I am pretty new to Diesel though I've had my truck for almost 2 years I haven't really had any problems until recently. I have a stock (no chip or mods) '97 F350 PSD/automatic w/150Kmiles. I have owned it since 97K miles and change the oil regularly (every 4K or so) and changed the fuel/water separator at 140K . This past summer I was driving on the highway and the truck hesitated a second (almost like power was removed) then continued running ok. I pulled off the highway and it started running like it was missing on multiple cyls. Lost power and nearly died the check engine light came on (I had to keep feathering the throttle to keep it running. I pulled into a parking lot and it died. When I tried to restart it , it wouldn't catch. I waited about 10-20 minutes and tried again and it started. After that it ran fine all summer. I had read some posts that it might be the Cam sensor going bad. Last week it started acting up again drove it to a friends stayed a couple of hours then on my way home the old symptom occurred and I barely got home. If I let it warm up for about 5mins. It seemed ok (I just read here that its bad to let it idle, so I will stop that practice) . I just got a diagnostic analyzer to check what's going on and I tried it out last night…NO Error codes (would a Cam Position Sensor going bad trip an error code?). If it was a gas engine and I had this symptom I would figure that its ignition or starving for fuel. Since there is not ignition system (except for glow plugs) I'm suspecting fuel but what part and how would I check them out?

Thanks,
Mike

 

Personally, I don't think it's the Cam Position Sensor. When mine went out, once it started acting up, it just kept getting worse. My thinking is that you should check your fuel filter and fuel pressure regulator screen. If you're not aware of the location of the screen, it's inside the fuel filter bowl. Once the filter is removed, you'll see a hole on the right side of the housing, about 1/2 way down. Using a Q-tip that has been wetted in diesel, gently reach inside the hole with the Q-tip, and clean the screen. You'll probably get a bunch of black crud. If you can borrow a small mirror from the spousal unit, you might be able to get a better look at the screen, and tell when you're getting it clean.

 

Sorry to disagree, but it sounds like a classic example of the cam position sensor, it will effect all kinds of driveability issues without flagging any codes. Also look at the exhaust backpressure sensor, it can give fits w/o codes also...

 

Thanks for the 2 quick responses. I will go ahead and check the "easy" and cheap stuff first. I wasn't sure if an error would be generated or not for the CPS, but I was surprised that no error was logged when the check engine came on while the truck was running when the symptom appeared. Is there a test for the CPS other than changing it?
BTW: wife had thought that it was only ocuring when we were running on front tank but I haven't been able to verify that yet.

Other ideas are welcome .............

Thanks,
Mike

 

Andy- thanks for the info. All I've had to go on is my own experience and that of some of my friends. For all of us, the CPS started to act up every few days, then every day, then repeatedly.

 

Thats what this site is all about is it not???? I hope evryone gains knowledge and saves money by being an active participant.....we all will gain...

 

My truck started missing occasionally last spring when the weather was about 40 degrees, and usually damp. It only happened on the first run of the day, and I would shut it down for a couple minutes, then it would run fine.
Ran great all summer. 3 days ago, it started doing the same old thing. I have a neighbor who had borrowed a "code reader" from his job, and it indicated something like "intermitent cam position sensor failure".
$84.25 and 15 minutes later and now it runs great, again!!

 

A neighbor has a 95 diesel and he had suggested the CPS back this summer when I first had the problem because he had the same problem and the CPS was bad. Later his fuel pump started acting up with the same sysptoms he changed the pump and the problem was corrected. Which is why I suspected the CPS at first but then it seemed to clear up for a bit and I thought that I would check it out with the code reader from a Superchip programmer (convinced the wife that I needed the programmer to read the codes PLUS it would give us more power and better mileage) But I kept putting off getting my programmer until the truck really started acting up. So, I bought a reader on EBAY while waiting for a good deal on a 1705 Superchip. Well, I got the reader this week (which I used earlier) and now I found and bought my Superchip programmer (it's in the mail). So I need to correct what ever the problem is before I can re-program.......and before the wife finds out about all of these new toys I'm buying.. ..
btw: I thought that CSP's cost more than $85??

Thanks,
mike

 

Saddle up and ride, my friend. And, luck on ya!

 

mikemonster,

find a good ford service tech and have him check your IDM (injector driver module).

I have the problems you are describing.
Replaced the CPS- no help
Replaced the fuel pump (it was weak but not totally bad) which helped some.
Replaced the o-rings on my injection pressure regulator (IPR)- no help.

Finally took it to a Ford Diesel tech ( a good one!) and he ran the diagnostic routines. My IDM is on the way out. Runs OK some days, really bad others.

 

by the way mikemonster,

NO CODES whenever mine acted up. I checked it 3 times.

 

Well,
It's been a week and I thought I should follow up with what I've found. The oil was 3 qts low ( I haven't been driving it much, my wife has been, but not to blame her on the low condition, I'm the one who's responsible for vehicle maintenance) so I topped it up then took a tip from another thread here and went over to Walmart and got some Diesel Kleen. removed the fuel filter and poured in about 4oz. and replaced the filter. The truck had about 1/4 left in each tank and I added about 4oz to each tank. After cranking it over to get fuel presure up 10 sec or so it started. Not a sputter or a miss since the "liquid tune-up".
I ran it for a couple of days with no problem , starts everytime hot or cold and runs fine. Then my Superchip Microtuner arrived. WOW Since I'm not pulling anything right now, I used the "no trailer" setting which is truely amazing. But I am going to tune it down to the "trailer under 6K" setting because I am finding it hard to keep my foot out of the pedal. The mid-range 1,500 - 2,300 acceleration is great and the shifting has definately improved.
Any harm in running at the various settings? Superchips online information and the book really don't provide much of a guide line.

Thanks to All,
Mike