I'm new here so please bare with me if this is posted in the wrong area. I'm at a loss. I'm pulling my hair out right now. I have an 04 F150 with a 5.4 Triton engine that started giving me fits Monday the 18th. I'm going to try to be as detailed as I can so please bare with me here.

Truck was very low on fuel (on E) so I put gas in it and drove about 10 miles to the store and shut it off and went inside. It ran perfect all the way there and came out and started the truck to go home. It ran real bad all the way home. I plugged it into my scanner and had 11 codes come up. I didn't right them down.. ( I know I'm gonna get scolded for that) so I don't know the numbers but it said the cam senser was bad, timing was off, and multiple missfires. So I replaced the cam senser thinking it was all just a timing issue from the bad cam senser. That didn't help at all. It still ran rough. I did some more things and figured out that if I unplug any or all of the fuel injectors or coils on the drivers side of the engine it doesn't change the way it runs. If I unplug 1 injecter on the pass side it will die. I replaced the coils, plugs and injectors on the drivers side and still the same. Runs rough. I also have put a new fuel filter on the truck as well since this happend. I was messing with it more today and was going to do a compression test on that side of the engine and noticed all 4 of the spark plugs are dry. Almost like there is no fuel getting to the cylenders. My compression tester will not fit the triton heads so I never did a compression test. I'm more of a shade tree mechanic and not a pro but I have been around cars all my life and worked on my share as a mechanic in the winter at a friends shop while laid off my real job. Which brings me to this....I'm a heavy equiptment operater and my work is seasonal so money is tight. Other wise I would accept defeat and call a towtruck and have it towed to a sevice shop.

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated as I'm stumped and have no clue what to try next to fix my problem.

Thanks in advance.

Allen

 

And what's keeping you from scanning again and posting codes? Initially, it sounds like yer in the limp mode but codes are necessary to help ya.

 

Codes would be helpful. One thing I find interesting is that you say that the drivers side looks to not be receiving fuel even though you replaced the injectors on that side. Have you tried seeing if the electrical signal to open the injectors is reaching that side? Maybe something got messed up on the wiring harness and your drivers side injectors aren't firing due to that. Just an idea, as I cant really see a reason the drivers side wouldn't receive fuel while the pass side does, unless there is a blockage in the fuel rail somehow.

Good Luck,

- Erik

 

I haven't rescanned the truck yet but I will tomorrow. I have just been working on it alittle at a time since I'm laid off and my wife works I've also been playing mr mom with our kids.

 

I'm not exactly sure if the plugs are getting fuel on the drivers side but when I took off one of the plugs it was dry and assumed it wasn't getting fuel after running the truck to move it. The injectors are getting an electric pulse on that side because I tested that side with a noid light.

Is there a way to have the ecm tested to see if that is bad ? I have heard of it being done but can't find anywhere around me that does test the ecm.


Allen

 

Well, if you tested the injectors for electric pulses with the noid light then there should be no reason that the injectors aren't firing as they are new. Have you checked the coil connectors with the noid light as well to see if you're getting spark?

Basically I'm just thinking you should go through the basics before you keep throwing parts at it, since you already have replaced injectors, coils, plugs and fuel filter. So if you're getting fuel and spark then its even weirder that there is no change when you disconnect the fuel injectors on the drivers side.

As for the check on the PCM, I don't know if a regular shop would be able to properly tell you whether its working right or not. You might have to take it to a Ford dealer to test the PCM.

Definitely rescan the truck for codes as that will help to diagnose the problem better. Right now its just guesswork really.

- Erik

 

Bad gas? Try some fuel line deicer, aka methyl hydrate or methyl alcohol.

.

 

Well I talked to a Ford Mechanic today. Turns out the guy that lives a few houses down works for a local ford dealer. He came over when he saw me outside with the hood up and started asking questions. Based on what he saw and heard he is about 99% sure it is the cam phasers that are the problem. From what he explained to me it makes sense. I really hope that is the problem but we will see. I found a video on how to replce the phasers and it doesn't look to bad to do yourself. Been pretty cold here the last few days and my truck wont fit in the garage so I'm gonna wait for alittle warmer weather to start on the new phasers. Been driving the wifes min van and I'm going nuts. I miss my truck.

 

How often do you run your tank that low? Not putting you on the spot, times can get a little rough and I know I run mine low all the time so I tend not to put money into the tank unless its needed. As Kat Williams sais " gas prices are way to high and you should not have to make life altering decisions at the gas station" lol. I was getting at something related to fuel pump issue, been told its easy to over heat your fuel pump if you always run your tank low. Just thought I'd throw it out there. Maybe test fuel pressure before and after the regulator. Seems odd 11 codes related to missfires would come up right after running the tank really low but you never know. Test the easy things first

 

Good point.....your right about the price of gas these days. Sadly I admit that my fuel guage is on "E" more then it is on full lately. While laid off I don't really go anywhere that I don't need to. Unless boredom sets in and I get out of the house to make the day go faster. I don't make it common practice to run my truck low on gas and I almost always have at least a half tank when I'm back to work. I'll have to check on the fuel pump as well and see what the pressure is. That would be an easier fix then the phasers. And cheaper too. I haven't done alot with the truck in the past few days as far as testing/trouble shooting because it has been cold and it hasn't helped that I seem to be "stuck" and disgusted with the problem and can't seem to fugure out EXACTLY what the problem is.

 

I have a question. Do the cam phasers ever go out without a loud knocking?

 

While none of us have been under yer hood, it's not normal for it to throw 11 codes and be the cam phasers. While I'm sure the neighbor has good intentions, I think his diagnosis is off. I'd get the scanner back on it and start from there but I think you picked up a bad load of gas. It happened to me 2 weeks ago and my truck hasn't gotten over it yet.

 

Also when the tank gets low, don't you stir up the dirty stuff that may be lurking in the tank and it possibly goes into the system?

 

I have heard that before too.

 

Been looking around in some of the other forums here and now I want a programer too. Never really knew such an animal existed. I've lead such a sheltered life lol.