I have a 1994 Ford F-150. 302, AT/w Overdrive. Over 185,000 miles.
The cruise control just quit working, I checked fuses, all good.

The same day, it started dying at stop signs (when I give it gas to take off). It doesn't die every time, and sometimes the check engine light comes on at low idle (started happening at same time also).

Is there a sensor that could be causing all this?
Thanks.

 

Howdy and welcome!

CE light means there is a code stored that will tell us what part the computer isn't happy with. The code can be read by autoparts stores with an OBD1 scan tool, or you can slip a case to a mechanic who could pull the code in a minute, or if your ADD isn't too bad you can sit and s l o w l y read the codes yourself.

What is the history of the truck? Recent maintenince? Which auto tranny? (E4OD is trans code E on the door jam sticker and the 4R70w is trans code U).

Adrianspeeder

 

Thanks for the reply. The "Trans Code" is U on the door sticker.

I have only had the truck for a little over a month. It was wrecked and has a rebuilt title (but the truck is not rebuilt, it has some pretty good dents in the bed/cab, but I don't see them when I am driving it . And the dents make people stay out of my way cause they assume I did it . If it didn't have the dents, it almost looks new, inside and out. There are lots of receipts where maintainence was performed. I had not done anything to it before this happened (except replaced shocks).

Everything was fine, I drove to Tulsa (about 70 miles), on my way back I picked up a 2-horse trailer at a friend's house. The trailer lights had a short, but I didn't know that until I got home. I noticed it because when I would put on the right blinker, the blinker wouldn't work while the trailer lights were hooked up, unhook trailer lights, blinker works. I re-wired the trailer by the way, now all the lights work correctly! :o

The next time I drove the truck, the cruise didn't work so I checked the fuses, all were good. I pulled out each fuse one by one and swapped around some of the 15a fuses (cause the cruise has 15a). Then the same day, it tried to die when I was taking off from the drive-up bank, the same thing happened at the stop signs. It finally did die at a couple stop signs, but started right back up. Sometimes the CE light came on between stop lights while driving slowly. Now I never know if it is going to die or not when I slow down.

Today, I find that the alternator is showing to be charging a little high, it is on the "A" in "Normal", it was always right in the middle of the "M". And my starter didn't work today, just one loud "click" down near the passenger side front tire. Tried to jump it, still one loud click. When my husband got home from work, he tapped it with a wrench while I turned it over and it started, but it threw sparks out from the inside. Started it a few more times, still throwing sparks, going to have to replace that too.

 

How can I read the code myself? I read somwhere that you can do something with a paperclip and count how many times it flashes or something like that.

None of the mechanics in my area can get to it for at least a week and the local Oreilly Auto Parts wants to charge me $218 to borrow their code reader (re-fundable of course), but they wont hook it up because of their insurance liability.

 

The volt meter is a useless idiot light, so don't even bother to look at it.

To read the codes yourself you need to ground the obd connection and then start counting flashes. Pretty good writeup is here. http://fordfuelinjection.com/?p=13

Adrianspeeder

 

just curious, but when is the last time you changed you air and fuel filters? I know it sounds simple, but thier have bean a few times that a filter has caused one of my vehicals to stall.

 

I have only had the truck about 45 days so I am not sure when anything was changed. After my initial post, I took it in to a mechanic. He hooked up the diag. computer and it said that the fuel mixture was lean due to lack of heated o2 (I believe that was the diagnosis) it said something about "bank 1". The diag. computer said there were 2 o2 sensors, but there was really only one. The mechanic put in a new o2 sensor, cleaned the throttle body, replaced an air filter, changed the oil and greased everything.

The next day, I was driving it across a parking lot slowly, when I went to accelerate the check engine light came on, then went back off.

Took it back to mechanic, hooked up diag. machine, same code came up, but mechanic said "the new o2 sensor showed to be switching correctly and working well" he unplugged the positive battery cable for 10 minutes to "reset the computer to factory settings".

Then I took it home and put on new plugs, wires, cap and rotor. I also bought a fuel filter, but could not get the old one off, looks simple, but it won't come off. Going to have hubby take a crack at it as soon as he gets the time to crawl under it, maybe a little brute force will convince it to come loose.

After all the work stated above, it is no longer dying at stop signs, but still hesitates on occasion when taking off, maybe after we get that cranky fuel filter changed it will stop that, if not maybe it's something to do with the fuel pump? I haven't seen the light come on anymore though.

By the way, the cruise control was not working because of a fuse under the hood. I must have blown that with the horse trailer that had a short in the lights.

Thanks for your replys. I'll post results once we get the fuel filter changed.

 

Hahah, fuel filter. Five minute job with the little secret. In 91ish ford changed the style of connection from what you could to with a screwdriver to a barbed fitting requiring a fuel line tool.

They sell cheap plastic ring things like this, but others have had trouble with getting them to work.

http://www.mactools.com/ProductDetai...ItemNum=FL7361

I bit the bullet and bought this, as I can use it on more than one truck and I compulsivly change fuel filters.

http://www.mactools.com/ProductDetai...temNum=FLTS893

It takes about five minutes, so might be worthwhile to go to your shop with the filter and flash some cash right before lunch time.

Adrianspeeder

 

good post, I wish I new about that little tool when I first baught my truck, I spent 25min or so trying my *** off to get that damn thing out befor my buddy said "you know for less then 10 bucks thier is a tool for that" man, it was very easy once I got that little clip tool.