Re-posted from F-250 forum by suggestion.

Need help. Had truck engine detailed a couple of months ago. Looked great, ran bad. Plugs were wet. Checked the codes, dried the plugs in the cyls that were missing, started running great. Don't use the truck much. I had left the code reader attached and it ran the battery down. I was away from home, so I had AAA jump it. Let it idle for an hour. Took it for a drive, it ran great. Stopped once and it cranked great, started right up. Stopped again, but did not shut off the engine, went to take off, it bogged down, no power and stopped. Would not start again (full tank of gas), but cranked really good, and fast. It acted like it was getting just a little fuel, so I think at this point it's a fuel problem. I don't hear the fuel pump come on when I turn on the ignition. I tell the whole story because I am wondering if something under the hood could have gotten wet? I think it's all dried out, but??
My plan is to spray some starting fluid into the intake and see if it starts to confirm that it's fuel. If it is a fuel problem, what then?
Is there a fuel relay? I know there is a fuse but I haven't been able to get to it yet (alarm horn bolted above it). The holidays and work of course are putting a damper on my troubleshooting. Any ideas will be much appreciated. Thanks in advance, Paul PS, if I have to pull the tank to change the pump, how do I empty the tank?

Got two replies from the other forum - check fuel pressure, check interrupter switch, check voltage. Will do all that and report back.

Thanks,
Paul

 

Washing of the engine compartment is always a bad and risky idea .

1- Is it ignition or fuel problem ?
you can undo the easiest COP (coil) insert a spark plug into the coil and ground the spark plug by touching a metal on engine compartment (not the fuel rail ) . Crank the engine (one person) , see if there is any sparks at spark plug electrode (second person ). If any spark , most likely it is fuel related, not ignition .

2- Fuel related ?

Fuel filter
Fuel pump
pressure regulator
fuel pump relay (behind the radio , next to signal relay )
inertia cut-off (you said you already checked this )
wiring issues

You need to run some diagnostic work to identify the problem .

Good luck,

 

Good advice all. I know washing the engine off is a bad idea, but it was REALLY dirty, and I was going to sell it, so I wanted it to look it's best. Anyway, I HAD not tried the reset, but I did just now. Didn't seem like it was tripped, but I pushed the button and tried cranking it anyway. No change so far. I will try pulling a COP and checking a plug to ground (will have to buy a plug as any spares I have are 125 miles away, might just buy a tester. I am assuming that the re-settable switch in the kick panel is the Inertia switch? Can you tell me where the pressure regulator is and how I would test that?
Thanks for all the help.
Paul

 

Pressure regulator is behind the throttle near the fire wall .

All the tests I read so far indicates to me that the engine must be running in order to test the pressure regulator . Test involves pulling off its vacuum hose which must cause fuel pressure to rise from ( at idle) 28-30psi to 38-40 psi .


May be you can run a fuel pressure test . Buy /borrow (automotive part store rents ) fuel pressure gauge . Attach it to your fuel rail fitting (passenger side fuel rail, in the back , looks like a bicycle valve - Schrader ). Turn ignition on( engine off) several times . You should have 28-30 psi .

Good luck,

 

Well, life keeps getting in the way of testing. Good thing I have another vehicle. Sounds like a good way to check for pressure. Hadn't thought of borrowing one. Maybe Autozone will have a pressure test gauge.