looking for some help with my 2004 e350 6.0 (out of warranty)

a while back i filled my tank with what i'm sure was poor diesel. i filled up in the morning. the truck ran fine all through the day when the engine was still warm. the next morning the truck would crank but not start. i pulled the fuel filters and they were nasty. i replaced them and the truck ran great for two weeks. then it left me stranded until i removed both fuel filters and blew (stuck them to my mouth and blew air to clear them) through them (they looked horrible for only being two weeks old). this lasted for two days until it wouldn't start again and i changed the filters once more. the new set of filters have done it once to me already even though they look clean. i'm guessing that the pump is going out and the least bit of restriction in the filters is blocking the flow. the truck has almost a 100k miles on it. i don't have a way to check the fuel pressure. the bowl for the upper fuel filter fills quickly. i was considering just spending the couple hundred bucks on a new pump rather than spending the money on having the truck diagnosed at ford. what do you guys think? is that the most likely culprit or should i get the diagnosis first. another thing to note is that once it is running it accelerates fine.

 

Is truck blowing smoke when running? Is the water in fuel light on? Have you drained the HFCM? Maybe you have algae build up in the fuel system from the bad fuel.
Here is a link about it. Solving Diesel Fuel Problems

 

no truck runs fine, maybe a slight loss in power but i drive slow anyway so its hard to tell. every time the truck didn't start i removed both fuel filters so each time it was drained. also the bad fuel was approximately two tanks ago.

 

You didnt say if you drained the HFCM. I would definitely do that.

 

just figured out what you were talking about. thanks. i'll do it in the morning.

 

i just saw pics of the f series hfcm. its different for the vans. your hfcm is horizontal running with the frame. ours is vertical with a plastic drain plug attached to the plastic cap that you unscrew for taking the filter off. so yes i did drain the hfcm several times.

 

shameless bump

 

What brand fuel filters are you using?

I would at least check out the simple things that contribute to a no-start before parts changing. Also, after checking all you can, it would be worth paying the diagnostic fee to get the codes read (IMO).

Here is a thread that can help you w/ the majority of no-start issues:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...condition.html

Have you got all the bad fuel out (ie dropped the fuel tank and emptied it?

 

first change was motorcraft and 2nd was napa gold (was stranded and couldn't get the motorcraft). there is no check engine light but i tried to pull codes anyway but there weren't any.

 

I understand the "stranded" situation. I would get the Napa filters out if you haven't already. I added a question at the bottom of my previous post before you responded (have you drained all the bad fuel out).

Many aftermarket code readers do not read the codes well on our engine - vecause they not only need to be OBDII readers, but they need to also be CAN compliant.

Have a look at the no-start checklist and eliminate the easy things before spending money. There are MANY things on our engine that can result in a no-start condition.

 

didn't drain all the fuel out but it was 2 tanks ago and the filters appear clean. i downloaded the spreadsheet and looked it over. its just the sudden onset of this problem made me think of the fuel pump (and that the truck has 100k miles on it). i figured the diagnosis would cost about half the cost of the new pump ($250) and was wondering if it would be a waste of money. your thinking it may not be the problem and i should just spend the money to get it diagnosed.

 

Don't get me wrong, fuel pumps have failed. That is one reason why I have an aftermarket fuel pressure gauge. However, if the upper fuel bowl is full when you pull the filter cap off, AND, after you empty the bowl, it fills quickly w/ the key on ....... IMO that drops the odds of the problem being the HFCM (still could be though).

Check as many of the "easy" things as you can before spending money.

batteries (load test is REQUIRED, not just voltage)
FICM voltage
ICP
.
.
.
etc

The checklist thread is long, but worth going over.

 

Another clue is that you stated that once it is running, it accelerates fine. This makes me think that the pump is probably OK.

 

okay. i'll get over to the dealer then. thanks for your opinion

 

The device is called the Vertical Fuel Conditioning Module.

VFCM.

Identical to the HFCM except for the minor change in orientation, and the drain plug being on the bottom.

It is a standard Parker part used in many diesels.

I have the spec sheets if you care to look.