# Van mysteriously won't start sometimes **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** e150, ford\ **Created:** [December 22, 2011, 4:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/van-mysteriously-wont-start-sometimes/70088 "2011-12-22T04:20:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cougar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cougar/32/21348_2.png) [@Cougar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cougar)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2019, 5:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/van-mysteriously-wont-start-sometimes/70088/21 "2019-04-29T17:42:19Z")
If the engine cranks okay when the starting problem happens I suggest you check for an ignition problem. Make sure power is getting to the ignition while the trouble is occurring. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2019, 2:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/van-mysteriously-wont-start-sometimes/70088/22 "2019-04-30T02:30:10Z")
OK. I was confused by your comment above about replacing the starter motor, thinking you did that b/c it was a no-crank. But your problem as I understand now is it cranks ok either cold or warm, but sometimes doesn’t catch and run during warm starts. Instead it just keeps cranking, but never starts. hmmmm … well that’s almost certainly either a no-spark problem or a no-fuel problem. Fuel pumps, ignition modules, and crank position sensors all tend to be heat sensitive, so one of those is the most likely culprit. Easiest test is to determine if there’s a healthy blue-white spark at a spark plug during cranking at a time this fails to start symptom is occurring. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Dreddz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Johnny\_Dreddz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Johnny_Dreddz)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2019, 6:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/van-mysteriously-wont-start-sometimes/70088/23 "2019-04-30T06:57:35Z")
Yes! Absolutely correct! And there are a lot of folks with the exact same problem with their fords, and everyone just keeps throwing parts at them…but nobody posts exactly what it was when they pinpoint the exact part that failed… Thanks for your input… I will post which part failed on my vehicle as soon as i track it down… ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 3:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/van-mysteriously-wont-start-sometimes/70088/24 "2019-05-01T03:01:43Z")
Some Fords have an EGR-related part that is very difficult to diagnose, at least according to posts here. I don’t see mention of this problem much these days however, presumably it’s been addressed. It is called the DPFE, something like that. What it does is decide how much EGR to apply for the driving condition. It modulates the EGR function in other words. If that part fails and applies too much EGR the engine will run poorly and may be impossible to start. Not saying that is what your problem is, just something to consider. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Dreddz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Johnny\_Dreddz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Johnny_Dreddz)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2019, 2:39am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/van-mysteriously-wont-start-sometimes/70088/25 "2019-05-04T02:39:00Z")
Well, now the motor was dying at redlights on the way to second job… Now has me stranded… Bought two new tires for her this morning… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Dreddz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Johnny\_Dreddz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Johnny_Dreddz)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 10:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/van-mysteriously-wont-start-sometimes/70088/26 "2019-05-05T22:06:28Z")
I just replaced mass ait flow sensor… No start… Changed dpfe… No start… Changed coolant temp sensor… No start… Hit it with starting fluid… Backfired… Still no start… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Dreddz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Johnny\_Dreddz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Johnny_Dreddz)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2019, 12:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/van-mysteriously-wont-start-sometimes/70088/27 "2019-05-06T12:54:05Z")
Changed intake temp sensor… ---
**Author:** ![Cougar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cougar/32/21348_2.png) [@Cougar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cougar)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2019, 4:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/van-mysteriously-wont-start-sometimes/70088/28 "2019-05-06T16:05:40Z")
You might want to check the cylinder compression. If it is considerably lower than expected then you should check for a valve timing issue. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Dreddz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Johnny\_Dreddz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Johnny_Dreddz)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2019, 4:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/van-mysteriously-wont-start-sometimes/70088/29 "2019-05-06T16:44:01Z")
Going after crankshaft position sensor right now… ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2019, 4:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/van-mysteriously-wont-start-sometimes/70088/30 "2019-05-06T16:47:04Z")
Johnny , it appears you are just throwing parts at this problem . That will only let you spend money and may never solve your problem. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Dreddz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Johnny\_Dreddz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Johnny_Dreddz)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2019, 6:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/van-mysteriously-wont-start-sometimes/70088/31 "2019-05-06T18:22:44Z")
Yes i know i was throwing parts at it… And i absolutely hate doing that… As to why i came to forums… To try to help me pinpoint my problem… Because there are many of people with this exact same problem… And i have read many posts here where techs threw parts at peoples vehicles and charged the whammy out of them…only for the symptoms reappear… I have found the problem… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Dreddz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Johnny\_Dreddz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Johnny_Dreddz)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2019, 6:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/van-mysteriously-wont-start-sometimes/70088/32 "2019-05-06T18:27:05Z")
Crankshaft position sensor was the animal giving me these problems… Me warming up right side of oil pan should have been a dead give away, being that the cps is located on that side of motor… I am not a ford guy so i am not farmiliar with these motors… ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2019, 8:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/van-mysteriously-wont-start-sometimes/70088/33 "2019-05-06T20:13:01Z")
> [@Johnny\_Dreddz](#): > > Crankshaft position sensor was the animal giving me these problems… Well good for you. But the next time please start your own thread. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Dreddz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Johnny\_Dreddz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Johnny_Dreddz)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2019, 9:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/van-mysteriously-wont-start-sometimes/70088/34 "2019-05-06T21:28:06Z")
Oh, im sorry… Did i jack your thread? I thought this thread was a discussion on vans that mysteriously wouldn’t start… That was the problem i was having… And i was actually going to find the problem on my van, and solve the problem… I didnt want to start another thread with the same problem as this one and leave it unfinished… So i figured i would just finish this one… Does anybody ever come back when they solve their problems? Or do they pay techs thousands of dollars to throw parts at it? Or do they sell the vehicle to the next sucker? Or better yet…just haul it to the scrap yard… They could have just solved the mystery and are to busy driving, to post their findings… Are you a moderator to this site? ---
**Author:** ![It\_s-Me](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/it_s-me/32/12660_2.png) [@It\_s-Me](https://community.cartalk.com/u/It_s-Me)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2019, 9:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/van-mysteriously-wont-start-sometimes/70088/35 "2019-05-06T21:40:17Z")
> [@Johnny\_Dreddz](#): > > I thought this thread was a discussion on vans that mysteriously wouldn’t start… The problem with you adding your problem to this 8 year old thread is that your problem may be different than the original posters problem. And some of the replies will be for “robgwin’s” problem from 8 years ago, or “Billneedshelp’s” problem of 2 years ago, and not related to your problem at all. > [@Johnny\_Dreddz](#): > > Does anybody ever come back when they solve their problems? Very seldom > [@Johnny\_Dreddz](#): > > Or do they pay techs thousands of dollars to throw parts at it? > Or do they sell the vehicle to the next sucker? > Or better yet…just haul it to the scrap yard… > They could have just solved the mystery and are to busy driving, to post their findings… Yes to all. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Dreddz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Johnny\_Dreddz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Johnny_Dreddz)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2019, 10:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/van-mysteriously-wont-start-sometimes/70088/36 "2019-05-06T22:30:35Z")
Well…now that i went back and read the original post from eight years ago, my van was having the exact same problem…and that was why i took interest in this post… Hoping that he still had the van, and i could help him finally get it back on the road… Gotta give me credit for not doing it in a volvo post tho… At least i was playing in the right ball field… I read thru hundreds of threads to find the exact post i was looking for…with the exact same problems as i was having… And i simply asked if they had found the problem yet, and this thread just snowballed from there… Thank you so much for your input… And helping me solve my problem… And to everybody else that gave me input… I can’t thank you guys enough… Now i have to get my dog, and get in the mystery machine, and go solve some more problems… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Dreddz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Johnny\_Dreddz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Johnny_Dreddz)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2019, 12:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/van-mysteriously-wont-start-sometimes/70088/37 "2019-05-07T00:32:09Z")
Which problem(s) do you have @Johnny_Dreddz ? The original OP’s problem seems like a no-spark problem, crank position sensor, something like that. You nailed that one bro… Thank you so much!! ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2019, 2:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/van-mysteriously-wont-start-sometimes/70088/38 "2019-05-07T02:20:20Z")
Good for you for sticking w/it & getting your vehicle back to a reliable runner. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Dreddz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Johnny\_Dreddz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Johnny_Dreddz)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 6:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/van-mysteriously-wont-start-sometimes/70088/39 "2019-05-10T06:06:27Z")
Van is still starting with no problems… First crankshaft position sensor i have ever had go out… [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/van-mysteriously-wont-start-sometimes/70088.md?page=1)