Hey guys. Some background. I was on the way home from work and my cel came on. Truck started running like crap, stumbling, missing, speeding up and slowing down. It did this for about 5 miles then the light went out and it ran fine the rest of the way home. Started the next morning and the light came back on and started running like crap again. Had 8 miles to go and it died about 25 times. After a few seconds it would start right back up and run for a minute or two. Finally it got to where it would only run a few seconds before it died again. Now thats all it will do. Start and run 10 to 20 seconds then die. I put a new cps that I had from Advance Auto in it but it didn't help. I went to Ford today and got a new Ford cps and put it in. Same thing. It doesnt stumble or miss before it dies, just acts like you turned the key off. I know it's got a 1/2 tank of fuel and a new fuel filter. I don't have any way to check the codes nor do I know anyone that does. Anyone have this happen before? Any ideas what I need to check next? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

BTW, it's an early 99 F250 SD. Thanks for any help.

 

I would start with the ICP censor on the front side of the driver side head. un plug it and look close in the plug of the censor and the wire harness. If there is any trace of oil on the inside of either, its going bad. also, check to see if the tin nut on the ipr is snug. it is the long gold censor on the back side of the Hpop. if the nut is lose it will make your truck stall.

here is a link to a censor map.. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/a...1&d=1345221266

 

Thanks very much sand_fiend. I will check those this afternoon when I get back down to where the truck is.

Anything else I need to check while I'm down there? Anyone?

 

Check the oil level. Also check the wiring to the ICP and IPR for chaffed or brittle insulation.

 

Oil level is right on the full mark with about 1500 miles on the oil and filter change. I also pulled the plug in the hpop res after it died and checked the oil level. It was withing 3/4 inch of the top. I looked at and wiggled all the wiring on the top of the motor yesterday for loose, broken or chaffed wires but didn't see anything obvious. Any spots in particular I should be looking at? Thanks.

BTW. The truck has 150k miles on it.

 

Forgot to mention. For the last 2 or 3 weeks the truck has been harder to start than normal. I use the truck on the job and start it quite a few times a day. Normally it would start right up but lately it has to turn over for 3 or 4 seconds before it would start. Sometimes it wouldn't even try to start, let off the key and hit it again and it would bust right off. Also it seems to me like it has a much louder cackle to it when ideling than it used to have. Does this info tell anyone anything I should be looking at?

 

What is your location?
How many miles on the truck?
Do you have any active oil leaks or oil in the valley?
Are your wires intact going to your CPS, IPR and ICP? Follow each one back to the main harness. Pay close attention to the CPS because the wire goes directly behind your tube for your Exhaust Back Pressure sensor. If that tube has a hole in it somewhere then it will heat that tube up really hot and melt the CPS wires.
Without data it is hard to tell. Post up that location. If you put a 3/8 hose on the drain tube, so it can drain into a catch can, for the fuel bowl drain and you open up the valve and turn the key on......does it spray a stead stream of fuel? If you just open it up it will drain about 15-25 ounces out. I am trying to rule out fuel pump running and fuel pump relay. Starts and shuts back down many times followed by a NO START can be no fuel. I would start there. That pump can make noise and not flow anything so don't just listen for noise. Verify the flow as stated above. It will give you some place to start instead of everyone saying that if you don't have AE that you are screwed.

 

By the way. Next time you go out to the truck take the tools you need to take your batteries out and have them tested. You will have to charge each one individually before having them tested or they are going to have to fully charge them before the test and you will have to wait a good while while they are charging.
Do you remember if you had the low battery/alternator light come on during this timeframe? Remember that you need a minimum of 10.5 volts for the PCM to be viable and to give the IDM the signal to fire the injectors. Of coarse the AE would help in this situiation but I have given you a few things you can do for free to check. If the batteries do not check out to be any good then I would also pull your alternator and have it tested. You gotta have that voltage or it will die.

 

I edited my profile to show my location. Sorry, thought that was in there already. The batteries are about a year old and check out good. The alternator was replaced with a new one about a month ago. No lights on the dash except the cel light. I don't believe its a battery problem as I forgot and left the headlights on one morning last week for over 2 hours and the truck still started fine. It never fails to start. It just fails to keep running after a few seconds.

I do have a slight oil leak somewhere on the top of the motor at the back. Can't see where it is without removing a bunch of stuff. I haven't been to worried about it since it is very minor. Can see it wet on the bottom of the oil pan but I have a concrete driveway and never see any drips on the concrete. Also I never have to add oil between oil changes, 5000 miles and it will still be on the full mark.

 

Could be your IPR nut is loose (or missing), or even your CPS. You still have the original black one in there?

 

The closest member to you is gradyc
He is here in the forums Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums - View Profile: gradyc
He has AE and is about 106 miles away near Russellville, AR.
Do the fuel test that I told you about and tell us if you get plenty of flow from the pump. Have you done the hutch mod/in tank fuel line mod? If you don't get much flow then you can take the suction line off of your pump and blast air from an air compressor into the line back into your tank and blow all the crud off of your suction strainers. Be sure to take your fuel cap off and don't put your face near the filler cap when you blow the air into the tank to clear the filters. This is only IF you don't have much flow or minimal flow. The location of your fuel pump relay for the early99 IIRC is behind the radio. Two relays in the same location. You have to pull the radio to get to them. If it is not a relay or fuel pump fuse then it is the fuel pump.
Remember that I am only going the fuel route until you verify you have flow and because you do not have Auto Enginuity to give us live data while cranking. Please go hook up the 3/8 hose, get a catch can to put the hose into and open up your fuel bowl drain valve and turn the key on to verify you are getting fuel.
Dwayne

 

Thanks 1fixitman, I will do the fuel check and see how that goes. I don't have much time to be messing with this truck right now so it may be a little while before I get back to it.

 

I hope the truck is in a safe spot where it will not get towed or broken into.

 

Thanks, but it's perfectly safe where it is. I managed to get it to my shop which is on some property I own about 8 miles from where I live. I may have time to run down there this afternoon and I will do the fuel test on it. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

Did the fuel test. Got steady stream. Bout a quart before the fuel pump cycled off. Is that enough? Blew the fuel line out from pump to tank. Didn't help. What's next?