2000 F150 XLT
4.6L, V8

All,
Need help from the forum. I was towing the boat yesterday and the truck died as I pulled into the gas station. Found the positive battery terminal was loose but after tightening it would not start. Since I was at the gas station, I decided to put in a gallon of gas even though the gauge indicated I still had about 1/8 tank. After doing so, it started right away and seemed to run fine. My first thought was the fuel gauge was bad and I was simply out of fuel so I filled up. It only took an additional 18 gallons so it wasn't out of fuel (fuel tank capacity is 24 gallons per the manual). I pulled the boat for another 30 miles and got home without any additional problems.

Any ideas of what the problem could be? I'm thinking fuel pump is starting to go bad or debris on the fuel tank pickup. Clogged fuel filter or water in gas are my other thoughts. Any help troubleshooting or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Capefisherman18

 

Change the fuel filter first.

 

Fuel filter then pressure test..

 

I had the same problem. Truck just would not start when hot sometimes. When it would start, the pressure was ok. Changed The pump 6 mos ago and haven't seen the problem since.

I thought it was the MAF to start with but I swapped one with another truck and the problem still showed up usually after a longer drive or towing.

That being said, as the previous posts said, would change the filter as a cheap maybe first and see if it shows up again.

If you have access to a lift, the pump isn't too bad to change in an hour or so. You can do it without pulling the tank, just tilt the tank forward to gain access to the pump.

Good luck
Troy.