I have a 1999 Ford Van E-150 V6. I have had the van in storage for about one year without starting it. The battery was taken out during that year.

Now I am trying to start it and get it out of storage. One note: the week before the year of storage, I had difficulty starting the van. I had to crank the engine about 5 times before it would start.

Anyway, I got a new battery, filled the van with with radiator fluid, and changed the spark plugs. When I try to start it, it cranks but does not start. There is definitely spark going to the spark plugs because I took one of the spark plug wires off one of the spark plugs and turned on the ignition. I got a painful electric current to my hand.

Then I talked to an Auto Zone employee and he recommended I try spraying some starter fluid in the air intake, and when I did, it kind of sounded like it turned over for a second but it didn't turn over. Now it's just the engine cranking but not turning over.

I'm not a mechanic but I think I need to replace the fuel pump. I don't know. Please help. Thanks
mitch0894

 

Starting fluid in the right hands can be OK, but in the wrong hands can cause some serious problems like taking the tops off pistons or parts of them. A better choice might be carburetor and choke cleaner sprayed into the intake . It's not as explosive as starting fluid and is more like gasoline.
If you were able to get the engine to start and run a few seconds with carb cleaner it would confirm a fuel system /electrical system problem.
Do you hear the fuel pump run for the usual 2 seconds when the key is first turned on? A lot depends on where the vehicle was stored and the volatility of the fuel in the tank.
If you can try removing one of the spark plugs and let us know if it was wet or dry? That could confirm if fuel was getting in there or not.