I have an '03 sport trac with 146k miles on it. Truck is in good shape for the most part, it has been very well kept before i got it. In the last few months i have had the flow master exhaust put in and the k&n intake. I had the vacuum leak problem with the hole in the elbow, which was fixed and discovered after replacing the IAC.
I have had a problem with the vehicle almost but not quite stalling when shifting from drive to park. The first thing i did was check for vac leaks, found none. I did not replace the IAC again only because it is only a few months old. I also replaced the MAF, which did not work either, I was still almost stalling going from D to P. The vehicle shut off while in the drive through at McDonald yesterday. It restarted roughly and i managed to get it to a safe spot. I lifted the hood and felt the radiator main hose was solid feeling, so i drove home and replaced the thermostat. In the process i got coolant all over everything.
The problem I am having now is the truck is just cutting off, both at idle and while driving down the road. It starts right back up and away i go. It is random, the truck is runnig a ok with no signs of any trouble then the next second it shuts off. Any suggestions? Sorry for the long post, just givin a good history to begin with

 

I had a similar problem with my 1990 Bronco...after six hours of ford trying to figure out the problem it was that the distributor was bad...so since yours is newer maybe the coil pack is bad or something along those lines...hope this helps...i would also check your spark plugs and wires and make sure all are in good shape and all connections are tight and not corroded.

 

Heya, I checked the coil, im not an expert so what i did was pull each plug off the coil with it running, all 6 ofthem were sparking. After that I checked all the boots at the plugs, all seemed secure. I also forgot to mention before that I had changed the plugs and only managed to get 4 of the 6 plugs done. The 2 on the passenger side at the rear I could not get due to all the ac stuff being in the way. I do not have a jack to lift myu truck and go through the fender either. I had noticed the old plugs i had pulled out though were single plats and were corroded pretty bad. I put Iridium plugs in because I had read somewhere they were for higher temps and that is what was recommended for my truck. HAd a problem pop back up today i had forgot about too. My O/D light popped on and hitting the on off switch for the O/D didnt do anything. Shut the truck down and restart and the blinking O/D went away. Can I just have one problem at a time?!? thanks guys.



edit: ok i may be a retard, I think i know what the blinkin od light is from. I had checked my trans fluid level and it appears to be over full by 1qt or so. I have noticed it sticking at certain points while driving. I know I need to get that fixed just dont have the money atm but it is very high on my list of need to do's. Is this causing any permanent damage while im driving like this? Dang dang dang what I wouldnt give for my own garage to drain the tranny in...........

 

ok following myself here. Truck went two days without cutting off, then tonight after work, i stopped at 7-11. When i came back out, I started the truck and it fired ran a second then immediately died. I started the truck again and it immediately died after firing up. I started it a third time and it stayed running with me pressing the gas a bit. I did that for a few seconds, let off and the truck died again. This time, I started the truck, revved it high for roughly 10 seconds and it was fine to drive. Any ideas?




EDIT: Thought of this too. I dont think my K&N cold air intake filter came oiled. It ddn't come with any of that either. Could this be causing any problems? If so what? Can someone tell me why it needs to be oiled?

 

Still sounds like the coil but sounds like you tested it alright...not sure if its possible for it still to be bad, but im limited on my knowledge here. Sorry im all out of ideas for you...hopefully someone else can shed more light on the situation...good luck...

 

First you have to specify how the "Cut-off" exhibits...

Sudden shut down, usually electrical
slow, sputtering, usually fuel

 

ok i notcied 2 diff shut down types with it. While i am driving it just shuts off, or maybe it just seemed like it did. When i was parked and went to start it, my first thought was my truck sounded like it was gagging or choking, it was not an immediate shut down. It shakes hard, bucks a bit then dies.

 

It sounds like you need to replace the Transmission Range Sensor. It costs less than 50 bucks and you can do it yourself with a screw driver. I had the same problem with my 2002 Sport trac. It would start then cut out shortly after or sometimes not start at all and a couple of times when I was driving it would just cut out. No special tools required but you need to consult the repair manuel for your spicific vehicle to learn how to calibrate it correctly. Again no tools or special calibrationg equipement are required.

 

Put a gauge on the fuel rail, post the results... Philip

 

i have a 02 explorer 4.0 mine was doing the same thing stalling and running fine after restarting it took it in to have it looked at they said to replace egr valve and sensor replaced them both and no more problems since

 

I agree with aquanaut, check your pressure at your fuel rail.

Next time it dies, check it, if you have no pressure I would think your fuel pump is dying. Should have fuel at about 56 psi to 72 psi of pressure at the fuel rail. My fuel pump died slowly much the same way as the issues you are having.

 

well let us know what the problem is when you get it figured out

 

Your K&N needs to go in the trash. They do come oiled, if it was pink, it was oiled. But K&Ns are very poor at filtering, which is the whole point of having an air filter. Between the time you waste cleaning them, and the money you waste on cleaning kits, they will never save you money on a good paper filter. If your MAF has gotten contaminated with oil and dirt from the filter, it can cause or contribute to the issues you are having. Add to this the fact that just because a filter might theoretically support more airflow doesn't mean that you are actually getting more air to the engine. The air filter is only one part of a system, and in very few cases is it the weak link. Increasing flow is usually only necessary if you have made changes to the engine that increase its ability to breathe, things like cams, larger valves, port work, forced induction, etc. Since you don't have anything like that, you should get rid of the questionable filter that can cause more trouble than its worth and use a good paper filter like Motorcraft or Wix.

Rant out of the way, your problem to me sounds like a weak fuel pump. Get a pressure tester and see what the operating pressure is, and see if the pressure is dropping when it is acting up. I have found even new aftermarket pumps can act the same way, replace the pump with a Motorcraft or Walbro pump.

 

My 94 Explorer 4 x 4 was recently acquired and first revealed a very badly fouled #6 spark plug. Replaced 'em all at 165K miles. Even with the bad plug, it started fine. On cross country trip, it died after cutting-out several times. Rested it for hour, restarted, and operated for another hour. This interval decreased: fuel filter replaced; MAF cleaned; EGRT hose blown off but replaced and stays in place; air intake hose replaced; camshaft sensor and drive replaced, along with new plug wires; still dies, rests, restarts, and runs 20 miles +/-. Computer diagnosis showed the cam drive, but almost no improvement from that $ 804.

 

Your problem is also consistent with a bad fuel pump. Verify fuel pressure when the problem is occurring Stalling then restarting after a cooldown is consistent with a bad fuel pump.