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Old Dec 21, 2007 | 07:08 PM
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dies when driving

i have a 2003 f350 7.3 when driving down the road at any speed the truck loses power for a couple of seconds all guages go hey wire then the truck regains power and noe sometimes it just dies and you have to restart it. i have about two thousand dollars in the shop at ford and they cant figure it out can anyone help please
 
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Old Dec 21, 2007 | 07:13 PM
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zx250
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Welcome to the site, someone will help you and the dealer figure it out. Give us as much info as you can, I.E. Chipped? miles, auto/manual, aftermarket mods, ect. All these things can come into play. I guess there are no codes. Any lights proir to engine failure? Does it restart easy? Does it die at once or does it stumble to death?
 
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Old Dec 21, 2007 | 07:20 PM
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Have you checked the CPS (cam positioning sensor)? Usually when they go out they are gone for good but perhaps it is going in and out on you.

HamRad
 
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Old Dec 21, 2007 | 07:22 PM
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it has 82000 miles it is a automatic 4x4 i have a 4 inch pipe for the turbo back i had the edge programmer in it but took it out when the problem started i also have a cold air intake most of the time it starts right back up but tonight i cranked for about 45 seconds
 
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Old Dec 21, 2007 | 07:29 PM
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zx250
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CPS would be first place to look, but if it is at the dealer they should know that. They should also know the electrical system has to be up to par to keep these things running. The gauges going haywire kinda sounds like the PCM is resetting. This occurs when the voltage drops too low.
 
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Old Dec 21, 2007 | 07:34 PM
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i will pick up a cps tomorrow its 35 dollar and give it a try can you just put it on or does it have to be set
 
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Old Dec 21, 2007 | 07:53 PM
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Garyforsberg,

There is no setting on the CPS. You just need a 10mm wrench and a screwdriver to get it off. It is located at front of engine toward the passenger side. Very easy on and off. Just unplug the electronic connection. Put in the new one.

I hope it is something that simple.

HamRad
 
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Old Dec 21, 2007 | 08:09 PM
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do you think it might have anything to do with the batterys i heard if one of them have a dead short it might cause the truck electric system to act up and short out the truck
 
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Old Dec 21, 2007 | 08:10 PM
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Yes, welcome to the site. Can you explain loses power, and gauges go haywire? Do you mean you lose throttle response, or does the engine buck/stumble? Does haywire gauges mean flashing dash lights? If so, which ones?

The CPS is a known weak link in these motors. I'd hang on to your old one in case it's still good and leave it in the glove box as a spare just in case. There is a recall on the CPS now, but it sounds like your Ford dealer is kind of lost on these motors. I'd find a new dealer to work on your truck if it were me. If you want to change the CPS youself there are instructions here. http://guzzle.rbmicro.com/cps.html

Good luck and be sure and let us know if there are any other symptoms or if this fixes it.
 
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Old Dec 21, 2007 | 08:17 PM
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yes i loses throttle response the truck feels like the trans is falling out it buck so hard all the guages fuel tack and speedo go haywire
 
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Old Dec 21, 2007 | 08:23 PM
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Do you get any dash warning lights associated with this? I'd start with the CPS since it's cheap (or free with recall) and go from there. The CPS is known to cause bucking issues, usually associated with a check engine light that may or may not stay on.

If you have different dash lights that come on or flash then it may be a different issue.
 
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Old Dec 21, 2007 | 08:28 PM
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im going to try the cps change the batterys there under warrany and change the ignition switch i change it two weeks ago and it stopped for a week thank you guy for all you help i will let you know the results
 
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