My reliable 2002 F150 with my V6 gave me issues last night.
A horrific downpour of heavy rain in the Philly area last night and engine started to hesitate and drop off and veered off Interstate and eventually engine quit.
It cranked over strong and was trying to start but no luck.
Eventually it would start but in short time it dropped off.
The roads were heavily flooded if anyone knows the area and the storm effect late last night.
I was stuck on shoulder of road and after numerous attempts it started and I massaged it to a parking lot and once there it stayed running ok. I shut it off and took an Uber home.
This morning, after the dry up and sun out, I went back and it started ok and I drove it 8 miles and thought it possibly dried up and all good, but it died again just short of my home.
Now for sure a problem exists.
Original 98000 truck and never let me down.
Had a quick look under the hood and seemed ok.
I picked up a new ignition coil and slaved it in but cranked as usual but no lite off.
Given the intense amount of water and washouts, what might be a good place to start looking further?
Again, this all after the rain and flooding.
It’s the V6 engine.
I’d like to think it was weather flood water related.
It did start a couple of times and drove a bit then hesitated and stalled.
Is there a critical area or component on the V6 that is prone to issues with excess water ?
Any recommendations??

Thx all,
Jim

 

Any check engine light?

Have you pulled the top off the air cleaner box?

If you find water there, it could have made the air filter unable to pass air.

Or you might have pulled some into the engine.

Electrical components like fuse block/box and ignition moduals etc need to be checked.

 

I’ll definitely start with the air cleaner as it quite likely ingested a fair amount of rain water.
jim

 

Let the coils dry out (or dry them out) with a heat gun on low or a hair dryer
Then do a "flood clear start"
I think your plug wires and the coils got wet

 

Google "flood clear start" if you want
That's where you floor the gas and then start it.
You must be at WOT (wide open throttle)
It shuts off the injectors, and it will fire up on the residual gas in the cylinders
Once it fires up and starts to run at 3000 RPM for a few seconds you can return the gas pedal to idle, be back to normal and drive

 

I don’t believe the GEM controls ignition type stuff, but the fuse panel hugs it close. Ever have a leaky windshield repaired? If not, you may have one on your hands. Maybe. These 10G trucks…well, it’s one of the rites of passage for owning one.

Being you’re up in PA, I was also thinking bad grounds from rust.

 

I'd remove the COP's and blow compressed air into the sparkplug wells and see if any water blows out. My 02 with the 5.4 has a favorite sparkplug well under the power steering reservoir that always gets wet after hitting a water puddle lol..

 

His 02 4.2 has 1 coil and 6 plug wires, no COP's

 

I'll just take my ball and go home then lol. I'd check for spark, check fuel rail pressure then check the air intake for water then go from there.

 

Might check the basics of fuel pump/pressure. Poke the Schrader valve.

Nore details on how it doesn't start might help too. does it sputter and stunble then die/not start? Or does it just crank and do nothing?