Little Help?? Maybe Electrical
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Little Help?? Maybe Electrical
Hello,
New to the Forum and I was hoping some of you guys might be able to help me. Here is what I have
1991 Ford F350 XLT
Manual Trans with 460
Dual Rear Wheel.
This is the main work truck for my landscape company. Recently it has been taking two or three tries to get it started. It turns over and fires, but then dies. If I hold the gas down a little bit it will eventally take off, but this was the first sign of the issue.
Just this week it started just dying while driving. No sputter, just dead and the steering and brakes start going out fast! This is scary when pulling a large trailer and having the bed full of material as well. I don't think it is a fuel issue as no sputter or gasping. Also, when I get it started again it stinks like unburned gas when it first fires up. I have been able to get it started back up every time, but it takes two or three tries to get it to fire back up.
Anyone have a similar experience of know of any common problems with this model/year.
Any help is much appreciaeted!!
Luke
New to the Forum and I was hoping some of you guys might be able to help me. Here is what I have
1991 Ford F350 XLT
Manual Trans with 460
Dual Rear Wheel.
This is the main work truck for my landscape company. Recently it has been taking two or three tries to get it started. It turns over and fires, but then dies. If I hold the gas down a little bit it will eventally take off, but this was the first sign of the issue.
Just this week it started just dying while driving. No sputter, just dead and the steering and brakes start going out fast! This is scary when pulling a large trailer and having the bed full of material as well. I don't think it is a fuel issue as no sputter or gasping. Also, when I get it started again it stinks like unburned gas when it first fires up. I have been able to get it started back up every time, but it takes two or three tries to get it to fire back up.
Anyone have a similar experience of know of any common problems with this model/year.
Any help is much appreciaeted!!
Luke
Postmaster
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 3,560
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to start with, does the check engine light come on when the engine is running? if yes, go to your local auto parts store (oreilly, autozoo, etc) and ask to borrow their code scanner. find out what its complaining about.
if it doesn't give you a CEL, that narrows down the options a little bit. if its losing spark, it'll likely backfire if it loses spark for a few seconds then comes back. but if you have a timing light, you can connect it to the coil wire when it stalls to make sure its sending spark from the coil. but usually when ignition systems fail, they don't come back to life a minute later..,.,.
your smell of unburnt fuel does sound like an ignition problem not a fuel problem. you might try a full tune up (plugs, wires, etc) and see if that helps anything - if you can't remember the last time it was done it might be wise anyway... if that doesn't solve it, its likely either the pickup unit in the distributor, or the module mounted on the distributor. but again, those usually fail and don't come right back to life.
if it doesn't give you a CEL, that narrows down the options a little bit. if its losing spark, it'll likely backfire if it loses spark for a few seconds then comes back. but if you have a timing light, you can connect it to the coil wire when it stalls to make sure its sending spark from the coil. but usually when ignition systems fail, they don't come back to life a minute later..,.,.
your smell of unburnt fuel does sound like an ignition problem not a fuel problem. you might try a full tune up (plugs, wires, etc) and see if that helps anything - if you can't remember the last time it was done it might be wise anyway... if that doesn't solve it, its likely either the pickup unit in the distributor, or the module mounted on the distributor. but again, those usually fail and don't come right back to life.
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Joined: Jan 2013
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to start with, does the check engine light come on when the engine is running? if yes, go to your local auto parts store (oreilly, autozoo, etc) and ask to borrow their code scanner. find out what its complaining about.
if it doesn't give you a CEL, that narrows down the options a little bit. if its losing spark, it'll likely backfire if it loses spark for a few seconds then comes back. but if you have a timing light, you can connect it to the coil wire when it stalls to make sure its sending spark from the coil. but usually when ignition systems fail, they don't come back to life a minute later..,.,.
your smell of unburnt fuel does sound like an ignition problem not a fuel problem you might try a full tune up (plugs, wires, etc) and see if that helps anything - if you can't remember the last time it was done it might be wise anyway... if that doesn't solve it, its likely either the pickup unit in the distributor, or the module mounted on the distributor. but again, those usually fail and don't come right back to life.
if it doesn't give you a CEL, that narrows down the options a little bit. if its losing spark, it'll likely backfire if it loses spark for a few seconds then comes back. but if you have a timing light, you can connect it to the coil wire when it stalls to make sure its sending spark from the coil. but usually when ignition systems fail, they don't come back to life a minute later..,.,.
your smell of unburnt fuel does sound like an ignition problem not a fuel problem you might try a full tune up (plugs, wires, etc) and see if that helps anything - if you can't remember the last time it was done it might be wise anyway... if that doesn't solve it, its likely either the pickup unit in the distributor, or the module mounted on the distributor. but again, those usually fail and don't come right back to life.
Any other ideas you might have would be appreciated.
Luke
Postmaster
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 3,560
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in my hands, that timing light serves more often as a spark indicator than it does for actual timing purposes, the the cheapo at harbor freight is good enough. ideally you'd have it on there right when it dies out, so you can see if it loses spark right when it loses power, or when the engine finally stops turning.
i'm guessing it does lose spark while the engine is still turning, so if my guess is right then your problem is in the ignition system. at oreillyauto.com (or their local store) it looks like you can have a quality distributor for $90 including cap and rotor, and an ignition module for $57, both prices assuming the better brands - cardone is junk, and so is masterpro. so for $150 plus a little time, you can replace both likely possiblities in the ignition system.
but personally, i prefer to spend a little more diagnostic time. say you have no spark when you test, test for signal at the wires entering the coil, that'll isolate the coil from the dizzy. the coil is another possible failure, and they have it for $27
as for getting a diesel - i drive one and love it.
i'm guessing it does lose spark while the engine is still turning, so if my guess is right then your problem is in the ignition system. at oreillyauto.com (or their local store) it looks like you can have a quality distributor for $90 including cap and rotor, and an ignition module for $57, both prices assuming the better brands - cardone is junk, and so is masterpro. so for $150 plus a little time, you can replace both likely possiblities in the ignition system.
but personally, i prefer to spend a little more diagnostic time. say you have no spark when you test, test for signal at the wires entering the coil, that'll isolate the coil from the dizzy. the coil is another possible failure, and they have it for $27
as for getting a diesel - i drive one and love it.
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When the truck dies while you are driving it, is it when you let off the gas for a bit, or just when cruising at a steady speed?
If its when you are letting off the gas I would check your idle air motor. One of its functions is to supply enough air to keep the engine running when you let off the gas. If it isn't functioning all the time it might kill the engine when you let off which could also result in excess fuel in the cylinders. This would be made worse if its not functioning when you try to start it as the engine would be getting fuel, but not air. A bad idle air motor won't set a CEL.
If its dying when you are just driving along steady this is likely not it.
Also, if you get a engine light, don't bother going to a parts store to have your codes read, they don't have the correct reader for your year of truck.
If its when you are letting off the gas I would check your idle air motor. One of its functions is to supply enough air to keep the engine running when you let off the gas. If it isn't functioning all the time it might kill the engine when you let off which could also result in excess fuel in the cylinders. This would be made worse if its not functioning when you try to start it as the engine would be getting fuel, but not air. A bad idle air motor won't set a CEL.
If its dying when you are just driving along steady this is likely not it.
Also, if you get a engine light, don't bother going to a parts store to have your codes read, they don't have the correct reader for your year of truck.
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There are several things that can make an engine act similar to what has been described here.
It is difficult, for me at least, to diagnose this kind of a problem over the internet. Chiefly due to the lack of details, also communicating by typing over odd increments of time is not ideal.
I think you (Alleneoc) would be better off starting a new thread with your problem and describing it there for these reasons. Also because your symptoms are not the same as the original posters, at least in one important regard - your truck doesn't start.
This actually makes it easier to figure out what is wrong, but it may not be the same problem as the orginal poster and needs to be approached in a different way.
It will only cause confusion if we try to handle more than one issue in the same post.
It is difficult, for me at least, to diagnose this kind of a problem over the internet. Chiefly due to the lack of details, also communicating by typing over odd increments of time is not ideal.
I think you (Alleneoc) would be better off starting a new thread with your problem and describing it there for these reasons. Also because your symptoms are not the same as the original posters, at least in one important regard - your truck doesn't start.
This actually makes it easier to figure out what is wrong, but it may not be the same problem as the orginal poster and needs to be approached in a different way.
It will only cause confusion if we try to handle more than one issue in the same post.
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