2004 F150 Supercrew
44400 miles


So I turned on my truck today and the needles acted as if they were possesed. The went under the "starting points" and vibrated there for about 5 seconds or so... Very strange.
I also have been getting sluggish power from the truck. Mainly between 2000 and 3000 rpms.. Sound like a diesel at times.

Any ideas?

 

Which motor do you have?

 

I'm sorry. I meant to put that in..



5.4 V8

 

is the check engine light on? when was the last time the plugs have been changed? what about the oil? sounds like something is either going bad and needs replaced, or you need a tune up...but seriously check your oil cause sounding like a diesel on a mod motor is NOT a good thing...

 

Thank you for the reply.

Plugs are original. I didn't think they needed to be replaced soo soon.

Oil change is due late this month. It was changed last by the dealership.

The only "check engine" light I had was on July 21st. It was P0119. "Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Circuit, Intermittent or Erratic.

I cleared it and it has since not come back.

Fuel Filter was changed between 25k and 35k I can't recall when though.

 

i have heard a few guys on this forum talking about how there 5.4 engines sound like diesels...that is strange when you think about it

 

As far as the jumping needles go, I'd say you're due for a new battery.

 

Really? Is that an indicator? My needles go "under" the starting point.. you know, under 0 miles per hour and under 0 rpms and vibrate there for about 3 - 5 secs. Very wierd..

My ondash voltmeter reads fine when my truck is on. I'll go outside right now and read the battery charge when it's off.

 

Here are my readings using a FLUKE 75 Series Multimeter:

Truck ON: 13.65

Truck OFF; ACC ON
Radio OFF
(Switch OPEN): 12.37

Truck OFF
Door Closed
ALL Dome lights OFF
(Switch CLOSED): 12.62


Do these readings raise any warning flags?

 

If your battery is on the outs and there's a short of some sort, the needle jumping around like that is a signal. I've had it happen. My tachometer jumped all over the place as did my speedo needles. Changing the battery took care of it.

Try a different battery and see what happens.

 

The gauges moving and shaking like that was the cluster recalibrating itself. It usually only does this when it’s lost its calibration data. If it just happened that one time I wouldn’t worry about it too much. If it’s doing it a lot then I would say time for a new battery because it’s often a sign the battery isn’t providing enough power for it during cranking. As far as the sluggish power I would say if you haven’t changed your fuel filter recently start there. All your numbers really tell me is your alternator is working.

 

Thanks!

It's really wierd to watch the needles perform this way. Reminds me of a Turbo/ Vac gauge when there is no boost and a vacuum exists..

I checked the "eye" on the battery and I can barely tell a faint green color. Should this "eye" show a vibrant green?

What is the normal "charge" for our batteries?

 

same thing happen to me,went to autozone for a checkup they said i just needed a charge after charging & 5 mins of music while truck was off samething.after visual inspection of the battery ,wich you should do with anything i notice the battery was warped new battery no problem.

 

hmm.. I might need to add the new battery to the tuneup.

Let's see if that solves the issue. Tomorrow, I am going to change the oil, fuel filter and add an additive to the gas to remove any moisture. I'll also drive over to the auto parts and grab a new battery.

I just finish cleaning my K&N Air Filter. So once I finish those few things tomorrow, I'll be better able to gauge what's going on..

I'll let you know.

 

Check cables too, could just need a terminal cleaning, Also be careful with the K&N, I’ve heard of people over oiling them and getting their MAF coated causing performance issues.