2001 Supercrew wth 5.4. On Thursday leaving work it act acted like it was out of gas truck finally died would not restart but would turn over. I know it was not out of gas but I added 5 gallons from work truck started right up and drove 20 miles parked it for the night started up started up just fine in the morning drove another 20 miles parking for the day. Drove to work this morning parked it in the shop went to leave act like its out of gas again I know it's full of gas because I filled it up yesterday. It will start up and run for a bit and then die. Does it sound like a fuel pump issue or maybe some bad gas? I bought a fuel filter so when I get to work tomorrow I will try that as the truck is still there. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Fuel filter first. You can borrow/rent a fuel pressure gauge from most parts stores, the test port is on the fuel rail. If there's less than 28 psi it won't run, it should be close to 40.

 

It's common this time of year for clogged fuel filters to cause these problems. When it gets real cold and you live in Colorado where it gets cold fuel thickens and the pump cant force enough past it.

 

Well got to work this morning truck started up just fine.. Changed out fuel filter for good measures started truck up drove around Plant for a few miles ran just fine shut it down. Few hours later went out to start it to get ready to go home would not even start at all. Earlier I could hear the fuel pump kicking on now nothing. Guess I'm just going to have to replace a fuel pump and start there.

 

Try beating on the tank with a rubber mallet or your fist.

 

And check the fuel pressure. A pump is expensive to buy and a lot of work to install. Make sure first.

 

Stupid question but can you check the fuel pressure if it will not start.

 

Hit the bottom of the gas tank and it starts up and then spits and sputters and then dies.

 

Then it sounds like the fuel pump if hitting the bottom of the gas tank works a little bit.

Yes you can, when you turn the key from ACC to ON (don't start), it will pressurize the lines and prime the system. The fuel pump kicks on for a few seconds and then switches off. Similar to the old days of pressing the pedal a few times to prime a carb.

For example I do it 3 times when I change the fuel filter on my truck before I actually start it... I can hear the air bubbles go through the system and re-priming the fuel rails.

 

I agree with ManualF150. Time for a fuel pump, they only last 115 to 135K. The kick the fuel tank trick doesn't last for ever..

 

I think If your careful about filter changes they last indefinitly. I have 150l on mine and 16 years. I change it in no more then 10k. Clogged filters make the pump work hard wearing them out.

 

When I had my Mark VIII with over 100k miles on it, I was driving it 500 miles one way to my job . I started thinking of replacing the fuel pump as preventive maintenance. I went to NAPA to find out what they charged for one and I asked in their experience how long did they last. I was told that some lasted 30k and some lasted 300k, that there was no way to know how long they last.

 

I remember at one job I was working at, we had a gas powered genset that had a some i4 in it, and it blew through it's original fuel pump in ~6k hours, and then they put in one they got from Advance Auto, and that sucker didn't make it past ~1k hours. They got another one from Advance Auto and it worked for as long as I was at the job site. Perfect example of this nonsense. You never know.

 

New fuel pump is in starts like a champ!!

 

Great news! Let's hope you'll get plenty of miles of smiles out of it.