DOH! This morning my Mustang wouldn't start

[lx5091]

I'll have to try and find the problem when it stops raining.

Back when we had alot of snow over here I left it parked for about 2 weeks and when I finally went to move it when I started it, sounded like it was running on 5 cylinders so I gave it a little gas and it smoothed right out, after running for about 10mins(warming up while I shoveled it out) it stalled. I restarted it and a second later it stalled. I left it for another day, actually forgot about it got in it a day or two later and drove away and filled up with mobil super unleaded(for the detergents) and have been driving it everyday for a week or 2 without incident. I replaced the fuel pump relay a few months ago, I don't think it's that.....it must be related to moisture.....

I'll let you know what I find...

[sn95gt19]

i think your right.......sounds like moisture to me. you might just need new plug wires, i had a s10 that wouldnt run when it was wet out cause the darn plug wires were so shot it looked like 4th of july all over again under the hood.

wire dryer works wonders when your lazy

[Z28EATR]

mine was doing the same thing except my problem turned out the be the fuel pump relay even though i had just replaced it. i bought it at an autozone so this time i bought it from ford, no more problems.

[lx5091]

EVERYTHING IN THE IGNITION SYSTEM IS BRAND NEW...well 6 months old but probably only 1500miles. The fuel pump relay is from Ford, but I disconnected it not long ago to shut the fuel off and pulled the casing off the relay! I just taped it together and it has run fine until that day I was digging the car out of the snow...I then took it inside and let it dry out then sealed it and drove the car for a week or so. Maybe that is the problem, but I don't think so...I sealed it good!

I'm almost convinced it's moisture...maybe somewhere else? I'll have to check it out when the rain stops...lousy day today over here!

[lx5091]

I'm not pressed for an immediate solution, I just used the truck today! Can't stress how nice it is to have a second vehicle, well 3 in my case, but the wife gets the NEW one! haha

[Z28EATR]

one time when it was rainy and cold i had condensation under my distrubutor cap, after whiping it down and making sure it was nice and dry it fired right up. its funny that only ever happenned once.

[lx5091]

Earlier today I was in a rush so I popped a new Ford fuel pump relay in and when I turned the key the fuel pump wouldn't stop priming! It just kept spinning, I shut it off and it did it again! It also wouldn't start....motor just kept cranking but it wouldn't fire up. At a loss here......is my fuel pump bad? Maybe the computer is screwy? I don't know....I need time and a good day to work on this thing...it's still buried in snow HAHA! Oh well I guess I'll keep on truckin'.

[lx5091]

anybody know why the fuel pump would just keep spinning and not stop when i turn the key to the start position(not the crank position, just before)? I'm at a loss

[sn95gt19]

an easy way to check for a bad computer is to turn the key on and check if the injectors are firing when the key is in the ON position. (not cranking)
if they are firing then the fuel pump would keep running cause its not building up enough pressure.

[lx5091]

that's cool, but i was talking about when you prime the fuel pump. Just turning the key enough to prime it....the pump usually comes on for 2 seconds....well mine stays on until I either crank the motor(and it won't fire) or turn the key to "off"...or is that what you're saying...that this symptom could be a bad computer.? ok i guess I'll look into that...

[lx5091]

oh i got what you're saying....yeah i'll check that

well, for some reason the car started up fine today.
I just don't know. It's still too cold for me to be messing with it....keep any suggestions coming...I'll try them all when it either warms up or I can borrow a garage.

Thanks!

[lx5091]

it should warm up a bit over the weekend and I'll be able to check it out.

It's been running fine for the past couple of days....should I pull the computer out? Maybe it got condensation in it from the rainy day, that day there was also a heavy fog, and then the first time this happened the car was buried in snow for a week!

I'm almost 100% convinced this is a condensation issue. I'm just not sure where it's forming and if I should try and seal anything to prevent future occurances.

[lx5091]

OK it's definately related to water! I went to the automatic pressure car wash and just as I finished rolling over the undercarriage spray the car died and wouldn't start, I got out and looked under the dist. cap and it was dry as a bone. I finally got it going, but I had to do all I could to keep it running so that I could get through the rest of the wash and get out of there. I had to keep my foot on the gas or every second or so it would stall. I got out of the carwash and did my 80MPH dry off and when I got home it was just fine like nothing ever happened.


How the hell will I ever find what is getting wet and causing this?

Does anyone have any suggestions on where I should start?!

[lx5091]

Am I the only person reading this thread?
haha

anyway.....it has cut out on me today a couple of times while I'm driving.....it'll hesitate like there's no gas and then pickup again and the dash lights don't come on which means the electrical in the car is not cutting out, but rather the fule is not getting there. I'll have to crawl under the car, is the a fuel connection somewhere underneath, besides the one at the tank? Could the fuel pump be bad? but why would it happen when it got wet if it was the fuel pump? Must be a connection. What do you guys think?

[sn95gt19]

maybe the connection at the top of the tank (red plug?)
i would hook up a fuel pressure guage and mount it inside the car so you can see it, then go back through the car wash and see if the fuel pressure drops.

that would narrow it down to either a spark or fuel problem