before i call a wrecker please guess what is wrong with me car?

Question

it has been harder to crank on colder mornings. this morning was coldest yet and it simply would not start. but it is not the battery. put a new one in plus a new alternator and starter. (f150). is turns over good but either not getting fire of gas. have two tanks, neither is blocked. new gas filter. new spark plugs. it is a "new" rebuilt engine and runs great except this new problem. may not be weather but sure seems like it. really puzzled. help?

Answer 1

The three F's. Fit (does it have compression?), fuel (is it getting gasoline?), fire (is it getting spark?). Simple tests can determine which is the problem. Pull a spark plug and see if there is fuel on it. Then do a compression test. With the plug out connect the lead and see if you have spark.
If your vehicle is fuel injected, does the cold start injector work properly. Many cold start problems are the result of this injector and the related sensor. You are just whistling in the dark with today's computer controlled vehicles if you do not test and check components in order and by the manual.

Answer 2

Sounds like the ground strap. Since the engine is held with rubber blocks in the engine mounts, it is insulated from the chassis. As a result, you need a way to complete the electrical circuit back to the chassis, and from there to the battery. Often, the strap is made of braided copper wire, and has no insulation - which makes it prone to corrosion and fraying. if it's getting weak or corroded, you may still have enough of a connection to run the engine, but not enough to start it (since the current draw is so much higher when starting.)

You're in luck - it's cheap, and a pretty easy fix. It just takes a heavy cable (like a battery cable) leading from the engine block to the chassis.

Other possibilities: always remember that even new or rebuilt parts can still be defective, although it doesn't happen all that often. And when changing the fuel filter, you can actually shake loose dirt in the fuel lines, causing a blockage after the filter has been changed. or maybe the filter has been put on backwards. Or maybe there's some water in the fuel system. Or a blocked injector. Or a bad sensor (mass air flow, oxygen, etc. Electrical things can go wrong at any time, although they always seem to break just after you've done some other work. Don't ask me why.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Because you think it's related to cold weather cranking (do those other guys _read_ okay?), I'll go down that road...

There are a couple of things that might be working together to cause the problem (in addition to the suggestions of ground strap, cables, etc., that others have made).

First, batteries don't put out as much power when they're cold.

Second, if the engine is freshly rebuilt, it could be tight to begin with, and combined with the thickened oil on a cold morning, you might be right at the limit of the starter's capacity to crank it over.

If the cables/connections, etc., don't solve the problem, you might try putting in a 5W-30 oil for the winter (assuming you're in the northern hemisphere 'cuz you said it's getting colder). That might help unless the rebuilder already put in a low weight oil.

Answer 4

If it's gasoline powered, check your fuel pump for proper pressure. If it's diesel, and it's getting cold, plug in the block heater. And check the glow plugs.

Answer 5

I had a similar problem with a chevy 1500 and it turned out to be a bad ground wire.

Answer 6

Sounds like it could be an injector issue, or a bad fuel pump

Answer 7

Throttle Position Sensor (TPS)?
Remember this just a guess.

Answer 8

its most likely your fuel pump. i had the same issue with my durango.

Answer 9

there is a blue oval in the center of your grille

That says it all