my 99 ford windstar has trouble starting. It will turn but won't crank. what might be wrong with it?

Question

If there is anyone who might know what could be the issue please feel free to comment.

The car does not have a timing belt, it has a chain and any expert on this make of car would know this detail...No offense!

Crank means the engine will run. The engine is turning with the key but will not turn completely over to where the engine will run. Feels as if not getting enough fuel.I checked the pressure and has enough. This is the best I can come up with. Crank and start means the same.It will turn but will not start where the engine will run.

Answer 1

Try to start the engine, and at the same time press the accelerator pedal down a few inches, not to the floor. If the engine starts and runs with your foot on the pedal, you need an Idle Air Control valve.

Answer 2

Turning over is cranking, starting to run is after it cranks over there not the same. If the engine turn over but will not start, check the timing belt if it has over 90,000 miles you may have lost the belt. This is based on the fact the spark plugs are good and the fuel filter is good, You can check the belt by removing the distributor and lining up the crankshaft on top dead center, see if the distributor is pointing at #1 wire if not it is likely the belt. Good Luck and God Bless

Answer 3

You need to learn some nomenclature commonly used with autos. Turning an engine over, with the starter, and cranking it are the same thing. When you say it will turn but won't crank just exactly what do you mean? Do you mean it will crank over but not start or that it can be turned by hand using the fan but not by the starter? Hard to troubleshoot when one doesn't know what is happening.

Answer 4

I'm not going to nag about your use of words but I'd like to try and help. when you turn the key to the start position, does the engine "spin" over freely and at a high rate of speed OR does it "spin" over faily slow and hesitant? in order to get an engine running the starter must be able to spin the engine at a high enough RPM for the engine to maintain the running cycle. if your engine is turning over slowly it means you either have a dead battery or the starter is no good. In time the internal windings of a starter build resistance to a point where electricity does not flow through them easily at this point they might still turn the engien over but will not turn it at a high enough RPM for the engine to begin running on its own. If the engine spins free and at a high rate of speed you need to look into 5 critical components needed to run. Air, Fuel, Compression, Ignition and Timing. All 5 of these things have to be there for an engine to run. your van should show between 35-45 PSI fuel pressure, you can test this at the fuel rail with a fuel pressure gauge, it is as simple as checking the air pressure in your tires and even uses a similar type of schraeder valve like the tires do. If you have the fuel there you need to check for spark on every cylinder, not just one of them If you have spark at every cylinder then check for compression. If you do not have ANY spark will need to start at the crankshaft/Camshaft position sensors, these tell the ignition control module where the crankshaft is at. If these check out good you need to test the ignition control module (this is where you would start if you had a dull orange spark on all cylinders, this controls the coils and tells them when to fire as well as how strong that spark will be. If the control module is good then you will move to the coilpack. If you have a bright blue spark on cylinders and a dull orange spark this is where you would begin. If the coils all check out good then you would move to the wires and finally to the spark plugs. Spark plugs can be broken internally and show NO signs of damage other than not having good spark thorugh them. Also if you have Bosch platinum type plugs these will foul EASY as the center electrode is very very small with almost no exposure. IF you have fuel and ignition you are going to run a compression check you are moreso looking for similar compression #'s across all the cylinders as well as how long a cylinder maintains pressure. a cylinder that shows very low or does not maintain pressure will point to internal engine problems such as a burned piston, collapsed rings, cracked head, blown head gasket etc. If you have ALL of the previous items that leaves you with timing. Chains stretch over time, as they stretch they will retard the timing and eventually lead to the chain physically jumping teeth on the gears.

Answer 5

expert with all Fords interpreting out of your criticism A starter can intermittently fail, then artwork back exhibiting warning signs of failing all collectively one very final day, in my journey. it may additionally be in simple terms that the terminals (battery) are no longer tight on the starter end. in line with possibility microscopic corrosion is inflicting a floor short too. those are warning signs of a starter going undesirable as quickly as we would desire to depress the gasoline to maintain it working. Your over driving the sensors. is additionally a throttle-physique sensor this is internally pitted, requiring alternative, are there any codes, if no longer i'm back to the starter back. A van or engine additionally will stall from a foul alternator, so a lot of those would desire to be appeared at. A gasoline pump does not instruct warning signs of intermittent complication, it in simple terms dies. A gasoline filter out is additionally your subject, have you ever replaced it interior the final 25,000 miles, with the recent ethenol, its clogging gasoline filters.

Answer 6

there's just to many things this could be, so this is what i would do, one its a 99 so it has OBDII go to just about any auto parts store and you can rent the code reader, just plug it in and run the codes.
if your car showed up here at my shop this is the first thing i would do ( it will point you in the right direction )
then you can came back and ask us how to fix what it said on the code.