Ford Repair: Ford explorer starting, powertrain control module, spark plug wire

Question
My 94' explorer cranks over, but doesn't start.
I have had occasional periods where the engine will start after being left for extended periods before restart.  In an attempt to diagnose, we pulled a spark plug wire at the juice end and tried to get it to spark to a screwdriver and no spark.  Now without towing, I'm wondering if there's a way to get it rolling again to get it to the shop. fortunately it's in the driveway.  Maybe there is part you could recommend replacing, thanks.  Since it has occasionally started I was kind of ruling out the fuel pump problem, could it be the ignition switch or coil?


Answer
There is no common failing part for this problem on this vehicle.  My first guess would be the coil, because you tested for spark and found none; but I wouldn't recommend replacing any parts until more testing is done.  You could spend a couple hundred dollars and several hours work on replacing parts and still have trouble. A bad coil could cause this problem, but you would want to test the input voltage before replacing it.  A failing fuel pump could also cause in intermittent problem, but you would want to test the fuel pressure before replacing it. The Powertrain Control Module (PCM) regulates everything, and it could have a sensor giving incorrect information.

I hope this helps,
Dave