Interesting issue, 08 stock GT won't stay running.

I've got this 08 GT with 70k miles at my dealership that I can't quite figure out what's going on with it. Bought the car in this condition so I don't know any history of it, other than it is all stock, automatic car.

Put the key in, turn it over, car turns over kind of slow. Doesn't exactly sound normal but doesn't sound horrible either. Turning it over the first time it started almost immediately but sputters and shut off within 3 seconds or so. Turn it again and its flooded, won't start. Take out the plugs and clean them, put back in and same deal. Swapped FRPS with a known good one, this time starts for about 10 seconds, sputters for those 10 seconds and shuts off. Unplugged maf and tried again, no difference. Driver side was more noticeably full of fuel after turning it over with no spark plugs in it. Disconnected fuel pump and tried spraying starting fluid in the throttle body, will start right up but sputters and dies immediately. Spraying a steady flow of starting fluid will keep it trying to crank and sputtering, but will never actually run.

What else should I check? No codes at all have come up. Timing is my guess, but I'd rather get another opinion before taking it apart.

Bad gas?

weather man said:

Bad gas?

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Forgot to mention we drained the gas out of it and put fresh gas in it.

check crank position sensor connection?

Clogged fuel filter?

Fuel regulator on top of the driver's side fuel rail?

Timing off?

You do windows update?

Badd GT said:

check crank position sensor connection?

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I'll check this in a few. Figured it would throw a code for that.

golkhl said:

Clogged fuel filter?

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Doubt it, since it's getting plenty of fuel

skwerl said:

Fuel regulator on top of the driver's side fuel rail?

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Fuel rail pressure sensor. Already changed it.

Gabe said:

Timing off?

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That's what I'm leaning towards.

GallopingFord said:

You do windows update?

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WUT.

when you cycle the key to on, can you hear the throttle body motors actuate?

Injector stuck open?

Have you logged the duty cycle on the fuel pump? Perhaps it shorted and is running at max. I had similiar symptoms on my 06 GT at one point and this was the issue for my case.

JUSTA3V said:

when you cycle the key to on, can you hear the throttle body motors actuate?

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I've watched the throttle body and it does actuate as it should.

StangPhD said:

Injector stuck open?

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Swapped the injectors on driver side, still nothing.

AlbertD said:

Have you logged the duty cycle on the fuel pump? Perhaps it shorted and is running at max. I had similiar symptoms on my 06 GT at one point and this was the issue for my case.

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I have not. I'll do that today as well.

Looks like timing is the culprit. If you put your hand over the throttle body while turning it over it blows air out. Put your hands over the exhaust and turn it over and it sucks in air.

How could the timing be off unless the chain jumped the sprocket? Hope you don't have any bent valves.

skwerl said:

How could the timing be off unless the chain jumped the sprocket? Hope you don't have any bent valves.

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That's what I'd guess happened. Either that or someone worked on it and set it wrong and never got it going again. I've seen things I've never thought possible in the car business, so anything could've happened.

Lol. I second that. Had a customer last year drive back from FL and said he heard a screeching sound coming from the engine. We opened the hood and the timing chain guide broke and the chain chewed through the timing cover.

If you have a tuner try flashing the ECU with the stock tune. When I make a change to mine I first flash it back to stock, then up load the changes.

Wut