Car wont start or if started runs poorly 98 ford taurus 3.0

If you have to remove the PCV to get it to run, it's starving for air. Most likely a bad idle air control valve. Battery wont hold charge is a separate issue. Get your charging system tested

http://ricksfreeautorepairadvice.com/bad-idle-air-control-valve/

There are 2 fuse boxes on that car, one under the hood (bonnet), and one under the dash on the drivers side. Check all the fuses with a test light, while the car is running.

With so little information reaching a solution is not likely.Does the fault happen every time the engine starts or only the first time? Does the engine run normal after the stumble? If it stumbles after every start a vacuum leak could be the cause. if it stumbles when first started turn it off and restart.If it starts as normal on restart. There is only one reason The coolant temperature sensor has failed. when this happens there will be a strong odor of gasoline. The computer meters fuel based on the signal it gets from the temperature sensor. when there is no signal it meters maximum fuel causing a slow rough first start and poor fuel milage.

Have a shop run a fuel pressure leak down test and have the engine coolant temperature sensor checked for proper colds engine value, if it is reading wrong for any reason then it can starve for fuel cold and it makes it hard to start.

You will need to figure out if you have spark to the plugs, and if not- if you have voltage to the coil to proceed.

How old are the spark plugs? What brand and gap are the spark plugs? How old is the fuel filter? You should also do a fuel pressure test.

Run a fuel pressure test,may have a bad fuel injecter.

sounds like the igintion module or ecm,you can test your module with a meter or some auto parts stores can test them,on the ecm you would have to run a thorough data diagnois on it,best bet would be just tapping it and checking to see if the car dies,alot times the ecm will get hot and become faulty.



Tim

Check ground wire from engine to frame and battery to body

most likely the feul pump. test the feul pressure with a gauge. look of ther little metal feul line on the intale manifold. tst pressure. have freind listen at the rear of the truck for the pump prime. key on only. then start the truck, friend should hear pump running. could also need a timming chain but pump is more tlikely