Notices
1987 - 1996 F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks 1987 - 1996 Ford F-150, F-250, F-350 and larger pickups - including the 1997 heavy-duty F250/F350+ trucks

94 Weird Problem

Old Jan 9, 2012 | 01:28 AM
  #1  
toke_116's Avatar
toke_116
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
94 Weird Problem

Hey....I have a 1994 F150 4x4. It has the 5.0L and has a very weird problem. The truck will be running great then out of no ware, the check engine light will come on and the truck will run terrible and sometimes die and refuse to start for about 5 minutes, but as soon as the light goes of, the truck runs fine again....I am at a loss for ideas and any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Devon
 
Reply
Old Jan 9, 2012 | 02:54 AM
  #2  
94BigRed's Avatar
94BigRed
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 186
Likes: 0
Just got done with a similar problem on my 94 F-250. It would run sometimes all day, sometimes die after 10 minutes and restart after 20, or some days it decided to stay home. It turned out to be the pick-up sensor in the distributor. A Carquest lifetime warranty replacement has had it running problem free ever since.

Yours sounds a bit more regular tho. It could be as simple as a fuel filter. Try and find out when the last time was that it was changed. Depending on where you drive and how much, 40-60k could be enough to warrant a new filter.

A good start would be going to a shop and finding out what code is throwing the CEL on. That should at least point you in the right direction.
 
Reply
Old Jan 9, 2012 | 07:10 AM
  #3  
dwester's Avatar
dwester
New User
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
I agree with the last post. Napa, O'Reillys or any auto store will scan it for you for free. At least you will know where to start looking. Good luck!
 
Reply
Old Jan 9, 2012 | 07:46 AM
  #4  
mpc07005's Avatar
mpc07005
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 382
Likes: 0
From: Milford, CT
And a OBDI ford scanner in~$30. You can bring it anywhere you go! (thats what I do)
-Mike
 
Reply
Old Jan 13, 2012 | 01:10 PM
  #5  
toke_116's Avatar
toke_116
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
I think I am going to buy a scanner because all of my local parts stores say they can not read it. I also just noticed that ontop of what the truck was doing, it is now blowing a bit of black smoke and is running rough. Any new idead????
 
Reply
Old Jan 13, 2012 | 01:56 PM
  #6  
94BigRed's Avatar
94BigRed
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 186
Likes: 0
Ooh. This could actually be the ECU then. My 94 went through a phase where it started off fine, includung CEL being ON because it doesn't have an EGR valve. Every one in a while the CEL would kick OFF and the the thing would skip and start missing occasionally. It got worse and worse and nothing could fix it. We tried spark plugs, fuel filter, pressure regulator, and yelling. Lots of yelling. Eventually I had to limp it down interstate at about 45 MPH to a specialty shop. They ran some tests and figured out that it was running way too rich and the timing was off. They replaced the computer and distributor. (For those keeping track at home, this is the same distributor that needed replaced 3 months later) Fixed it right up.

And I'm no scanner expert, but I've been told that when the computer is bad, it will throw a code saying something else is bad, it can't tell on itself.

Its an expensive fix tho, mine was $600. I'd ask a local guru and see if they know any tips, but the ECU is a definite possibly.
 
Reply
Old Jan 13, 2012 | 02:51 PM
  #7  
mpc07005's Avatar
mpc07005
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 382
Likes: 0
From: Milford, CT
Sounds like you're tripping into limp home. Without the code reader, testing every circuit or blindly replacing parts are your only options. Buy the reader and then we can go from there. If you have a friend with the same truck you could swap computers, but your issue sounds like a sensor/sensor wiring issue, not ECU.
-Mike
 
Reply
Old Jan 13, 2012 | 09:13 PM
  #8  
Midnite1987's Avatar
Midnite1987
Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 2,791
Likes: 8
From: Edmonton AB, Canada
Club FTE Silver Member

No need for a code reader unless you really want one.

You can check it without one, the link below explains it

http://www.oldfuelinjection.com/?p=13
 
Reply
FTE Stories

Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts

story-0

10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-2

Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer

 Joe Kucinski
story-4

2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)

 Brett Foote
story-5

Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies

 Joe Kucinski
story-6

AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make

 Brett Foote
story-7

Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-8

Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home

 Verdad Gallardo
story-9

10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!

 Joe Kucinski
Old Jan 15, 2012 | 10:11 PM
  #9  
toke_116's Avatar
toke_116
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Thanks for that link, it helped alot...I pulled the codes and got


33-something to do with EGR i think
72
56
15
17
23
32
55
 
Reply
Old Jan 16, 2012 | 09:07 AM
  #10  
mpc07005's Avatar
mpc07005
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 382
Likes: 0
From: Milford, CT
Originally Posted by 94BigRed
Ooh. This could actually be the ECU then.
A concur (now). Find a friend with the same truck (or try a jy) and swap ECU's to check. It may be as simple as a bad connection (except the memory code, which may just be a hiccup) Some of those codes mean different things depending or if they were KOEO, CM, or KOER. It is important to know/mark what was from where. Also are these codes from a reader or paperclip? I have seen many a miscount lead to expensive 'repairs'.
-Mike
 
Reply
Old Jan 16, 2012 | 10:23 AM
  #11  
toke_116's Avatar
toke_116
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
33 is a KOEO
the rest are CM
 
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
ehawks
Aerostar
22
Mar 3, 2026 07:15 PM
TravisFordTruck
1987 - 1996 F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks
2
Aug 24, 2015 09:33 AM
1L243
1999 - 2003 7.3L Power Stroke Diesel
11
Jan 29, 2012 02:51 PM
lumberjackf16
Explorer, Sport Trac, Mountaineer & Aviator
5
Apr 10, 2006 05:14 PM


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:53 AM.

story-0
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Ford trucks that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 09:51:16


VIEW MORE
story-1
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: the best gifts for dads & grads

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:58


VIEW MORE
story-2
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath

Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-03 11:38:36


VIEW MORE
story-3
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer

Slideshow: 10 most expensive Ford trucks ever sold on Bring a Trailer.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:24:34


VIEW MORE
story-4
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)

Here's everything that has changed for the latest model year.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-27 16:17:28


VIEW MORE
story-5
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies

Slideshow: Top 10 Ford truck tragedies.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-18 19:34:33


VIEW MORE
story-6
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make

And it might be even better than that.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-18 19:26:42


VIEW MORE
story-7
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!

Slideshow: Does lowering an F-150 Lobo RUIN the ride quality?

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-05-18 19:20:37


VIEW MORE
story-8
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home

Slideshow: Ford's bizarre fishing-themed Explorer concept has resurfaced after spending decades largely forgotten.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:07:46


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!

Slideshow: The 10 best Ford truck engines we miss the most.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 13:09:47


VIEW MORE