1991 Ford Taurus 3.8 Won't Start

[GaryYarber]

1991 Ford Taurs Wagon turns over but won't start. Any ideas? Does anyone know where fuel pump is located? Also, how to pull OBD1 codes? I understand you can pull OBD1 codes with a 4 inch piece of 16 gauge wire and a 12 volt test light. But I need to know where to hook up the wire and test light.

[shorod]

Pulling the diagnostic codes can be achieved through these steps, which have been posted numerous times on this forum.

As for offering suggestions on what the problem may be is going to require further troubleshooting on your part. You'll need to determine what is missing, fuel, air, compression or spark. Assuming the car was running find recently and not making funny noises and there is oil in the crankcase, you can probably skip testing for compression at this point.

The fuel pump is located in the fuel tank. There is an inertia fuel pump shutoff switch located in the trunk, probably on the driver's side. To be sure on the location, you should check your owner's manual.

Were there any symptoms leading up to this no-start condition such as rough idle, lack of power, long cranking times, random stalling, etc? Have you tried starting the car after it has fully cooled down to make sure it's not an issue only when the engine is hot? Did you drive it home one day then it wouldn't start in the morning, or did you drive it to the store and when you came out several minutes later you couldn't get it to start?

-Rod

[GaryYarber]

Rod, thanks so much for your reply. Any help you can give will be greatly appreciated. I am trying to repair this car for my sister-in-law who doesn't have any means of support for herself and her 17 year old daughter. I am retried on a small fixed income so I can't help her out with the cost of repairs. All I can do is try to repair it myself. The engine died when pulling away from a stop at an intersection. After the engine died it did not fire at all. There was no symptoms prior to the engine dying. I have reset the fuel pump shut off switch. Also, fuel is ejected from the shraeder valve on the fuel supply line when I depress the center plunger in the shraeder valve indicating the engine is getting fuel. Also, the engine cranks over briskly. I tried to pull the trouble codes using the instructions you directed me to but nothing happened. Could it be because I had to take the battery out of the car to charge it? Do you think there are any codes stored in the computer at this point? The vehicle is 40 miles away from my home so it is hard to work on it. However, today I am going to go check to see if the engine is getting spark by extracting a spark plug and holding it next to a ground to see if it sparks. One more thing that might help. I found out one of the heat resistant hoses that runs from the DPFE valve to EGR tube that runs from the EGR valve to the exhaust manifold is not connected. The nipple which connects the heat resistant hose to the EGR tube has broken off. Could that hose not being connected keep the car from starting? Also, do you know how difficult it is to replace the EGR tube? Would it be possible to plug the hole in the EGR tube be covering it with heat resistant tape or by tightening a clamp over it. Then, merging the unconnected hose into the second heat resistant hose which runs from the DPFE valve to the EGR tube? Any suggestions you have as to what I should check and what to do about the nipple broken off the EGR tube will be greatly, greatly, appreciated.

quote=shorod;6737683]Pulling the diagnostic codes can be achieved through these steps, which have been posted numerous times on this forum.

As for offering suggestions on what the problem may be is going to require further troubleshooting on your part. You'll need to determine what is missing, fuel, air, compression or spark. Assuming the car was running find recently and not making funny noises and there is oil in the crankcase, you can probably skip testing for compression at this point.

The fuel pump is located in the fuel tank. There is an inertia fuel pump shutoff switch located in the trunk, probably on the driver's side. To be sure on the location, you should check your owner's manual.

Were there any symptoms leading up to this no-start condition such as rough idle, lack of power, long cranking times, random stalling, etc? Have you tried starting the car after it has fully cooled down to make sure it's not an issue only when the engine is hot? Did you drive it home one day then it wouldn't start in the morning, or did you drive it to the store and when you came out several minutes later you couldn't get it to start?

-Rod[/quote]

[shorod]

There is certainly a chance that the DPFE hose is the reason for the stall and no start. I'd suggest you fix that first.

Since you removed the battery from the car to charge it, the codes have likely been cleared. You'll probably need to get it running again to trigger the code again.

Just checking for fuel at the rail only suggests that the fuel pump is getting some power but doesn't necessarily suggest it's getting enough fuel. However, if you do not have access to a fuel pressure gauge, assuming that is not the problem is a reasonable approach.

You definitely need to check for spark. If you find that you have spark as well, then there is a really good chance the DPFE or another vacuum leak is the issue.

-Rod

[GaryYarber]

I replaced the Integrated Relay Control Module and the car started and ran. I drove it a few blocks twice and it seem to run okay. Not good but okay. However, there was a strange burning smell but it was late at night and I had to make a 45 mile drive home so I had to leave it. I no longer got home and my sister-in-law calls and said she drove the car and it kept jerking. I had not replaced the nipple on the EGR tube. Instead I capped off the pipe on the EGR tube. Could that cause the jerking problem? Any other ideas on what could cause the jerking problem?

Originally Posted by shorod

There is certainly a chance that the DPFE hose is the reason for the stall and no start. I'd suggest you fix that first.

Since you removed the battery from the car to charge it, the codes have likely been cleared. You'll probably need to get it running again to trigger the code again.

Just checking for fuel at the rail only suggests that the fuel pump is getting some power but doesn't necessarily suggest it's getting enough fuel. However, if you do not have access to a fuel pressure gauge, assuming that is not the problem is a reasonable approach.

You definitely need to check for spark. If you find that you have spark as well, then there is a really good chance the DPFE or another vacuum leak is the issue.

-Rod

[shorod]

I'm not quite getting a visual for what your EGR valve and pipe look like (it's been a long, rough, day). But, I want to say yes, if you have the pipe capped off but not the port on the EGR valve, you might get a vacuum leak/misfire when the engine is off idle.

-Rod

[GaryYarber]

Thanks for taking the time to reply. The EGR tube runs from the EGR valve down the side of the engine and at the bottom of the engine connects to the exhaust pipe. The pipe is about an 3/4 to an inch in diameter and it has two nipples about half way up the pipe. Two hoses connect to the nipples with the other end of the hoses connecting to two little pipes protruding from the DPFE sensor.

Originally Posted by shorod

I'm not quite getting a visual for what your EGR valve and pipe look like (it's been a long, rough, day). But, I want to say yes, if you have the pipe capped off but not the port on the EGR valve, you might get a vacuum leak/misfire when the engine is off idle.

-Rod

[shorod]

So basically now one tube to the DPFE is open to atmosphere? Yeah, I suspect this could be causing some rough running as at a minimum, the DPFE may be opening and closing the EGR valve at inopportune times.

-Rod