My 2004 Eddie Bauer Expedition died on me on the highway. It will crank over but won’t start. After being towed home and sitting until the next day it fired right up. A mechanic told me it was probably a fuel pump, which I had changed. I drove it several miles after that and suddenly it died again. Once again it crank over but no start. Once again I was towed home, and the next day after sitting for several hours it fired right up. Any suggestions?
Well, if you are just wanting to take a swing at it and hope for the best like the fuel pump idea, throw a crankshaft position sensor at it and hope it sticks, if you are wanting to properly diagnose the failure, that will require some diagnostic testing, like when it cranks no start, can you spray brake cleaner etc in the throttle body to see if it will start then?? Have you checked for and pulled codes, pending or otherwise?? Do you have a CEL/MIL on??
You might have to just drive around (staying close to home) with a good DIY scanner with Live Data to see what is changing, if anything when it dies, like are you loosing the crank signal, but don’t turn the key off until you check for codes (pending or otherwise)… Pop a COP (coil on plug) to see if you are getting/not getting fire…
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1+. CPS may not set a code, but may fail when hot.
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Go out to your car in the morning and just turn on the ignition but don’t crank it. Notice the sound of the fuel pump pressurizing the lines. When it quits, do you hear the sound of the pump if you turn the ignition off and then on?
If you don’t, it is probably the pump but is sounds like a sensor failing because of the heat. If it was a car from the 50s, it would be the coil.
I’ve had a lot of fuel pump issues on my Gm. The shop got three delco pumps bad in a row in the box. Usually once they start, they keep on running and don’t stop, although I have had them quit while running. It is good practice though to change the relay and pig tail at the same time though to avoid ruining a new pump. It could also be the relay, connection, or wiring and not a bad pump. One time I had the pump fail in the ramp at work. Towed it 50;miles home to a shop and started right up again. I’m inclined to trade cars if I start having pump problems.
Yeah crank sensor can be intermittent and also leave you high and dry. Maybe time for a shop to look see.
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OP replaced the pump. Are you saying something is preventing new pump from running?