the input guys. I will keep you all posted.

Thank you!

 

Hey guys, thanks again for all your feedback in this thread. Based on what a couple guys above have said maybe my check engine light is functioning normally and no codes are stored. I still have not got it scanned, i'm looking into borrowing a code scanner, but since the two guys above have said their CEL atays on until the engine is running then that sounds like my situation too, so maybe i have no codes. Anyway....

I do have fuel pressure at the fuel rail, 30-32 psi when primed, and around 38 psi while cranking. I put a screwdriver to my ear and held the other end to a fuel injector (thanks Trick Tuner) and it makes a definite rapid clicking sound while cranking so at least that injector appears to be working. It seems as if the fuel is fine, but the motor still just cranks and won't run. It'll crank until the battery dies.

I pulled all 4 plugs from the driver's side bank, they look pretty dirty, i wiped them off verified the gap and prior to reinstalling i had a friend turn the key a couple times to bump the motor over. I was expecting some gas to shoot out of the spark plug holes like if it's flooded, but not much did.

So I guess I need to confirm if there is spark, what's a good way to do that? Does the old school method of pull a plug and arc it across a screwdriver apply here? Not really looking to wind up facedown on the pavement so can anyone tell me a safe way to test for spark? Also is there a way to use my Ohm meter to test my camshaft position sensor, if that is posssibly an issue here?

Thanks guys. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks for taking time to read this.

 

Beating head into wall.....

Hey guys, read my post directly above for some background on my issues^^^^^

First off, thanks to all of you who have offered advice to me so far, I appreciate it.

So I borrowed an Actron OBD scanner and hooked it up to my non-running car. It shows that there are no Diagnostic Trouble Codes and that the MIL (aka check engine light) is "off".

So, what the heck can I check next? I am guessing I should check for spark and if my COPS are good?

The car has been sitting almost 10 months now and hasn't ran since I parked it at the start of last winter. Here is a summary of what I've done so far:

-installed new fuel filter, and with filter removed I confirmed that fuel pump does pump gas out of the tank
-pulled the 4 plugs on the drivers side bank to try to blow out fuel (as if it was flooded), got pretty much nothing. The electrodes were pretty dark colored, but didn't look like anything too awful bad.
-cranked with gas pedal to the floor to try to relieve a possible flooding issue, nothign there. Method: crank for 10 seconds with pedal to floor, lift for 5 seconds then crank for 10 more seconds with pedal to floor.
-checked all underhood and under dash fuses, all good.
-held screwdriver to an injector and the other end to my ear while friend cranked motor, heard a definite rapid clicking.
-installed Marshall fuel pressure gauge in place of Schrader valve on fuel rail.. It reads about 36-38 psi when cranking, and around 34-35 psi when primed (KOEO).
-Ran an Actron OBD scanner to learn that there are no trouble codes and MIL is off. One thing I noticed though with the scanner is the cranking fuel pressure it displays was around 250-258 kPa, which pretty much matches what I learned from my fuel pressure gauge on my rail, around 36-38 psi when cranking. However, on the OBD scanner I notice the fuel pressure number does fluctuate rapdily while cranking. While cranking the scanner will read 250-258 kPa then for an instant it'll jump down to the 130's or 150's and then right back to the 250 range, maybe that's just the sensitivity of the scanner? Is that normal?

This thing will crank until the batt. dies, but it won't run. To me it sounds like it's not getting gas, but i believe my fuel presure is good, right? There are no obstrcutions in the air intake, so I guess I need to confirm i have spark. How can I confirm that I have spark?

ANy ideas what else I can check guys? Is there any other things I can monitor with the OBD scanner that can show me a possible problem? I'm really stuck here. when the problem first came up I thought I'd install a new fuel pump since it demonstarted those sympotms, but I hate to throw a pump at it if it's not the problem, so I'm trying to narrow down the issues here. Someone posted once that a bad alternator diode can cause a faulty cam or crank positon sensor? I'd assume that would throw a code, and since i have no codes does that mean my cps sensors are good?

Anyway, I'm at wits end, so please offer advice and I'll stay tuned on here and hopefully get this thing running.

Thank you!

 

Sat for ten months, could be anything from bad gas to bad plug boots.

 

+1

Pull the air intake and try spraying some starting fluid in there while cranking... im thinking bad gas.

 

what had been done to it before it sat?
sounds like no spark . maybe crank position sensor not connected or coroded

 

Thanks for the replies guys.

How can I check if my CPS is working, isn't there an Ohm test I can run with my multimeter?

How can I check to see if I have spark?

How can I check to see if my COPS are good?

Again, wouldn't all of these things have thrown codes if they are not working properly? Because my scanner tool showed no trouble codes.

To answer the question of what was done to the car before it sat, the answer is nothing. I just parked it one day, then it got snowed on a few times, and about 6-8 weeks passed and I went to start it up to move it and that was my first no-start experience. It's been sitting like that ever since.

All along I been thinking the fuel pump is bad, but my pressure numbers look good, right guys? I'm thinking it's time to try some starting fluid. That should rule out everythign except for fuel supply, right?

Anyway, thanks for the tips, and if you can answer my questions here that would be great.

THANK YOU!

 

have you go thte codes off the odometer/trip function....

Hold the trip button in while you turn the key to the on position until it reads some sort of information(I can't remember what) Then push the button until it reads DTC ##### this is the codes that are stored in the computer.

You can read everything digital from fuel, tac, speed, rpm's and other information.

 

Pull a sprak plug out and connect it to the wire and set it down and crank it, if you see it sparking then you got spark.

+1 on the starting fluid!

 

If a sensor is bad, it usually wont trip a code simply while trying to start the vehicle. Once the vehicle is up and running it will trip a code. Ive left things unplugged and got a whole 2 or 3 blocks before a code is tripped.

try the starting fluid, check for spark as HorsepoweR said. im not sure if there is a way to meter the crank sensor... maybe google will be your friend on that one.

also, just as Mustang46 said, check your codes that way. It should work on your vehicle, when it says DTC (diagnostic trouble code) it should give you a number if there is any codes. Then google the number and it will tell you what it is.

 

Check all your fuses in the fuse box. I just got stranded by the side of the road last sunday. Engine turned but wouldn't start. Turned out to be a fuse - one of the 30 fuses in the fuse box the kind that are about an inch wide

 

I don't think the onboard dignostics will tell you anything more than a hand held scanner will.

 

yea, I was under the impression that he was wanting to know if there were codes stored in the computer that was making to CEL stay on.

If you want to know what your engine is doing or not doing you have to have it running and let it go into open loop mode in the computer, then the computer will go through 2 drive cycles (about a mile) and determine what is malfunctioning, and then turns the light on.

 

Thanks for the advice guys. I will test for spark, then if that's confirmed to be good i'll spray some ether into the TB and if she runs then i'll know i have a fuel issue (even though my fuel pressure gauge shows 35-38 psi cranking pressure?).

If it doesn't start and run for a few seconds with the ether then i might have a CPS issue.

Is this a logical plan of attack?

 

if you have pressure to the rail then it is not a fuel issue. your car will at least start and die as long as you have over 32 psi. check the spark, check your fuses and then you will have to do some trial and error. You have done all that you can with the fuel and from what I read from your post you have done everything right and it all sounds like it's working right.

Was the car stored outside or inside for that 10 months? This matters because you might have a bad ground. or you could have a bad crank or cam sensor.

Please check all your fuses with a tester. I have had fuses blow up in the plastic where it connects to the bars instead in the clear area where they usually blow. You might have one that is hiding form you.

 

Mustang 46, thanks man, I appreciate you taking time to explain all these steps to me. When you say to check fuses you mean under the hood fuses and under the dash fuses? I have visually checked them all and they all look good, but like you say i should check them with my meter to be sure.

Yes it has sat outside this whole time. It cranks up and sounds just fine, it just won't run. Similarly, an old 5.0 I had 10 years ago i had mistakenly tripped the fuel pump inertia switch and the car wouldn't start since the fuel pump had no power. To me this car here seems the same way, it just cranks like it's not getting fuel. I guess the ether will help me rule out the fuel issues for sure.

Anyway, thanks again to all of you. I'll try these things you all mentioned and then i'll report back here.

 

why dont you go to the trunk and take off the paneling on the drivers side and disconnect the connector then reconnect then push the red reset button the inertia switch aka the fuel pump switch

 

be careful with starting fluid. It will make the engine start very lean. spray it in while cranking, if it starts just let it die. You don't want to burn a hole in your piston.