1997 Ford Windstar 3.8 - not running, no Pulse at injector

RANDRESEN

MEMBER
1997 FORD WINDSTAR

1. Make and Model of your car: Ford, Windstar
2. Include the mileage: 136,000 Miles
3. Stick shift or automatic transmission: Automatic
4. 2 or 4 wheel drive: 2 wheel drive
5. Strange sounds: None
6. Fluid leaks: Brake Fluid
7. Past repair history if applicable: Don't know

A little history on this vehicle: Bought from someone who admitted poor maintenance. It would only start if it was warm outside and sometimes it was necessary to leave the hood up with it sitting in the sun to get it to start.

When it started it would start hard, smell of gas and backfire once or twice. Driven out of town and now won't start at all.

ODB Codes reflected lean fuel in both banks when running. Replaced all 4 oxygen sensors. Also checked out the crank sensor, temperature sensor, air temperature sensor, & Mass Air Sensor. I used a heat gun set on low to heat up sensors to try and figure out what needed replaced.

I changed the plugs and they were horrible with a gap of about 80.

Engine cranks, no smell of gas. There is fuel at the rail, with good pressure - not tested but it will shoot about 8 feet, no pulse at the injectors. I changed the Powertrain control module. I checked over the wiring and now I'm stumped.

Joe

2 Replies

RUDPRO

MECHANIC
224 POSTS

Wondering what you mean by no pulse. Did you check it with a noid light on the injectors, or do you mean you can't here them clicking. You can listen, using a short length of heater hose as a stethescope placed next to the injectors. You should here a clicking noise as they operate. You could unplug the wiring connector9 on the injectors one at a time and while cranking you should get 12 volts on one of the wires. To check pulse width you need an automotive type multimeter capable of checking it or you could by a noid light set that gets plugged in between the injector and plug that will flash when it's pulsing. Just wanted to make sure of how you checked it and what you meant by pulsing.