I have a 97 ford f150 with the 5.4 engine and it runs great. It idles just fine runs just fine no check engine light or anything. However every once in a while the truck will just die while i am driving down the road. There is nothing that makes you think its going to do it. The truck just goes dead. Like the power is cut off from it. Its got 200000 miles on it. The battery is fine the altinater is fine and I just had the fuel filter changed. I dont know what is wrong with it. Does anyone have any ideals. Thanks

 

do the dash lights come on or is it like you turn the key off

 

In addition to the engine dieing, what is the status of the rest of the electrical system (lights, heaters, radio, dash lights, etc) when the engine dies?

Need to determine if it's a complete loss of power for the vehicle or if it is limited to very specific circuits, ie, the engine or fuel pump, etc.

Steve

 

Does the motor start right back up again afterward? How does it die? Is it like turning off the key, or does it kinda sputter and wind down?

There could be something loose in the ignition in the steering column that is causing this problem. The other possibility is that the fuel pump for some reason loses power and quits temporairly.

 

Justin,

Do you have a performace chip in the computer? When I first installed my chip I did not tape it into place - I was trying to make it easier to remove. I installed it when the truck was new. It would loosen up when the weather turned colder and the engine would die running doen the road - it did this every year for the first three years. I finally reinstalled it correctly by taping it in place and had no further issues.

T

 

I have a 99 and it has done that since it had 40,000 miles on it nobody can tell me anything. It has done it 5 or 6 times since I bought it in 01. Gives you no warning when you get it to crank you have to sit there pushing the gas pedal to keep it running and if you let off it dies again. Finally after a little while it cranks right back up like nothing ever happened. The times it has happened to me I've been riding down the road and it just lost power that happened about 2 or 3 times. The other few times was after it had been sitting for several hours.

 

I agree with the ignition switch being the possible problem. I had a Thunderbird that would do this and this was the cause. Also make sure the cable from the battery to the fuse box is tight. Wiggle these things around.

 

Small World!! Mine did that after dropping my daughter off at school this morning - T he defroster was on and the radio was cranked, I didn't know it quit running until I tried to give the wheel a turn - then I looked at the instruments and couldn't believe it - 200k on my 98 4x4 -5.4L and it's never done this.
Last night I was working on it with the door open and pulled that 5 amp fuse because the door chime wouldn't quit frickin dingin, but I've done that before.
I t must have reset the computer - it was running and shifting like it was in learne mode.
The trucks not chipped, but I have heard of others in the past with chipped power strokes having that problem - truck would just quit at any speed.
I was doing about 25-30 mph when irt happened . It started right back up.

 

Check the crank position sensor plug and the cam position sensor plug for being locked on tight.
Either one come loose and open circuit, the truck stops in it's tracks.
These are the ignition reference points.

 

I had the same thing on my excursion , was waiting at a red light in Drive & it just shut itself off , but it cranks right back up. I dunno what it might be.

 

replace your crank sensor. I had the same problem before.

The problem will become more frequent, as the crank sensor is dying. $25 for a new aftermarket crank sensor from ebay.

 

I have the same problem but with my f250. I'm at a light and it starts to sputter and just dies. It gave me a code for the speed sensor I replaced it but it still does the sputter and shuts off.
It starts right up after but I have to pump it-rev it a bit then it'll be able to take of but as soon I let it idle it sputters and **** off

 

This probably is not the cause but it may be worth reading. My 2005 Dodge Magnum car with the Hemi engine would shut off while idling especially when the fuel tank was just filled. It had a defective gas tank along with thousands of others. Recently Chrysler has been replacing the tanks under an extended life time warranty. The problem as i understand it is when the tank is being filled, there is a valve in the vent line that is supposed to close when the tank gets full triggering the gas pump to shut off. The valves were defective allowing the charcoal canister to flood with gasoline. This is what was causing the engines to stall while idling after fillup.

 

I have a f150 v8 Triton 2002 and I put a new fuel pump and a new fuel filter new battery and crank sensor and cam sensor and I'm not getting no spark going to the coil packs check all fuses and realyas o and some times when I go to start it it will have a slight peak to it and of I'm not mistaking that's were the oil pump is right behind the crank pulley.didnt know if you can help me with this truck.o and yours I was thinking it may be one of my problems to o and I did try to take the battery +and - and touch them together for o say 10 15 minutes and still nothing no spark and I watched the take odometer doesn't move when I try to start it

 

I have a 2002f150 and I put a new fuel pump and a new fuel filter new battery and crank sensor and cam sensor it's getting the fuel to the motor it just shut down on me and now it won't start at all I pulled the coil pack up and see if it was getting spark but no I'm stuck need help