1995 Mercury Sable won't run - Where should I start?

[Swepty]

I have a 95 Sable with the 3.0 v-6 that has decided not to start anymore. For a couple of days before it finally quit, the car was extremely hard to start (had to give it a lot of gas, I don't think you're supposed to do that with fuel injection), and when it did start it wouldn't idle at a low rpm and ran very rough at low revs. Once is was revved up a little (2000 rpm+) it ran as good as ever. It sounded a little bit like it was pinging when there was a low rpm load on it, but again, that went away at the higher revs. Now the car won't start, it'll sound like it's about to, but it just won't "catch."

I don't have any experience with computer controls, or Fords in general, and don't have any idea what to look for. My initial thought is that is has something to do with the timing, due to the pinging, but I'm not sure what controls that on these cars or if there is a part that commonly goes bad. Of course, my initial thought is probably completely off base, it usually is! :D

Sorry for the long question, I'm not a very good explainer. Any ideas of what I should look at? ???

[squirrel]

Re: 1995 Mercury Sable won't run - Where should I start?

see how old the fuel filter is. If it does not look like it's been replaced recently, change it.

[Swepty]

Re: 1995 Mercury Sable won't run - Where should I start?

I've actually got a new filter for it at home, I'll give it a try tonight!

[milner351]

Re: 1995 Mercury Sable won't run - Where should I start?

If the fuel filter is not plugged solid and replacing it doesn't solve your problem:

when you turn the key to "on" but not to "crank" can you hear an electrical motor running for a few seconds?

if you can't your fuel pump in the tank is not working properly.. it should prime the fuel system for ~5 seconds after turnin the key on, then shut off if you don't crank the engine up.

If you can hear a buzzing type noise, try cycling the key from off to on but not crank, several times - this will cycle the fuel pump to prime the fuel system a few times to get everything up to pressure.

If the engine then starts easily - you have a fuel rail pressure regulator bleeding down pressure to the tank when the engine is shut off.

[JeffMcKC]

Re: 1995 Mercury Sable won't run - Where should I start?

A old fuel filter will knock a pump out have someone crank it over and hit the bottom of the tank with a blunt object it will jar it loose ( good side of the road trick) you can also jumper the two right termanals in the self test conectors and make the pump run

[Swepty]

Re: 1995 Mercury Sable won't run - Where should I start?

Well, I haven't got the filter changed yet, I got home last night to a leaky water pipe, so needless to say my evening was spent doing a little homegrown plumbing. I'll change the filter, check the pump, and bang on the tank this weekend, and report my exploits on Monday (Only have internet at work, I can read the forums on my phone at home but can't seem to log on with it) Thanks for all the help fellas, I really appreciate it!

[VTJUNK]

Re: 1995 Mercury Sable won't run - Where should I start?

You could also unplug the IAC and see if it starts and idles. If it does, replace the valve. Thats what it sounds like to me. Doesn't account for the pinging, but everything else sounds like an IAC.

[JeffMcKC]

Re: 1995 Mercury Sable won't run - Where should I start?

If the IAC is stuck it will flood when cranked and not start but just crack the throttle and it will also when changing or cleaning one use a baby bottle brush on the throttle plate and dont change the base throttle angle settting it does not set the idle speed it should be set to 37% on a 18 volt duty cycle, un hook the battery short the cables together and dump the learned stratigy so it will start over.

[Swepty]

Re: 1995 Mercury Sable won't run - Where should I start?

Over the weekend I changed the fuel filter and the plug wires (already had those also, just hadn't ever gotten them on). The filter looked like it had been on there for a while, but nothing too nasty came out when I drained it. The fuel pump is running, you can hear it and there is pressure at the schrader valve. Unplugging the iac didn't seem to change anything. I pulled the iac off, left it plugged in and had my son turn the key to the "on" position and the valve didn't move, does that indicate anything, or does it need to be grounded to operate? There is spark at the plugs, and when I pulled a plug after trying numerous things to start the car it was wet, so apparently fuel is getting to the cylinders. One thing I found while doing an internet search on all the sensors listed in the manual was that the MAP sensor may cause similar symptoms, so I've got to try and figure out how to test that.

[milner351]

Re: 1995 Mercury Sable won't run - Where should I start?

sounds like you've got fuel but maybe not spark.

Do the '95's still have a distributor on the pushrod engines, or do you have coilpacks and a crank trigger?

[VTJUNK]

Re: 1995 Mercury Sable won't run - Where should I start?

sounds like you've got fuel but maybe not spark.

Do the '95's still have a distributor on the pushrod engines, or do you have coilpacks and a crank trigger?

That one will still have a cap and wire set.

[Swepty]

Re: 1995 Mercury Sable won't run - Where should I start?

I pulled a plug, grounded it on the engine and bumped the starter a few times and it does have spark.

[min301]

Re: 1995 Mercury Sable won't run - Where should I start?

Ok, set the crank to TDC on the compression stroke.

Then pull the cap, it may have junked the timing chain set.
If so, there will be a big misalignment of the rotor and the
#1 tab on the cap.

It's possible on these to touch piston to valve, if it skips far enough.

[milner351]

Re: 1995 Mercury Sable won't run - Where should I start?

just to be sure - we're talking about the 3.0 vulcan pushrod V6 here - not the 24v OHC "duratec"

right?

[JeffMcKC]

Re: 1995 Mercury Sable won't run - Where should I start?

could also be a 3.8