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Truck won't start


Mactheplumber

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I know I know. Noob question right? Before you ask, yes. It turns over.

Little history on the truck. 94 3.0 2wd manual. Bought this truck about a week ago. It's in really good shape for the year, and the fact it has 278,000 on the clock.

No water in oil, or oil in water. Seems to run just fine. It has its little things like cruise control not working in 5th but overall, seems like a good truck.

So today, I went to the store. It's about a mile from the house. Probably 50 degrees out. Killed it at the store, fired back up drove home. Killed it in my driveway and I heard something coming from under the hood. Kinda sounded like maybe a cat got under there and was bumping his head on things trying to get out. Popped the hood, no cat. Whatever it was it seems to be coming from inside the engine. While not running mind you. It's like a deep bump/knock sort of sound. Maybe like a muffled backfire.

And now it won't start. Idk if it matters but about 30 miles ago I put in 100% premium gas, 91 octane I think.
 


Patrick

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I know I know. Noob question right? Before you ask, yes. It turns over.

Little history on the truck. 94 3.0 2wd manual. Bought this truck about a week ago. It's in really good shape for the year, and the fact it has 278,000 on the clock.

No water in oil, or oil in water. Seems to run just fine. It has its little things like cruise control not working in 5th but overall, seems like a good truck.

So today, I went to the store. It's about a mile from the house. Probably 50 degrees out. Killed it at the store, fired back up drove home. Killed it in my driveway and I heard something coming from under the hood. Kinda sounded like maybe a cat got under there and was bumping his head on things trying to get out. Popped the hood, no cat. Whatever it was it seems to be coming from inside the engine. While not running mind you. It's like a deep bump/knock sort of sound. Maybe like a muffled backfire.

And now it won't start. Idk if it matters but about 30 miles ago I put in 100% premium gas, 91 octane I think.
Has the temperature been good since you've owned it? No overheating?

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RonD

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About the only thing that can make a noise in engine bay after engine is off is cooling system and coolant settling in at a hot spot that had air trapped, it expands rapidly and will make a bump/popping noise.
When water pump is turning coolant is circulating and any air in the system can be held in place in a pocket in the head, that that spot/pocket gets very hot.
After you shut off the engine the air moves and coolant takes its place, it will expand rapidly, like changing into steam instantly, this causes a pressure wave inside the engine cooling system which makes the types of noises you describe.

Although this would not cause a no start

Do 50/50 test
Spray gasoline or Quick Start(ether) into the intake and see if engine fires/starts.
 

Patrick

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About the only thing that can make a noise in engine bay after engine is off is cooling system and coolant settling in at a hot spot that had air trapped, it expands rapidly and will make a bump/popping noise.
When water pump is turning coolant is circulating and any air in the system can be held in place in a pocket in the head, that that spot/pocket gets very hot.
After you shut off the engine the air moves and coolant takes its place, it will expand rapidly, like changing into steam instantly, this causes a pressure wave inside the engine cooling system which makes the types of noises you describe.

Although this would not cause a no start

Do 50/50 test
Spray gasoline or Quick Start(ether) into the intake and see if engine fires/starts.
This is what I was thinking. The 3.0 can have issues with circulation if the heater core is a little clogged up (my 92 did). The boiling coolant then makes a thinking sound, although I've never had it happen after the engine was shut off, just while running. But it's possible that poor flow, followed by no flow after shutoff and a hot engine block would cause the same symptom.

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Mactheplumber

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Temp has been stable. Noticed that when I bought it the gauge usually only reads about 25%. Meaning it never really goes above the one quarter Mark whatever temp that is. Good point on the cooling system. That's exactly what it sounds like now that you mention it. And makes sense. I'll keep a eye on that, maybe stuck thermo. As for the not starting about two hours later it fired right up. Did fine going to and from work today also
 

Patrick

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Temp has been stable. Noticed that when I bought it the gauge usually only reads about 25%. Meaning it never really goes above the one quarter Mark whatever temp that is. Good point on the cooling system. That's exactly what it sounds like now that you mention it. And makes sense. I'll keep a eye on that, maybe stuck thermo. As for the not starting about two hours later it fired right up. Did fine going to and from work today also
Yeah, and if by "killed it" you meant that you stalled it, the 3.0 can be difficult to start after stalling the engine.

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RonD

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Ford Temp gauge usually has 200degF as 1/2

Normal operating temp for coolant at the top of the engine should be 190degF, so just below 1/2
Climbing a long grade or pulling a load it should go up to 210-220degF so just above 1/2

Engine coolant temp is kind of like an oven
If you want to bake Cookies at 350degF and set thermostat accordingly, but oven only goes to 250degF you wouldn't think, "OK that's better, oven will last longer that way", lol.
You would/should think "WTF is wrong with the oven!" :)

Same for engine temp, running too cold actually hurts engine long term, and NO COOKIES either, lol.
 
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Mactheplumber

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How would not being hot enough hurt anything? After the oil is nice and warmed up the rest of the temperature is just, extra temperature isn't it? I'm not a physics major but I can't see any additional heat past that required to make the oil function correctly be anything but excessive.
 

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There may be more reasons for proper temperature besides making the oil work properly. One possibility is to make sure expand to the correct size. That makes sure that the clearances between moving parts open up for better operation at operating speeds. I have also read and heard that proper temperature aids in proper combustion. The basic idea of how an internal combustion engine works is simple. But getting one to operate efficiently and last a long time takes the coordination of many intricate details.

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pjtoledo

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back in the 60s guys would take thermostats out thinking they would get more power. while power gains were mostly imaginary, the burnt exhaust valves were definitely real. only took a few weeks, even less on long road trips.
 

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How would not being hot enough hurt anything? After the oil is nice and warmed up the rest of the temperature is just, extra temperature isn't it? I'm not a physics major but I can't see any additional heat past that required to make the oil function correctly be anything but excessive.

at what temperature does a multi-viscosity oil operate most efficiently?

my guess would be somewhere close to 192 degrees. (89 C)

perhaps we should ask Bob the oil guy
 

Patrick

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At some point Ford discovered (they pioneered the hotter running engines, so I hear) that running engines at 197 degrees kept the moisture unburned fuel out of the oil and engines actually last longer running this way. They are also more efficient because your combustion temperature is closer to the temperature of the cylinder walls at higher temps, which means more combustion is transfered to work than to your coolant.

Then there is the computer. Your car is tuned to run at the temperature that it was designed to run.

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cbxer55

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back in the 60s guys would take thermostats out thinking they would get more power. while power gains were mostly imaginary, the burnt exhaust valves were definitely real. only took a few weeks, even less on long road trips.
While I never did that, I have always taken to remove thermostats and replace them with slightly cooler ones. My Ranger has had a 180 in it for almost the entire 18 years I've owned it. Temp gauge still gets to nearly the halfway mark on the gauge when warmed up. The needle is only slightly lower on the gauge than it had been with the 195.

My Lightning, like all Lightnings, came with a 180. Mine has a 170 now. Net affect was a slight drop of the needle on the gauge.

Some years ago I had tried putting a 160 in the Ranger. Got the code telling me operating temperature was not warm enough for the computer to make the switch from Open Loop to Closed Loop. Put the 180 back in, deleted the code. Been fine since.

I'd never run without a thermostat. That's just dumb.

Oh, also been running 20W-50 oil in the Ranger the entire 18 years I've owned it. Used to be the local oil shops would change it. Now they tell me it is a 5W-20 motor, and refuse. They are so ****ing stupid. I don't even recall 5W-20 oil existing in 98.

My Lightning is a 5W-20 motor, and I use 10W-30 in it. Gone back to changing the oil myself since the stupid shops refuse to if you don't want colored water in your crankcase. And that's what 5W-20 oil is, colored water.
 

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