Hello all,

I've been looking for situations here that are exactly like mine so that I wouldn't duplicate any mail in the forums here, but I haven't found it. I found somewhat similar situations but not the exact thing.

Anyway, I have a 2008 F150 FX4, 5.4 L engine, gas. It has about 75,000 miles on it, and I've never really had a problem with it.

The last two days I've gone to start my truck and it would not start. The starter would crank, the engine would spin, not start, but just spin. It felt like it had no spark, or no gas.

I cranked it for a total of about two minutes, with no foot on the gas pedal, and then my foot on the gas pedal all the way down to the floor. The engine would not fire up.

I sprayed a little engine starting fluid into the intake, and after a few seconds it started right up. I didn't have that problem the rest of the day. It started normally all day long after that.

Then this morning same thing happened, engine would spin, but would not fire up until I sprayed starter fluid in the intake again.

Now I've read here about similar type situations that involve the fuel pump drive module. I'm wondering if that could be the problem.

Now just for clarification, when I say the engine would crank I mean that the starter motor would engage the flywheel and it would spin the engine without starting the engine. When I say it fired up that means the engine actually started and was running.

I know it's confusing sometimes and people say it cranked over but they mean it actually fired up. So I just wanted to let you all know what I meant. No insult intended at all, because I know people use these terms interchangeably, so I just want to be clear on what I was talking about.

I had someone tell me that it could be a clogged fuel filter. I've never changed the filter. And, he said if I just kept the accelerator all the way to the floor it would eventually start. That didn't work. I had to spray starter fluid into the intake to get at the fire up.

Since this is only happened twice in the eight years since 75,000 miles that I've owned the truck, how worried should I be? I read in this forum that it's only a matter of time before the fuel pump drive module goes, but how do I tell if that's the problem other than replacing it?

As I said above when I turned the key the engine felt and sounded as if the coil wire was disconnected. I know they don't use regular coil wires anymore but that's the closest thing I could come to as far as explaining it.

So, I would appreciate any help I could get here, because I know this is where the experts hang out.

Also, my friend that said it might be the fuel filter, said that the fuel filter is a pain in the rear to change, and that I shouldn't try it myself, because it could get messy.

Is he correct in that? And, could that be the problem?

Okay thanks for any advice I could get. And have a happy new year.

Jerry

 

The fuel filter is on the inside of the frame under the driver seat and is not s big deal to change. Needs to be done about every 30,000 miles. The plugs should be changed as well and if you are where the roads get salted, i eoildbvheck the Fuel driver.