Flaxon

I have a 2006 Express 3500 Cutaway Custom that sat for over six months. Before i started it, I charged the battery and added some fuel conditioner with stabilizers (Lucas: Safeguard) that i had on hand. When i turned the key, it started right up with no hesitations and ran/idled perfectly for a couple minutes before i turned it off. Nearly three weeks later i turned the key and, again, it started with no hesitation and idled perfectly for the thirty seconds or so i let it run. Another couple weeks go by, i turn the key and this time it hesitated slightly, ran really rough kept wanting to cutout without depressing the accelerator. I moved the truck forward and back a little and it continued running very rough and had a very obvious lack of power and i saw some white smoke coming out the tailpipe. I shut it down and left it for a little less than a week when i changed all the spark-plugs and wires to some performance parts i had previously obtained. Now i can not get the vehicle to start at all. A few times it turned over a couple of times but most times i turn the key, i can only hear the fuel pump turning on and the starter solenoid slamming forward but no turning at all and the starter is getting really hot. The battery is holding a charge at 12.5v, voltage drop test on the wires to the starter showed only 0.3v drop and when i pulled the battery and starter, a bench test showed the bendix operating as expected. Now i'm thinking i should drain the (20 gallons or so) gas and not sure as to the best way to go about it. The truck is sitting on a grass lot and i have no practical way to move it or get it to a mechanic and doubt i could afford it if i could. This is a personal automobile and not used commercially.

canucklehead

On a bench with no load the starter may seem fine, but back in the vehicle it may not turn over the engine.
I have an intermittent issue on my 2002 express. 4 times over the last 6 years its done it. I start it and it idles rough, and dies unless you keep on the throttle.....reduced power and overall runs like crap. Turn it off, and take out the key.....put key in and start it and its fine again.....until the next time.
You could have a similar gremlin....the white smoke is different though. That could be water in the cylinders. Head gasket etc.....
Best thing is to get it running again.....and see if the white smoke continues...
Is it possible some jerk messed with it....? something bad in the gas tank....etc.

Flaxon

Well, as per an old mechanic neighbor's suggestion, I pulled all the brand new spark plugs to see if one of the pistons was impacted against a spark plug (even though the new plugs are actually a little shorter than the original) and see if it would turn. Well when i took off the second plug (first plug from drivers side inside) gas literally poured out, at least a cups worth. I proceeded to pull the rest of the spark plugs and when i turned the key gas sprayed out of that same spark plug hole. I cleaned up and left it for a couple of hours while i had to go take care of some other business. I though "Maybe it was just pushing the rest of the gas out of that flooded cylinder." I carefully tried turning the key again and FLASH and big fireball!!! I scrambled, my keys ended up on the ground as well as the phone i had in my hand. I ran around to the drivers side and pulled my shirt off to knock out the fire on the passenger side door and floorboard and kicked out the fire on the grass on the ground underneath and i had to run into the house to grab the fire extinguisher to get to the small flame that still was burning on the wiring harness of an oxygen sensor... FML. At this point my womban will kill me if i try to do anything else to that truck, other than call a mobile mechanic to come take a look at it.

canucklehead

When I was an apprentice mechanic we had a mazda rx7 do the same thing.....full fuel spray out the spark plug hole on crank......it needed a new bcm of some sort. This was in the late 80's and it was 500 bucks. I cannot remember the actual part name. In your case, there must be a code for this type of failure.