2000 lin-coni hard to start when cold

dfoy50

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i have recently replaced all the coil packs and plugs and hoped that it might help but there was no joy there . i did have several coil packs that were bad but still the cart is difficult to start when cold (cold meaning , the car has sat for 3 hours or more and i live in south florida) it does not crank slow it cracks normal and you can here it try to catch
but it might take three or four tries before it get running , i can drive it for a mile or two shut it down and come back 15 or 20 min later it will start right up just like as if it was new . where should i start looking for the issue that is causing this ? btw air filter is new plugs are new coil packs are new
 
Since it does run once it catches, to me that would mean the coils etc. are working.
Just a guess – maybe you have an injector(s) leaking. This would bleed off the fuel pressure over time and cause it to not fire up right away, because there is not enough fuel pressure for the injectors to atomize the fuel.
 
ok , thanks . now for the stupid question . how to tell what one or two are leaking . i only ask because those bad boys cost more than the coils packs lol . a bosch is about 150.00 and a gp sorensen is about 90.00 who knows what a motorcraft is
 
I’m new to Fords and the 4.6L so I don’t have experience on this particular engine.

I would try the easiest thing first – run a couple of bottles of Techron or Seafoam through the engine. It might free up a sticking/dirty injector.

But in general, the first thing I would do is check the fuel pressure with a gauge.
(My ’02 Conti runs about 40psig ±.)

Injectors can be usually checked for leaks by pulling the injectors out of their holes, and with the fuel rail connected, turn the ignition key to the “on” position.
This should pressurize the fuel rails and the injectors.
None of them should leak or dribble fuel out the end.
 
thank you very much , i never looked at it from that angel . ive had to do some much needed maintenance lately. that all came at a bad time , i am disabled and i cant take a lot of heat or physical exertion , and i just moved out to ft myers shores . im use to doing as much as i can repair wise ect and at the old place my roommate would not allow it to much , this living situation will be much better, but just trying to get caught up and having a few big expenses thrown at me one after another has kinda hit hard and i was getting ready to give up . thanks for your suggestions i will put them into practice . all the best , drew
 
Drew, when was the last time the fuel pump was replaced? I know you said you have some miles on the car. That could be an item to check, also might want to look at the crank shaft position sensor, has that ever been replaced? Go to one of the parts places and see if the car is pulling any codes. They'll print you a code on the receipt. Its free! You could then cross reference that with which part needs replaced. Its more effective for right now. Especially from a cost perspective.
 
My 96' Mark VIII had a similar issue around 70-85k miles and was actually the only no-start trouble I ever had with it. Would run fine, shut it off. It'd sit a bit. Go back and it'd just crank. Happened about 2 or 3 times over the course of a couple months. Forget why I thought about it at the time, but I loosened the gas cap and it fired right up. No codes were thrown before/during/after but newer cars can be more sensitive. Replaced the cap and the car never did it again and I sold it years later around the 128k mile mark. I normally kept the tank full to 3/4 full, and it was during the summer IIRC.

If a gas cap fails, too much vacuum can occur in the tank and the pump can't flow properly. The cap needs to be able to draw air to allow for internal tank pressure variances. It's basically a 1-way flapper held in place by a spring in the cap that allows air to enter under enough vacuum but not let fumes escape.

How Do Vented Gas Caps Work?

Next time it's just cranking, loosen the cap enough and hopefully you'll hear a big whoosh of air entering. Leave it loose and try cranking. If it fires right up, then replace the cap. Cap failure is normal after a certain time.
 
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well its been a while since Sincoln replied , and i'm sorry for not replying sooner . we had irma come through here and i still trying to get things back on track . the fuel pressure is at 42 lbs . after the hurricane the car only started once , ill bet that was a fluke . i do not notice a gas smell even after trying multiple times to start the car . not sure where to go with this at this time although a member here and a buddy of mine up north seam top think i may have a bad crankshaft / cam shaft position sensor , so i will be looking into that this week . i have purchased a 01 town car , i love the conti , but it is just to much for me to maintain , i think the town car will be better for me because i can do more of the work and parts a more easily found , at least i hope . as soon as i get it running i will fix a few more little things a put a for sale sign on it . i need to stop the hemorrhaging . thanks for your thoughts on this matter , drew
 

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