My truck has 120,000 miles and recently shut off in the middle of an intersection. The engine will turn over and run while in the start position but immediately dies while in the run the position. I have replaced the ignition (it was sticky) and the module at the base of the steering column. The vehicle has cooled down (in fact it's -9 F here) and the condition remains the same (it's been two days).

Any thoughts?

 

I had my 94 f250 die in an intersection after a long stretch of highway. It would start up and run again for a little bit then die. It ended up being that my spark plugs were bad enough that once they got hot, they wouldn't fire.

As for the ignition, I had a bronco II acting the same way. My freiend and I eventually traced it back to a problem in a connection in the steering column, but you said you replaced that module, so I don't know. I would keep investigating the ignition in the column. It sounds like your on the right track.

 

welcome ot FTE.
how about some truck info??
gas or diesel engine? auto or manual trans?

you say you replaced "the sticky ignition and module at the base of the column"
i am assuming you mean you replaced the key cylinder and the ignition switch, correct?

 

tjc--thank you--yes I have replaced both.
Thanks Big red

Gas Engine 351 V8
Automatic Transmission
120,000 miles

 

Sounds like perhaps you have a blow fuse or fuseable link under the hood but would need to know the year to maybe narrow it down.

 

danr1 it is a 1990.

 

Ok a 90, looks like ignition is fed by a single fuselink, the fact it fires in "start" position shows its good.

Has battery voltage to coil at Red-light green wire, key in "start" but not in "run" position.

So I'd look at the......just a minute i keep loosing my magnifying glass....Red-Light green wire exiting the ignition switch down under the column, should show battery voltage key "on". If good to there test same wire at EEC relay, might be corroded at that point or before that depending on where the two actually come together.

Gets juice via brown-pink circuit in "start" position.

Under dash fuses 15 and 18 would also be dead key in "run" position.

 

i am not familiar with the ignition on the 90 EFI trucks. do they still have the duraspark module, or did they go to the in distributor module by 90?

if it is still duraspark, i would try changing the box. that is a symptom of a bad box on the older trucks.

 

thanks for the feedback from all. I will be getting into it later tonight (MST) and tomorrow night as needed and will keep you posted. on another note--this truck spent all of it's years prior to this month in the warm climate of southern nevada. Now it is Wyoming and we have had a week of below zero temps. Does this radical change cause any issues for anyone?

Thank you again.
mk

 

well, i know if i went from the deserts of southern Nevada to the arctic tundra of Wyoming, you would have a hard time getting me started too!!


seriously though, it sounds like you have an electrical problem, not a temperature problem, because it will start and run as long as the ignition is in the start position, but shuts off when turned to the run position.