Water in fuel

[LANewCamper]

Forgive me for the long detailed writing but I may have several issues going on!!

Went to the gas station, filled up the RV, drove it home, parked it, put it up on the levelers for some family members to sleep in as the house was full. We had some good rains that night. The next day or two it was discovered the gas cap had been left off. Drove my car out of town to work. When I got back I tried to crank the RV, it turns over fine but would not crank. We tried cranking it many times. It’s a 2019 Ford E-450 super duty. Has at least 40 gallons of fuel in the gas tank. Can I just add two bottles of HEET? Will Ford approve the use of HEET? We have to do something because the levelers are down, The engine has to run to raise the levelers, so it currently can’t be towed!

While the RV was sitting there we had a close lightning strike at or close to our metal roofed house. A control unit on one end of the house was taken out. Three lights in two different rooms on the other end of the house quit working. Our RV was right behind the house, just beyond the RV was the whole house generator that also appears to have some issues (it will not work), we’re waiting on a repair person visit. So I wonder if there was a side strike that messed up the RV!

The third thing to consider is a difference I noticed when cranking the RV. Normally I would turn the key and hold it for maybe two or three seconds as I tried to crank it, then I’d let go of the key. Normally the switch would spring back so that it would stop cranking. Now when I let go of the key it continues to try to crank for maybe 10 seconds before it the switch springs to the off position. We have two sets of ignition keys and I have use them both. The keys are kept in the same drawer.

We want to go camping!
What can I do to get through this problem?
If I could only talk with a Ford mechanic!

Thank you for any advice!

[TitanMike]

If you have enough water in fuel tank to keep engine from starting I doubt you could add enough Heet to cure that.

The fuel tank will need to be cleared of water, fuel filter changed, and fuel system purged.

Not a fun or easy job and unless you have the skils and equipment, sadly this is a job for a professional shop.

Good luck.

[rsdata]

Can I just add two bottles of HEET? Will Ford approve the use of HEET?
We want to go camping!

NO

at the very minimum you need to disconnect the fuel line ( not easy with autos these days), turn the key and have the fuel pump in the fuel tank run that bad gas out ( fuel floats on water). Reconnect and hopefully it starts for you.

A tow to a mechanic shop is probably in order.

[LANewCamper]

If you have time please read my edited post. I added some more details about my frustrating situation!

[LANewCamper]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

sadly this is a job for a professional shop.

If you have time please read my edited post. I added some more details from my confused situation!

[rsdata]

YOu may have to take some bolts out of the levelers to disable them. Look up the actual maker of the leveler units and see if you can find an online manual... there may be a mechanical solution to retracting the jacks.

Now that you describe a lightening strike you may also have electrical damage to the vehicle.

Getting the vehicle towed to a Ford dealership seems to be in order and a call to your insurance company.

Sounds like a perfect storm of circumstances... good luck.

[phillyg]

Wow, so many things going on here. I wouldn't rule out the lightning strike as it can do some wacky things. Regardless, there was presumably clean fuel in the lines, fuel pump and the fuel rails, so it should have started, at least momentarily. Look first for the resettable fuel pump switch. On Ford gassers I think it's under the RH side of the dash, red button.

If the motor starts, you're left with the rainwater. How exposed really is your filler neck? Visualize the rains you had. I think it would take a lot of rain aimed directly into the filler neck to amount to much in the tank. If you think not a lot, then an aftermarket product may help. If you think a lot, then yes, your tank probably needs to be dropped and drained.

WRT the jacks, I recommending going to your manuals to see if there's a manual retract procedure, or call the jack mfgr. for instructions. WRT the key switch, spray some lock lubricant in and work the switch back and forth a few times to free it up.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by phillyg

WRT the key switch, spray some lock lubricant in and work the switch back and forth a few times to free it up.

On Ford E450 (and most of their LT/Van chassis the actual ignition switch and linkage is in and on the column under the dash. Where you place the key is just the "Lock". It might be sticky but more likely it will be the linkage or switch itself that is dragging and not letting the lock return to operating position.


As for the overall problem, with so many issues showing up at the same time and coincidental to the lightning strike, I'm guessing most are electrical.

If the keys are "chip keys" they might have been "zapped" and without them being operational, no start. Just one possibility.

[LANewCamper]

I found a plug in reader I could use.
It indicated something associated with PCM. How can I find that & how to test it?
It also indicated I’d had a minor hit - maybe from lightning strike? I don’t see anything about an inertia switch but I did see a sign pointing up for fuel shutoff on passenger kick panel. I found nothing looking like any switch! ☹️ I can’t find anything online for where I should look for it! Any suggestions?

[LANewCamper]

Thank you for replying!
I found a sign pointing up under the dash on the passenger side. I haven’t found anything it looks like a switch to be pushed! ☹️ The manual had some code by turning the switch on and on in some pattern that would reset the switch. It didn’t for me! 😡 So now I’m stuck trying to find the fuel shut off switch! I think that’s really my first step.

[dalford]

Originally Posted by LANewCamper

Thank you for replying!
I found a sign pointing up under the dash on the passenger side. I haven’t found anything it looks like a switch to be pushed! ☹️ The manual had some code by turning the switch on and on in some pattern that would reset the switch. It didn’t for me! 😡 So now I’m stuck trying to find the fuel shut off switch! I think that’s really my first step.

https://youtu.be/WDfcSAFri_Q

[The Evil Twin]

You don't say if it's gas or diesel. I'm assuming gas. Assuming gas, you have to take the triangular panel off to get to the switch. It's the panel forward of the door, under the glove box. Basically where you would be tapping your pinky tow on your right foot.

[LANewCamper]

My RV is gas.
The kick panel on the passenger side shows an arrow and a stamp for fuel shut off. I removed the kick panel and cab fund nothing like a switch or with a button. I have felt around where I could get my hands onto and I found nothing. Please help me if I’m totally missing something that’s obvious!
I have photos but I can’t upload here!

[LANewCamper]

My RV is gas.
The kick panel on the passenger side shows an arrow and a stamp for fuel shut off. I removed the kick panel and can find nothing like a switch or with a button. I have felt around where I could get my hands onto and I found nothing. Please help me if I’m totally missing something that’s obvious!
I have photos but I can’t upload here!

[LANewCamper]

My RV is gas.
The kick panel on the passenger side shows an arrow and a stamp for fuel shut off. I removed the kick panel and can find nothing like a switch or with a button. I have felt around where I could get my hands onto and I found nothing. Please help me if I’m totally missing something that’s obvious!
I have photos but I can’t upload here!

[llr]

I doubt if you could have gotten enough rain water in the tank to stop it from running at all. If it ran a little then stopped this maybe a possibility.

I strongly lean towards the lighting damage, the big question is what was damaged.

[Chuck_S]

My Fords will start to crank when I turn the key to Start and continue even after I release from that position until they start. Never had them crank like that for more that a few seconds -- kinda like a Start button. On my '17 Expedition I can't find a manual reset, it all seems to be in the ECU and if it won't start three attempts dealer service is needed.

Mechanical reset will be invisible unless the red button is popped up, but none I can find on mine.

Faraday effect of the metal body work should protect the truck's electronics from damage. "Should."

-- Chuck

[jd4010]

I think the issue is WAYYYY more than water in gas here. There would have been enough gas in the lines to start/run the vehicle for a bit before water was sucked into the system. And as pointed by another poster, unless you had a funnel in the filler neck, I doubt that much water would have gotten into the tank to cause it not to start.

[LANewCamper]

Well, the engine will not fire up! There is NO fuel shut off in the newer Fords. They have incorporated it into the PCM I believe. RV is going to be towed 67 miles to a Ford dealership that works on RVs. This location was discovered by directly calling that Ford dealership! Ford Roadside Assistance records showed the closest dealership that would work on RVs was 230 miles away! Closer dealership will be nicer. Now to see what all they discover. I will share that news later.
Y’all stay safe!

[Chuck_S]

I'd think any Ford dealer who sells/services the E450 van can handle this.

Check on towing this critter on it's own wheels. It may need to be on a flatbed or have the drive line disconnected.

-- Chuck