Ok, so I have a question I need some help with. I have 1996 F-250 with 7.3 and it has started stalling out during idle at first, then it will jerk like you push the throttle down real quick and then the engine light comes on. after the light comes on the it will not stall or jerk. Afer driving at a constant speed for a few mins the light goes out and it does it all over again. I do not have a clue as to what is causing this truck to act this way. Any direction will help out. Thanks

 

Check the codes in the computer. Most discount auto stores (autozone, advance) will do it for free. I think 96 was the cutoff year as far as being obd1 vs obd2. If it is obd1 you can check it without a scanner.

 

Find the ICP sensor, it's on the left head up front by the engine hook, unplug it, if you see ANY oil replace the sensor with a OEM Motorcraft part only and replace the connector. If that's clean you need to scan it and give us the codes.

 

^this^

 

Thank you eveyone! The one thing I forgot to tell you all is there is no code and it is OBD2. Is there a repair manual that can be bought for these diesel trucks? I ran all over town looking for a Haynes manual but the one tat calls out for does not cover diesel engines. I will check the ICP sensor today. The truck is getting worse and I have checked everything I could think of but this is my first 7.3 truck.

 

It may have a OBD2 type connector, but it's really not a true OBD2 protocol, that's why playschool type code readers won't work well on these trucks. I use a Snap On scanner along with AllData and Mitchell, that has everything I need, so I don't know about anything else.

 

OK, Thanks for the input. I will look at it this afternoon to see if i see oil in the ICP sensor. If not I will take it to have the codes pulled. The thing runs to good 90% and stalls at idle and then jumps like your pushed the throttle to really quikly. I know it is something simple I over looked. Also any ideas to where I can buy a repair manual to help with trouble shooting?

Thank again

 

What you are describing sound like "classic" oil in the ICP sensor. Check ebay for a manual.

 

OK, So at lunch I went outside to the truck and checked the IPC and no oil was present, however I think I am going to change it anyway to try that. Is there anyway to test it?

 

Just replace it. Many people keep one and the few tools to replace it in the glove box.

 

This does indeed sound like a high pressure oil (HPO) issue but it could also be a few other things (Throttle Position Sensor, IPR, CPS, etc).

The surefire way to figure it out is to get the codes off the computer. As has been mentioned most of the more inexpensive scanners won't pull codes from these trucks, so you may have to pay a shop to do it for you. Or you can do like I did an set yourself up with Torque Pro for about $30. It's best to have a pretty decent comfort level with technology to mess with Torque, but it's by far the most inexpensive way to monitor live data, pull codes, etc on these trucks.

 

Well the test basically is looking for signs of oil (most common), it could be a biased sensor but that's not to common for OEM sensor, you'll need a good scanner to test it futher.
I'd look at the EBP sensor (exhaust back pressure), unthread it from the tube, see if the tube is plugged or rusted out, you can run the engine with it unplugged and see if that makes a difference also.

 

The EBPS likely isn't the issue in this case because when it goes bad, generally it just makes the EBPV close, which produces a mild loss in power and a very distinct "whooshing" sound from the turbo. If that is something you're concerned about, just unplug the EBPV; it's a 2 wire connector right under the intake boot of the turbo. Unplugging it will have little if any affect on anything unless it has been closing while you're driving.

Again, we can guess at possible solutions, but with the codes that set the check engine light, we will be a lot better off.

 

Ok, so I changed the IPC sensor and that fixed the problem. Did not have any oil inside the connector that I could see, but it did fix the problem. Runs like a new truck now. Two days ago the fuel guage, oil pressure guage and engine temp gauge all quit workling. At first you could turn off the switch and re-start the truck and it would work. However now it never works. Any idea where to start or any common problems with these trucks? Also my 250 in two wheel drive, I bought a 4x4 parts truck for the bumpers, fenders and doors and other odd and ends. I thought about converting to 4x4 and was wondering it that even makes sense. any feed back on both questions will help. Thanks again great Gods of Ford Trucks.............

 

Sounds like you're losing power to that section of the gauge cluster. When this happens, the odometer, speedometer and tachometer still work like they should? Those are separate sections of the cluster that kind of "plug" together on the boards. It's possible that you've got a loose connection back there somewhere.

If you've got the full parts truck, it's a doable swap. It will be a lot of work, but it can be done and you probably have all the pieces. Is the 4x4 truck the same as yours in terms of wheelbase, transmission type and engine?