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I am working with a 2006 Ford Taurus 3.0L V6. Fresh plugs wires and fuel filter and new gasket on the intake air valve. The car is having starting issues when the car itself is cold. It cranks fine but takes too long to start. I was hoping anyone here might have an idea of where to check next. It idles fine and doesn’t ever stall while driving.
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does anyone know if there is a way to observe the fuel injector spray pattern/quality on this engine..?
I worked on a 2002 and I know that Fords love vacuum and if your vacuum tree or a vacuum line is split it will cause all types of issues. I am not a mechanic, just a shade tree, but I would start by checking all the vacuum lines.
If the fuel pump is weak it may take too long to build pressure in the fuel rail. It needs at least 30 lbs. while cranking.
If the coolant temp sensor has gone out of range it may not be supplying enough fuel to start a cold engine. This will not always set a fault code.You need to test the fuel pressure for an instant rise in pressure when you turn the key on and a scan tool that will read data to compare the coolant temp against the air intake temp reading. After being idle for at least 8 hours the 2 readings should be within one or two degrees of each other and be close to ambient temperature.
You also need a good strong battery and starter. A weak battery or a starter that’s drawing too many amps won’t allow the ignition system to produce a good spark.
Long cranking like that can often be the check valve in the fuel pump. If the check valve is bad, the fuel pump will take longer to prime the engine on first start. I cover that in this video.
It’s easy enough to check for. Just hook up a fuel psi gauge and run the engine. Shut the engine down and observe the pressure. It should hold pressure for at least 30min. More than that really. If the pressure drops off, then you know that you have an issue with the check valve in the fuel pump.
You can also cycle the key to the ON position when you try and start it cold. Turn the ignition until the dash lights come on but don’t crank the engine. Do this 2-3 times. Then try and start the engine. If it starts right up, then it’s likely that the check valve in the fuel pump is bad. If this is the case you can choose to start the vehicle in this same way whenever you start it cold, or you can replace the fuel pump.
More info on starting issues here.
http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solving-automotive-no-start-problems
Good luck and keep us posted.
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