Van will crank but will not start?

Tiny
WARREN1814
  • MEMBER
  • 2000 FORD E-SERIES VAN
  • 4.2L
  • V6
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 170,800 MILES
Hello guys, it's just me, Warren. I am back with a new problem. Well, it might be the same problem. Anyway, I was getting ready to pull up in my driveway and as I was going, I had to hit the brake for a moment and hold it there... Then all of a sudden, my brakes were slowing going to the floor but before it could reach the floor the van just dies on me. I am thinking what the heck is this. So, I tried starting it again. The van cranks up but it won’t start. All the gauges register too except for the oil pressure gauge. So then I stopped trying to start it and waited a few minutes to try and start it again. While it was trying to start the oil gauge moved like normal a few times. Then it would go back to zero. While noticing that my neighbors said to me warren do you realize when you’re trying to start your van we don’t hear the fuel pump like you normally would when trying to start it. So, my guess is the fuel pump. What do you guys think the problem may be? Well in the end my neighbor had to call one of their friends to take his truck and help me push my van into the yard. And there it sits for the moment.

Oh, I had one more question too. Did Ford put any type of safety feature in their e150 vans so if it ever gets low on oil it wouldn't let the van start? To keep the user like me from burning up their motors. Oh and one last thing, what is an inertia switch reset? And where is it located? I never heard of that switch before.
Thursday, June 19th, 2025 AT 8:20 PM

12 Replies

Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 52,648 POSTS
Hi Warren,

No on the oil pressor cut off sensor like GM did in the 80's. Yes, to the inertia switch which is behind the right-side kick panel. Also, try starting fluid to see if the engine will run, then you know it is fuel related. Here is a video to go over which can help and the inertia switch in the images below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXLJbuAZ4CE&t

Check out the images (below). Please let us know what happens.
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Friday, June 20th, 2025 AT 1:18 PM
Tiny
WARREN1814
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Hello there Ken L. Howdy, It is good to hear from you. And thank you so much for taking the time to write me. And yeah, it's me with this van again lol. Anyway, okay I will give the starter fluid thing a try. I have to go buy some. I don't have any of that at the moment. And far as the inertia switch goes. Someone told me. And I am pretty sure they gave me some wrong information again, but someone told me if you press on your brakes to hard that could cause the inertia switch to cut the fuel to the fuel pump because it thinks the car maybe in a wreck or something like that. Is that true? Because I do remember holding my break kind of hard that day because I was trying to take something off my arm and doing that made my balance get off so I ended up putting extra pressure on the break way more than I normally do. Just asking, I am very new when it comes to that inertia switch thing. I never knew about it until now. The thing that gets me is while driving home it was driving great. No problems at all. Start to pull in the yard (after holding the brakes like I just told ya) and it just shuts off.
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Friday, June 20th, 2025 AT 2:13 PM
Tiny
WARREN1814
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Also, I forgot to let you know the last time I drove it the check engine light wasn't on and there were no error codes. Etc. We tried the inertia switch reset thing and it still won't start. Also, when trying to start the van. You don't hear the fuel pump going at all. It's completely silent. The motor tries to start but never does. And I haven't gotten that starter fluid yet but I will get it as soon as I can find some way to get to the store etc.
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Friday, June 20th, 2025 AT 6:10 PM
Tiny
WARREN1814
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My inertia switch didn't look like yours in the photo. Mine has a big red button at the top. Now that's weird.
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Saturday, June 21st, 2025 AT 9:32 AM
Tiny
KEN L
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Yep, any hard pump or sudden movement can make the inertia switch get triggered. It sounds like the fuel pump went out. I would check for power through the inertia switch with the ley on and if so the fuel pump is bad.

This guide can help:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-use-a-test-light-circuit-tester

Please let us know what happens.
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Sunday, June 22nd, 2025 AT 12:26 PM
Tiny
WARREN1814
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  • 157 POSTS
I tried the method of by passing the inertia switch by jumping the middle post of the pig tale that the inertia switch plugs into to the right post of the pig tale and the van still didn't start. And then again maybe I did the test wrong. Also I don't have a test light but I do have a volt meter can I test the pig tale for power using a volt meter? If so where do I put the test leads in the pig tale so I can see if its getting power or not? I think the fuel pump is died too. Speaking of that, when buying a new fuel pump do I need to just buy the fuel pump or do I need to buy the retaining bracket too along with the fuel pump or just the fuel pump? Sorry for such silly questions. I haven't had to buy a fuel pump in years.
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Sunday, June 22nd, 2025 AT 4:22 PM
Tiny
KEN L
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Yes, you can test the fuel pump power with a volt meter. Use the meter on DC volts and test the jumper wire with one lead (red) and then ground with the black lead. When cranking the engine you should get 12 volts (about) if so and you don't hear the fuel pump it is bad. This guide can show you how to use the volt meter is case you need it.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-use-a-voltmeter

If you get the new fuel pump if the mounting is different then stock it will come with an updated bracket.
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Monday, June 23rd, 2025 AT 9:52 AM
Tiny
WARREN1814
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Oh cool. Okay, I will test it if I can get to it. Thank you so much for the information. :-) But just so you know. When the motor tries to start you don't hear fuel pump at all. It is completely quiet back there. Also, I didn't understand what you meant when you said the following. "If you get the new fuel pump if the mounting is different than stock it will come with an updated bracket." And I just bought a new fuel pump today too.
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Monday, June 23rd, 2025 AT 3:15 PM
Tiny
WARREN1814
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Update: Well I after testing the fuel pump relay on the fuse. Both of them where good. I didn't get a chance to spray the starter fluid test. But performing that test would have let me know what was happening etc. Anyway it was the fuel pump that went out. I guess it was just its time to go out too. I bet it hasn't ever been changed since I just changed it. Well my cost to have it fixed was $400.00 More like $456.00 because the price of the fuel pump was around $56 or $57 dollars. And labor was the $400.00 etc. Anyway its running now and thank you so much for your help Ken L. Your help saved the day once again. The volt meter test did show 12 volts just like you said too. :-D

Also, just in case for those who are having the same problem I was having here is the fuel pump I bought and price. MasterPro Fuel Pump - MPE16006
Part # MPE16006 Line:MPF It cost of it was $53.99 (price at this time anyway June 25th 2025).
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Wednesday, June 25th, 2025 AT 8:14 AM
Tiny
KEN L
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Nice work, this post will help others.
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Wednesday, June 25th, 2025 AT 11:05 AM
Tiny
WARREN1814
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Well thank you, and thank you for your help, Ken L :-)
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Wednesday, June 25th, 2025 AT 4:23 PM
Tiny
KEN L
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You are welcome Warren :)
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Wednesday, June 25th, 2025 AT 6:21 PM

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