I'm new to the forum and also new to the whole diesel truck I love pickups but I said to my self if I'm to get another pickup I'm going to get a diesel . well everything was great till
coming back from san Diego my truck started losing power like if the accelerator was not responding I pulled to the side of the freeway and then it turned off I was nervise and
wierded out I first tried to turn it on and nothing started to explore the fuses and nothing . after a while I tried to turn it on and like nothing had ever happened it turned on an ran like
a champ 20 min later the same thing .waited about 15 min and started like nothing happened again 20 min later same thing . I know my way around a gas engine but not diesel
can anyone tell me whats wrong with my ford . and can I fix it myself or do I really need to take it in to a mechanic ( f250 2004 6.0 power stroke diesel)

 

Gotta get a scanner to read codes and monitor sensors. Otherwise you are lost. Good ones are fairly cheap.
Get the Forscan app for $5 and buy a obd2 WiFi or Bluetooth adapter that works with your phone or tablet. $30.

Then look for codes and and see what shows. There are some important sensors to monitor and others will chime in. Codes are important to start.

 

I bet the guys here can help you, and potentially save you thousands of dollars in tech charges or throwing parts at the problem, but...you're going to have to give them live data. That means getting an OBDII scanner. For immediate help, you can stop in any auto parts and they'll scan for any DTC codes - is your check engine light on? You can also buy a ScanGauge2 at most Autozones and that will provide the live data. Those cost around $150, but you can get them right now.

If you have time (i.e. another car to drive), you can order a Bluetooth OBDII device online for ~$30. Then download one of the phone apps - TorquePro is a favorite - for a few dollars.

I'm not one of the smart guys here, but in general, I've been told that there's only a few things that'll actually make it die while driving. When it happened to me, it was the IPR valve. Very much a DIY repair although you have to get a special socket - Autozone might loan in out, I forget. However, yours starts back up, which means it's probably something different, maybe even an electrical issue - these trucks can have the wiring harness chafe in a few places where it runs across the engine.

Have you changed the fuel filters? Diesels require that regularly (every 5-7500 miles, depending on workload), not like gassers. There are two, a smaller one in the regulator housing on top of the engine, and a big one on the fuel pump on the frame rail under the drivers seat. You might even have a fuel pump going out - that's not a good thing, it'll burn your injectors up and that gets expensive.

Without live data, no one can help you a whole lot. How many miles on the truck? In the meantime, there's bunches of good YouTubes as well. Diesel Tech Ron shows how to use the ScanGauge to diagnose issues.