last week 2 degrees out, I start my van. (a 2011 E-350 super duty flex fuel XLT) I drive a few blocks from the house and I notice some gages acting up, needles swinging from one end to the other, so i turn around and go home. a few days later I start it up to warm up for a few minutes and all is well. I get in and put it in reverse and the engine slowly shuts off. I try to crank it over and the battery is not doing anything but clicking, so I changed the battery. after sitting for a few days she cranks over with a little laboring, but spins over, she starts and runs for about 8-10 seconds but rough. try to restart and she just cranks. no starting. sits for a day or two, try to start it again and same as before starts runs rough for 8-10 seconds, then cranks again with no start.
Friend of mine in a garage suggested I check battery to frame and body ground straps, i did and all are good.

any Ideas what to look for? fuel pump? fuel filter? or maybe something else?
Mark

 

Mark have you taken a meter and checked your battery voltage and alternator? I would take a meter and put it on and check the battery voltage before you start it and see what the voltage is once you know the volatge start it up and let the engine run, and keep the leads of the metter on the battery terminals and monitor the voltage as the engine run and see if the voltage is holding steady or dropping.

If the voltage is dropping and the the motor stalls while you are letting it sit and run you might have a bad alternator that isnt charging the battery, because if the alternator isnt charging the battery then once the battery gets drained down the engine will stall.

Check those things first. usually in a situation like yours the two main culprits are battery and alternator or starter. How old is your current battery? Is that the original alternator? original starter? Do you have a check engine light on? Done any recent work under the hood? Have you tried to clean the MAF sensor using MAF cleaner? Checked your air filter to make sure it isnt dirty? A dirty maf and air filter could be causing it too run to rich or lean.

If you have an auto zone close by you can take your battery and alternator down to their location and they will test them for you free of charge