Notices
1997 - 2003 F150 1997-2003 F150, 1997-1999 F250LD, 7700 & 2004 F150 Heritage
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by: Auxito

hesitation

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Oct 17, 2008 | 09:09 AM
  #1  
cjf1001's Avatar
cjf1001
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
hesitation

I am new to the forum here but so far it has great info. I have a '02 4.6 f150 supercab. Resently when you get on the gas from regular driving speed it has a jerky hesitation. If you continue to put the pedal down it gets worse and the THEFT light blinks off and on until you resume back to cruising speed. It gets even worse when pulling a trailer or going up a hill. I recently replaced the fuel filter and it did not help. Any suggestions? The truck only has 58k on it.
 
Reply
Old Oct 17, 2008 | 09:36 AM
  #2  
Bear River's Avatar
Bear River
Former ******
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,901
Likes: 2
From: Salt Lake City, Utah
What codes. Surely them should be some stores engine codes. If you can find any, let us know what they are.

I can take a stab at what I think might be wrong, but I know almost nothing about they history of your vehicle.

Ok, there is a possibility that the Throttle Position Sensor is going out of range. This is not a common problem, but does somewhat match your description. And issue that is common is contamination or failure of the Mass AirFlow sensor (MAF). This sensor tells the computer information about how much air is going into the engine, and how dense this air might be. If this sensor fails, the computer cannot add the correct amount of fuel under changing conditions. This matches your symptoms as well. When you are cruising, your computer can default to the O2 sensor for accurate data, but the O2 sensor is not helpful when you are accelerating. MAF failure or contamination is especially likely if you have a K&N filter, or some other type of oil based air filter.
 
Reply
Old Oct 17, 2008 | 09:40 AM
  #3  
cjf1001's Avatar
cjf1001
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Thanks for the info bear river, I do have an K&N filter. I may take a look at the MAF. What do you clean it with?
 
Reply
Old Oct 17, 2008 | 07:58 PM
  #4  
bowdog's Avatar
bowdog
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 174
Likes: 0
From: Western Pennsylvania
Dont touch it, there is a small micro filament in the middle, you can see it.

Go to an auto parts store and get some electrical claener and spray on it. Should clean it just fine
 
Reply
Old Oct 21, 2008 | 09:19 AM
  #5  
cjf1001's Avatar
cjf1001
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Thanks, I will try that tonight. Hopefully it helps out. If not I will be back for more suggestions.
 
Reply
Old Oct 21, 2008 | 10:29 AM
  #6  
jvr-sfbay's Avatar
jvr-sfbay
Freshman User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 25
Likes: 0
What others suggest are good ideas to start. CRC makes a MAF cleaner spray, I used that on mine recently. I also have a K&N. Not too impressed with the factory oiling of the K&N, I never re-oiled it and I and found a nice coating of oil inside the intake ribs, especially around the MAF. I wiped it out with a rag.

When I bought my truck 5 years ago it did the same thing you describe. I thought it was transmission, but I did a full tune up: plugs, wires, coils, fuel filter, and the problem went away and has stayed away all this time.

Recently I noticed a reduction in performance, so after reading here and corresponding with Bear River, I decided to replace my pre-cat 02 sensors, and clean my throttle plates/body. Turns out it was a great idea and my truck is now running better than ever.
 
Reply
Old Oct 21, 2008 | 01:16 PM
  #7  
cjf1001's Avatar
cjf1001
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by jvr-sfbay
What others suggest are good ideas to start. CRC makes a MAF cleaner spray, I used that on mine recently. I also have a K&N. Not too impressed with the factory oiling of the K&N, I never re-oiled it and I and found a nice coating of oil inside the intake ribs, especially around the MAF. I wiped it out with a rag.

When I bought my truck 5 years ago it did the same thing you describe. I thought it was transmission, but I did a full tune up: plugs, wires, coils, fuel filter, and the problem went away and has stayed away all this time.

Recently I noticed a reduction in performance, so after reading here and corresponding with Bear River, I decided to replace my pre-cat 02 sensors, and clean my throttle plates/body. Turns out it was a great idea and my truck is now running better than ever.
How tough was cleaning the throttle plates/body. While I have it apart I might as well do that.
 
Reply
Old Oct 22, 2008 | 10:10 AM
  #8  
jvr-sfbay's Avatar
jvr-sfbay
Freshman User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 25
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by cjf1001
How tough was cleaning the throttle plates/body. While I have it apart I might as well do that.
I didn't remove everything, I cleaned it in place using the appropriate cleaner from the parts store. Read the instructions on the can, but I could not do it as described because the truck would not run for long with the intake disconnected.

What I did was spray the plate with the cleaner and gently scrub it with a tooth brush, then wipe the gunk out with a red rag. I did this until the plate was real clean looking and got in and around the whole area as much as I could. Seems it was a good thing to do cuz at 115k miles, there was a good amount of gunk on the plate and surrounding area.

 
Reply
FTE Stories

Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts

story-0

Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership

 Brett Foote
story-2

10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-3

Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained

 Brett Foote
story-4

10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-6

Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)

 Brett Foote
story-9

Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies

 Joe Kucinski
Old Oct 22, 2008 | 02:06 PM
  #9  
cjf1001's Avatar
cjf1001
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Well last night I cleaned the MAF and checked the EGR and it looked fine. Anyone else have any new suggestions. I did not tackle the trottle body yet, but with only 58K do you all think that might be the problem?
 
Reply
Old Oct 22, 2008 | 09:21 PM
  #10  
EdwrdEdmnds's Avatar
EdwrdEdmnds
Junior User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 87
Likes: 0
From: MAYBEE MI
you may have some lean codes without setting off the check engine light. i have experienced hesitation same way you described and found after weeks of checking various component that the fuel injectors were plugged up with rust on number 3 cylinder. no check engine light but when i ran for codes it gave me a lean code for
3 cylinder. after checking plugs, wires, and vacuum leaks or plugged vacuum lines i found no. 3 injector as well as the rest of them clogged with rust. apparently from a gas station fill up i presume. changed all injectors, cleared code and recheck no more
hesitation. hope info helps. ed
 
Reply
Old Oct 23, 2008 | 10:26 AM
  #11  
jvr-sfbay's Avatar
jvr-sfbay
Freshman User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 25
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by EdwrdEdmnds
you may have some lean codes without setting off the check engine light. i have experienced hesitation same way you described and found after weeks of checking various component that the fuel injectors were plugged up with rust on number 3 cylinder. no check engine light but when i ran for codes it gave me a lean code for
3 cylinder. after checking plugs, wires, and vacuum leaks or plugged vacuum lines i found no. 3 injector as well as the rest of them clogged with rust. apparently from a gas station fill up i presume. changed all injectors, cleared code and recheck no more
hesitation. hope info helps. ed
Interesting, and how did you clean the injectors? I was thinking this might be a good thing to do at the mileage I'm at anyway.
 
Reply
Old Oct 23, 2008 | 12:42 PM
  #12  
Bobby82490's Avatar
Bobby82490
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,466
Likes: 0
From: N. Fort Myers,FL
Originally Posted by jvr-sfbay
Interesting, and how did you clean the injectors? I was thinking this might be a good thing to do at the mileage I'm at anyway.
It says that he changed them.
 
Reply




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:43 PM.

story-0
Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals

Slideshow: Top 10 Fords at 2026 Ford Nationals

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-09 11:10:08


VIEW MORE
story-1
3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership

Based on years of owning multiple modern Ford products.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-09 10:53:36


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches

SPONSORED: From muddy boots to rain-soaked cargo, these upgrades address some of the most common frustrations Ford truck owners face every day.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-06-08 18:50:34


VIEW MORE
story-3
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained

Here's everything you need to know about every Ford engine available for the 2026 model year.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-05 12:58:01


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Ford trucks that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 09:51:16


VIEW MORE
story-5
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: the best gifts for dads & grads

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:58


VIEW MORE
story-6
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath

Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-03 11:38:36


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer

Slideshow: 10 most expensive Ford trucks ever sold on Bring a Trailer.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:24:34


VIEW MORE
story-8
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)

Here's everything that has changed for the latest model year.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-27 16:17:28


VIEW MORE
story-9
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies

Slideshow: Top 10 Ford truck tragedies.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-18 19:34:33


VIEW MORE