Hello Guys and Girls I am a new member to this site and the reason for me joining is because I just bought a 96 f150 with a 4.9 straight 6 and I am having problem with it.
When I first bought the truck it ran great for about 2 months and then out of nowhere it started to give me problems on the freeway and round town.

It started to stall on my way to work and if I waited for about 10 -15 min it would start up and work great for the rest of the day and it did that for about a week and then it started to take longer and longer between stalls to start until i got to the point were it would break down in the morning and I would start it for a while after work before it would die again.

Once I started to work on the truck I found out that I don't have spark. checked the Coil and determined that it has power on both connection but it is not getting a pulse to the coil. And reading forums from this page I was trying to figure out what the hell was going with it.

So right now I am stuck with a truck that only starts for a few seconds and then dies. I have replaced the Ignition Control module, Crank sensor, Coil and I just did the distributor thinking it was the pick up coil and I am still having the same problem. I am hoping that someone can help before I go crazy with this truck. Any advise in this ignition problem would be great

 

A 96 should have OBD-2 - have you scanned it for codes?

 

I did when i first started working on the truck, but once I started to change out all the different parts and finally ending with a new distributor I have gone back to check code but I will work on checking them this weekend. I will inform you guys with more info as soon as I scan the codes.

 

Ok so after leaving the battery disconnected during the weekend I went to check the codes on my truck on Sunday evening me and my friend went and started the truck. The truck started right up with no problem and in less than a min the truck died again. We had the scanner on it and it gave me two code. (P0385) and (P0320). I know that the P0385 is a crankshaft sensor that I have already replaced and I believe that the P0320 is a engine speed sensor or a pip, which I have also replaced the Distributor with a new PIP. I don't get it, why am i getting these codes if both parts are new. How so I check to the B circuit and all of these problems. I have taken off the wire harness twice, maybe I should take it off again and re-check the wire harness again maybe. I am running out of ideas here.

 

There is no separate crank position sensor (CKP) on a 96 4.9. The device which you are identifying as the CKP is most likely the misfire sensor (front of the engine, next to the damper pulley). Crank position is given by the profile ignition pickup (PIP) in the distributor. So both of your problems are related to the same device, the PIP.

There is no guarantee that the "new" part works, lots of defective stuff out there. There are diagnostic routines for testing the PIP. You need to get a service manual that includes them and run the tests

The sensor is only as good as the wiring. Continuity test all the relevant wires all the way back to the PCM.

 

Ok well I was going to remove the harness again and re check all the connection again and see if I missed something. Now that I know what area I should be looking I can pay more attention to those to connections. I will post more after the weekend and hopefully I find the problem soon. thanks for the advise.

 

In the past two weeks my battery has been dying out on me so I have been unplugging it from the truck to try to save the juice because and also thinking that if I unplug the battery I can help reset the truck EEC. well just about everyday I have been going outside after work plug in the battery and start the truck. The would start immediately and then die within the minute. And while I do this I have stopped touching connections and anything else. Except now yesterday I started the truck up like i usually do; plug the battery and start the truck except this time it stayed on longer than a min. it actually stayed on for about 15 min. Then today i drove back and forth in my drive way. The only thing I did different this time is that I left the battery unplugged for about 2 days because I left town for a funeral. I an really confused by this since I still have not touched any of the electrical. Could this be a sing that my EEC can be going out?

I wont hold my breath for to long I am going to try and drive my truck for a good 30 mile drive and see what happens, I might just get stranger again or make the entire trip and be confused again.

 

Ok well I drove it today for about 1 hour and it ran great with no problem. Then as I continued driving the truck started to buck like it was running out of gas but still continued running ok until it it just died again. As soon as it stalled I re checked the code and p0320 came up. We pulled it back to the house when I got back I went to start the truck and it fired right up. what gives..

 

Have you checked the spark plugs? 4.9s will really wear out plugs. Also, check the fuel pressure. Should be aroung 60 psi. Also, the 4.9 dirties up fuel injectors regularly. I just fixed a truck for a guy a few months ago with a 4.9 that was really running like crap, cutting off and all. Only thing I did was flushed the fuel injectors about 4 times. This was with a system that bypasses the fuel tank and runs a concentrated cleaner through the injectors.
Truck is still running great.

 

Well the plugs are new, I replaced them when I installed the distributor. I have not checked the fuel pressure, but will bad fuel pressure kill the spark for the engine. Well I will have to wait on checking the pressure in the fuel lines. I recently ordered a new computer to fins out of that help out my problem. once I get the new computer in and hopefully it starts up again I will start checking all the fuel components. Thanks for the advice.

 

ok so today i received a new or re-flashed ecu and now i am wondering what are the steps to install the ecu and starting the truck?

 

Plug it in and turn the key. Have you pulled the old one yet? Before installing that EEC, read this TSB:



BTW
The misfire sensor on the front of the engine is a CKP, so it's distinct from the PIP, which is more similar to a CMP.

 

Steve thanks for that info diagram, I will look into that that wire harness and see if the problem can be pinpointed.

 

Just so you know, CKP is the CranKshaft Position sensor. It is the same sensor that determines PIP, which is Profile Ignition Pickup. This sensor only tells the computer where #1 cylinder is on the crankshaft. The CMP is the CaMshaft Position sensor, which tells the computer where #1 cylinder firing sequence is according to the camshaft. These sensors work in tandem to tell the engine which cylinder is firing and when.

 

Just so you know, the '96 truck CKP is only used to detect misfires, as mandated by OBD-II standards implemented that year. It tells the EEC where every cylinder is on the crankshaft. It has nothing to do with ignition, injection, or anything else. Everything else is run off the PIP (just like '84-95 EFI trucks), which runs off the distributor shaft, which runs off the camshaft - which makes the PIP more like a CMP than a CKP.

The older (DuraSpark III) CKP was used for ignition, but that was in the early/mid-80s, and it didn't last. It's one of the worst (and thankfully RAREST) Ford truck ignition systems.