My 2000 f350 drw recently had some issues loosing power when I was driving back to Louisiana to work and was sputter throw a cloud of white smoke then be good for 10 or so more miles till another episode. I took the truck to the Ford dealer a couple months ago for the same issue and was told my fuel system looked like chocolate milk so new fuel pump filters and cleaning and 2400$ down the drain same problem... well now it did the same to me on the same drive from bama to Louisiana but the problem stopped 40 miles out and ran fine. Went to go crank a couple hours after stopping to nothing and no oil pressure so I check fluids added as necassary and nothing. I do t have the space or tools not time to do my own repairs. Can anyone give me an idea of what it could be and a roundabout estimate what a repair shop is gonna rape me for.

 

First ...pull fuel filter and look at color of fuel...and smell ?

Look in the radiator... for signs of oil in coolant... that would be a sign that your oil cooler gaskets are leaking.

Are you saying... now it won't start ? Or it quit blowing white smoke ?

By your User name.... are you in Jacksonville ? I'm not far away

 

You say that you don't have the space or the time...with that truck, by the time an incompetent mechanic (or even a competent one) or a stealership get done with you you would be able to buy both. MoBill122 has given you good places to start.

 

I travel for work and stay in a camper usually but since I got the 1 ton I bought a bigger camper and now my everyday half ton can't pull it so I'm hoteling it up till I can get the truck fixed. It's currently sitting at my fish camp in labadieville Louisiana and I'm in lake Charles so I don't have the means of checking anything. I was just trying to get a couple idea of problems that would cause it to go from doing 70mph on i12 not towing anything loosing power bogging down till I release the gas pedal then a slight delay and a big dump of white smoke after I press the gas again, Did that the first time I took it to Ford like I said replaced pretty much the fuel system and drove good for a month or so then the same problem happened and made it to the camp and went back after a couple of hours and the truck wouldn't crank and the gauge showed no oil pressure. I plan on having it towed somewhere but would like to have a little bit of knowledge of oil pressure problem so I don't get completely raped. I already know I'm gonna get it rammed in me but would like to atleast apply some lubricant first.

 

Did the dealership clean all the crap out of the tank? Even if they replaced the tank pickup they would have put the same, flawed design back in and if there was any crap remaining in the tank it could have plugged the screens in the new pickup by now. Time for a Hutch mod.

 

Something that you can do at camp is to drain the fuel bowl and check fuel flow. There is a plastic, yellow valved on the rear of the bowl that you spin clockwise to open, the fuel should run out through a drain tube on the passenger's side front of the engine. It is best if you can catch it with an oil drain pan and dispose of properly. Then you can turn the key on for a minute and see how fast the fuel runs. You may be able to take the lid off the fuel bowl and see how fast the bowl fills, I have never done it and don't know what to expect. That will identify or eliminate your fuel pump and lines.

 

If you in that part of the world, don't be buying fuel at a place that may have water in the fuel... all those stations down there get flooded during hurricane season.

 

Are you stating that the engine will not turn over or that it will not run?

All good advice on the fuel issue, especially removing the fuel bowl lid to see what the reservoir and filter look like. Take a picture and post it so that we can see the condition. You may need to have a new fuel bowl o-ring handy just in case it doesn't seal properly when you replace the lid. You can also remove the fuel line from the tank side of the fuel pump and blow low pressure air back into the tank to see if the in-tank filters are clogged. Remove the fuel filler cap that goes to the tank first. You should hear it bubbling in the tank. If it runs fine for a while after that then you know what the issue is. The advice on the Hutch mod is great too. A fuel pressure gauge would be very helpful, even it is nothing more that a manual gauge on a hose.

Check your oil level. I know it sounds elementary but the 7.3L will not run if the oil level is much farther than 3 qts low, below the full mark, and they will sputter and cough until there is no longer enough oil to feed the injectors. Is it a design feature or flaw? This feature has saved many engines from major damage.

Next, check the tin nut on the end of the IPR, the thin metal brass colored one on the left side of the top photo. If it is loose tighten it- 3/4" wrench but be careful, you can strip it. If it is missing, you have found the issue. Below are pictures of the IPR with the tin nut and spacer present in the correct configuration just like they are supposed to be, and next, its' location on the HPOP in the valley.

Next, if the problem persists, and only happens when the truck is warm to hot, it could be the coil on the IPR. To test this, grab a can of compressed air, invert it, and spray the coil, the large brass colored portion of the IPR in the picture, until it is frosty. Then, immediately, see if the truck will crank and run. If this works, buy a FORD, OEM "only" IPR and replace it.... 1-1/8" deep well socket or shower valve socket will remove it. Most new sockets are not deep enough to work: hence, the shower valve socket.

Next, check your ICP sensor to see if there is oil in the connector. If so, plan on replacing the ICP sensor, again OEM Ford only. If the sensor is original, you'll need a 5/8" crows foot or a very short open end 5/8 inch wrench. If it is newer, I think it is a 1-1/16" socket. As a test, leave the ICP sensor unplugged and see if it runs better. This will cause a hard code in the PCM and a CEL but will not harm the engine short term.

The above are all little to no cost possibilities that only require a short expenditure of time.

If the above fail, we need data. By following this link to FORScan for PC and spending less than $20 on the dongle, the folks here can probably nail this down for you.

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