Problems with my Ford F-150

[MossflowerWoods]

I hope this is an OK topic.

My 2001 F-150 (automatic, 5.4L V8, 2WD, 4-door, 97,500 miles) is giving me fits.

I don't know how to work on the new stuff, but my step-dad was a diesel mecanic and my brothers and I could do everything up to rebuilding engines by the time we finished HS.

I swear my truck is acting like there is water in the distributor cap. it is randomly "missing" and making the entire truck shudder and lose power.

This is typically when gently accelerating like a slight hill, or just creeping the speedback up. It was TERRIBLE yesterday with my little JD LX266 mower on a flat bed. It was terrible this morning going into town, but it was flawless all the way back home.

The engine does NOT rev like with a slipping clutch.

It is not RPM specific, although it is clearly worst between 1500 and 2000.

I've run a can of injector cleaner through the system.

It is not gear specific as far as I can tell, but I can't go very far in 2nd without going over 2000 RPM.

Typically when it does it I slack off and then quickly goose the throttle to boost the RPMs over 2K and drive through.

I have no warning lights, and they put a machine on it and I have no codes.

I have checked and rechecked every mechanical thing I can think of.

I cannot reproduce at will. Sometimes it drives perfect, sometimes not.

Tomorrow I'm going to let the AAMCO guy check the tranny (but I do not believe that is it, and I'm not sure I trust him).

I'm at the end of my wits.

Got any good ideas?

Thanks in advance,
David

 

[om21braz]

I have no warning lights, and they put a machine on it and I have no codes.

Who is they? I'm not real sure about this, but I think the scanner at a Ford dealership will show more detail than does even a Snap-On Modus, etc. not to mention the cheaper units. My first guess would be possibly a plug wire;s and/or coil pack. I'll let someone else bring up the possible spark plug issue as I have had 3 Ford vehicles with 4.6 and 5.4 - never any trouble, one was 150k+ miles.

 

[tcartwri]

Plugged or malfunctioning EGR will cause what feels like a lean miss. Very common. So common, that ford should recommend a routine replacement interval in the manual.

It is worse just off idle and at light cruise. sound familiar??

 

[wedge40]

I'm no Ford mechanic.. But I'd have the COP's checked. COP= Coil on Plug.
If you have one breaking down that could cause your issue.
I'm not sure you will always get a code when they start to break down. I replace mine at about 95K miles. I also have 2001 F150 with the 5.4L engine.
There is is website called f150online that might give some other ideas as well.
Hope this isn't your only vehicle.


Wedge

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Plugged or malfunctioning EGR will cause what feels like a lean miss. Very common. So common, that ford should recommend a routine replacement interval in the manual.

It is worse just off idle and at light cruise. sound familiar??

Tim,

I thought an EGR valve problem would give me a "check engine" light.

You are basically right. approx 1500 to 2000 rpm, cruising with traffic at any speed, slight slow down and when I try to accelerate gently back to speed CHUGGA-CHUGGA-CHUGGA the whole truck shudders and shakes (the rpm never change).

David

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Who is they? I'm not real sure about this, but I think the scanner at a Ford dealership will show more detail than does even a Snap-On Modus, etc. not to mention the cheaper units. My first guess would be possibly a plug wire;s and/or coil pack. I'll let someone else bring up the possible spark plug issue as I have had 3 Ford vehicles with 4.6 and 5.4 - never any trouble, one was 150k+ miles.

This was the local mecanic shop.

He said I may need to bite the bullet and visit the Dealer an shell out the $100 for a diagnosis because they can read deeper level codes than he can.

This truck as given me NO PROBLEMS until now.

David

 

[MossflowerWoods]

I'm no Ford mechanic.. But I'd have the COP's checked. COP= Coil on Plug.
If you have one breaking down that could cause your issue.
I'm not sure you will always get a code when they start to break down. I replace mine at about 95K miles. I also have 2001 F150 with the 5.4L engine.
There is is website called f150online that might give some other ideas as well.
Hope this isn't your only vehicle.


Wedge

Wedge,

I'm headed to F-150 online next.

My local shop said you are supposed to get a light for the COP. But I guess I need to just go into town to the dealer and let them tell me what is wrong.

PS - So are you Wedge like the guy in Star Wars (Luke's buddy in the death star fight). Or wedge like in a hockey manuver.... Just curious...

Be well!
David

 

[om21braz]

I'm headed to F-150 online next.

My local shop said you are supposed to get a light for the COP. But I guess I need to just go into town to the dealer and let them tell me what is wrong.

Good Luck, hopefully it turns out to be a relatively cheap fix!

 

[cowski]

looks like a coil problem,there is one on every plug.you could change all the coil packs and avoid going to the ford dealer.

 

[tcartwri]

Tim,

I thought an EGR valve problem would give me a "check engine" light.

You are basically right. approx 1500 to 2000 rpm, cruising with traffic at any speed, slight slow down and when I try to accelerate gently back to speed CHUGGA-CHUGGA-CHUGGA the whole truck shudders and shakes (the rpm never change).

David

That does sound more than an EGR problem. And the EGR will throw various codes depending on what the issue is.

 

[MossflowerWoods]

looks like a coil problem,there is one on every plug.you could change all the coil packs and avoid going to the ford dealer.

cowski,

I could. But everything I can find says if the coils are having issues they will give out error codes.

I got no codes, no Check Engine Light. and it is not all the time, just sometimes.

This is killing me...

David

 

[LD1]

We had similar problems but different vehichles, but it would be worth a deeper look.

Our problem was on a 1998 ram 1500 5.9L.

I do not think it is coil or egr. But I could be wrong. Usually a coil will still throw a random misfire code.

What we had were symptoms exactally as you are describing, but we did narrow it down to a pattern.

Truck ran perfect when you started it up, and once warm. The problem was when it was warming up. Like 2 miles from home, it would start acting up for about the next 3-5 minutes, and then all well again.

No codes or anything. I threw a snap-on modus on it and we WERE able to replicate the problem several times over the course of the day and I looked at almost ALL of the various sensors. ALL of them were reading normal like they should.

The ONLY think that jumped out at me was that when we started having issues, was at the exact moment that the computer was trying to go into closed loop. It would bounce between open loop and closed loop a few times. Once it settled into closed loop, problem went away.

I took that information and started googling. Everthing I read kept pointing to O2 sensor. So we bit the bullet and replaced it. Problem SOLVED. Basically, what I was reading said that the heater in the o2 sensor failed. (new 02's are 4-wire and have a heater). The heater allows the 02 to warm up faster and go into closed loop quicker. (efficency, less emissions, EPA bs, etc). with The heater not working, the truck was trying to go into closed loop before it was warm enough, getting a faulty reading, and reverting back to open loop. This cycle repeated itself SEVERAL times until the exhaust gasses finally warmed the sensor up enough and then...closed loop and problem gone.

I am not saying that is your problem, but typically 02's only last about 100k anyway. So if you have never replaced them yet, maybe it is time to give that a go before the trip to the dealer.

 

[wedge40]

Wedge,

I'm headed to F-150 online next.

My local shop said you are supposed to get a light for the COP. But I guess I need to just go into town to the dealer and let them tell me what is wrong.

PS - So are you Wedge like the guy in Star Wars (Luke's buddy in the death star fight). Or wedge like in a hockey manuver.... Just curious...

Be well!
David

David, I was being called Wedge before Star Wars used it. Hmm maybe I should be getting royalties? My last name is wejrowski - wej, but me being me, I decide to spell it Wedge.. "The shape of things to come" You old enough to remember the Triumph commercials in the 60's?.

Now on to your problem.. I had two of my COP's go and I didn't get any idiot lights and not sure if my mechanic got any codes. What I was told was the wire was breaking down and would short out to the chassis. You can get a set of 10 ( I think) from Ebay for reasonable price. They will have info on f15online. Not sure how difficult they are to change.

Wedge

 

[crashz]

I had the same problem with my 2001 F150. But mine had the V6 with a single coil pack. The truck ran as you described, but only until it got worse did the check engine light come on. A cracked coil pack was the problem.

My thought is its ignition related. Either a failing coil or bad connector.

 

[MossflowerWoods]

David, I was being called Wedge before Star Wars used it. Hmm maybe I should be getting royalties? My last name is wejrowski - wej, but me being me, I decide to spell it Wedge.. "The shape of things to come" You old enough to remember the Triumph commercials in the 60's?.

Now on to your problem.. I had two of my COP's go and I didn't get any idiot lights and not sure if my mechanic got any codes. What I was told was the wire was breaking down and would short out to the chassis. You can get a set of 10 ( I think) from Ebay for reasonable price. They will have info on f15online. Not sure how difficult they are to change.

Wedge

Wedge,

The TR-7!!! YES! I disctinctly recall the "wedge shaped" garage!

I'm going to look into the COP's.

Thank you sir!
David

 

[Diamondpilot]

At 100,000 miles my neighbors wifes Lincoln Aviator with the 4.6L was doing the same thing. They took it to a shop and could not find anything. I said let me look at it.

First thing was my scanner would not work. Its powered by the same circuit the 12v Cig Lighter is. Found a blown fuse and a dime down in the receptive. Removed the dime and replace the fuse and my scanner then worked. Still no codes.

I got under the hood and started looking around. Ended up being a Vacuum leak. It was the hose that went from the brake booster to the intake manifold was cracked.

CHECK THE VACUUM HOSES. I could hear it hissing.

Chris

 

[Soundguy]

when my dodge did this it was a failing throttle position sensor.. and DID NOT set a code / check engine lamp.

dealer had a hard time finding it.. did a tranny service as they felt the shudder.. etc.. etc. finally throttle STUCK one day for a few seconds and when i told them that they changed the tps.. problem went away for 6 ys.. did it again.. changed the tps again.. problem went away..e tc.

good luck

soundguy

 

[MossflowerWoods]

CHECK THE VACUUM HOSES. I could hear it hissing.

Chris

Chris,

I will check the Vacuum hoses.

Thanks,
David

when my dodge did this it was a failing throttle position sensor.. and DID NOT set a code / check engine lamp.

dealer had a hard time finding it.. did a tranny service as they felt the shudder.. etc.. etc. finally throttle STUCK one day for a few seconds and when i told them that they changed the tps.. problem went away for 6 ys.. did it again.. changed the tps again.. problem went away..e tc.

good luck

soundguy

Soundguy,

My wife's Jag wagon we just got rid of had a "drive by wire" issue like that but it seemed to be related to the cold temps. So I got rid of it in July.

How do I check the TPS? Probably only the dealer can do that?

Thanks,
David

 

[Soundguy]

I bet a real time engine scanner could do it. doubt a basic code reader would.

soundguy

 

[timswi]

I bet a real time engine scanner could do it. doubt a basic code reader would.

soundguy

True, a generic scanner will usually only show a complete or near complete failure, these every so often problems require a real time scanner or a flight recorder that can be read later.