Ignition cut out
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Freshman User
Joined: Jun 2005
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Ignition cut out
I have a 1994 E150 conversion van with 150K on the clock. It has a 5 L engine. Lots of recent work including a tranny rebuild, new rearend (4:10), major tune on engine etc. A new problem has developed in that you are going down the road (has done this at 50 and 75 mph) and the engine stops and starts. It startles me everytime as it feel so abrupt. I thought something was grabbing. Anyway, my mechanic hooked up his diagnostic machine and drove it quite a while and it finally did it with him. He saw the ignition go away and come back. In doing this detail of checking he found a pickup in the distributor was flaky and replaced that but this was not the root cause. He said it could be a sensor, ground or the computer. I might add that recently, the speedo needle started jumping and the cruise control mode surges going down the road. He thought initially the latter caused by a motor going out on the speedo. Any thoughts? Thanks. Tom
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: SW Arizona
You might want to check out the fuel pump.
A few months ago, my husband had a similar problem with his 83 Conversion E150 302. It was doing the same thing with cutting out while driving. Eventually, it would die suddenly while in town and be hard starting. At first he thought it was his carburator but we had a mechanic look at it and it was fine.
This problem was going on for some time and my husband thought, like you, it might be ignition or some sensor problem elsewhere. Earlier this year, it was starting to do this but a fuel pump going out was out of the question....so we thought. A new pump had been bought last year from AutoZone and installed right afterwards. However, by Summer, it was starting to turn over harder and then the engine would cut out while driving....eventually it was doing this in town too. Just lucky it didnt "die" in the middle of an intersection.
Once a new fuel pump was put in, no more problems.
A few months ago, my husband had a similar problem with his 83 Conversion E150 302. It was doing the same thing with cutting out while driving. Eventually, it would die suddenly while in town and be hard starting. At first he thought it was his carburator but we had a mechanic look at it and it was fine.
This problem was going on for some time and my husband thought, like you, it might be ignition or some sensor problem elsewhere. Earlier this year, it was starting to do this but a fuel pump going out was out of the question....so we thought. A new pump had been bought last year from AutoZone and installed right afterwards. However, by Summer, it was starting to turn over harder and then the engine would cut out while driving....eventually it was doing this in town too. Just lucky it didnt "die" in the middle of an intersection.
Once a new fuel pump was put in, no more problems.
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Freshman User
Joined: Jun 2005
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Igition cut out
Thanks for your reply. In this instance, the mechanic had the portable engine analyzer connected while driving the van and could see the ignition quit and then come back and this has only happened at speeds over 50. Always cranks and idles great.
Tom
Tom
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Joined: Jun 2002
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From: Atlanta GA
I would agree with it might being the fuel pump since it would not return a code on a EEC IV system. Same with a bad TFI module. Bad ground would be another item to check. Check the exhaust ground and body ground.
