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368,339 miles

R

RTRT

New CEG'er
Joined
Mar 12, 2010
Messages
14
95 Mystique V6 5 speed. First time in 20 years, my engine won't start, for something other than needing a new battery.
Please help.
I was gonna change the oil. Drove my car up to my garage.
With the car idling, while I was positioning my wooden ramps, the engine cut off. No strange noises, no chugging.
The engine would not start again.
Finally, I pushed it back to the street.
30 minutes later, I tried it again, and it immediately started up. Idled normally. Sounded great.
Idled it for 15 minutes, and I turned it off. (No longer was gonna change the oil).
The next day, engine started normally, instantly. I let it idle 10 minutes. Fine.
I started driving down my street.
Half block from my house, engine just cut off. No chugging, no noises. Would not restart.
Pushed her back home.
Today I put starting fluid into the throttle body.
The engine chugged and stumbled twice, for 2 seconds each time, but would not keep running.

I have recently changed both the air and fuel filters at 365,000 miles, just 3 montrhs ago.

Any suggestions on where I should look first?

Richie
'13 Focus ST
'95 Mystique
 
X2. Fuel pump. When it won't start check and see if you can hear the pump spin up with key on and listen for the quality of the noise. Even hearing it though may not mean not the pump. Read the fuel pressure.

Be careful but use somewhat more starting fluid. These have so much manifold volume you need more to get same effect as old school manifolds. The 'chugg and stumble' say possible fuel issue, more fluid will let the engine rev up cleanly for a second or two and it's clear then the engine is in good running shape other than needing fuel.
 
Yeah, try to stay away from the starting fluid.

Start simple. Battery connections, fuel pressure, ground wires, loose connector at coil pack, loose big connector at drivers side strut tower, loose connector at computer, loose connector at passenger side by rear valve cover (3 big connectors), etc...
 
What shape is the wiring harness in? Those early cars were prone to insulation cracking on both the main and injector engine wiring harnesses.
 
Battery connections are good. Checked and cleaned.
All fuses/relays are good for ECM and fuel pump.
Wiring harness is not great. In the past, I have spliced/repaired several areas that have been bare. Alternator wiring was especially bad from the harness at 305,000 miles.
I'm gonna check fuel filter anyway to make sure nothing is clogged.
I have to check the fuel pump priming, but I think there was always very little noise anyway, with the key on, before start.
 
Funny (not really) little story.............had a friend/mechanic who was working on a poncho S/W back in the day, V-8. He had buttoned up engine after doing cam/top end work and trying to start it. Several long bursts of starting fluid and it kept just popping and trying to light off but would not go into full run. At some point after loading the engine up with the fluid it popped once and commenced to shove six out of eight connecting rods through the bottom of pan and sides of the block. A pretty serious explosion there. I came up for lunch about 5 minutes after it happened and he was still in a state of shock, could not hear anything for like 2-3 hours. Engine was totally destroyed. It later proved out to have the fuel pump lobe on front of cam loose, it was just turning loose and fuel pump not being worked hardly at all.

Ether (starting fluid) is wonderful stuff but is incredibly deadly in the hands of an incompetent. I use two second shots and no more until engine has started enough to rar up and burn it out in say 1-2 seconds of solid engine running. If not it's still in there waiting to be set off, more only adds to the potential bomb you have there. If it doesn't light off the engine will NOT start, you have issues. I use 3-4 seconds on modern MPFI engines because their intakes have so much more volume but I always grit my teeth and move everyone away from the front of the car when I do it. A single well placed intake backfire there could easily blow up the intake. Just on an aside, I once watched a pro stock $20K all welded custom intake and two big Holley Dominator carbs explode to go completely through a garage roof once to land two houses away in a back yard. You don't see that everyday either. Ether users beware........................
 
You may be able to tell from FP noise, they should spin up sounding like they have some power, if the noise warbles around and changes from on to on then something may be wrong there. Any hesitation or lug down before rarring up says same thing, it should pull up instantly with key on. Yank bottom back seat to hear it better...................and if it never does come back up you certainly can't say you didn't get your money's worth of car there. That's becoup miles.
 
It is snowing again here in NY. Wont be able to work on it this weekend.
I will pull the back seat and see what I can hear.
The starting fluid was just to try to determine if it was an electrical issue or fuel issue.
Not gonna use the starting fluid any more. Thanks for the warnings.
Yes, this has been an incredible car. If I don't fix it anymore, no regrets at all.
 
UPDATE:

Worked on the car today.
The fuel pump is priming when I turn the key on. Sound quality is good.
Fuel is coming out of the fuel hoses before the fuel filter, after the fuel filetr, and also at the Shrader valve in the engine compartment.
I dont have the proper fuel pump pressure gage yet to measure fuel pressure at the Shrader valve, but I had an old-style gage that I attached to the output side of the fuel filter, and it pegged this gage at 25psi. I suppose the pressure is more than 25psi.
My Chevy-technician brother came over and sprayed starting fluid into the throttle body, (against my concerns from you all), and the car ran for about 5-6 seconds, sounding absolutely normal. When the starting fluid went away, the engine stopped too.
Where do I look next?
 
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