Well it happen again after driving for a bit and I stopped at the store to pick up a game for my boy. My truck would not start up, it would turn over and putter a bit and die. After about two hours it started right up with no problem. What do you think it can be? I need help with this problem it happen about a mouth ago too. Any tips or advice would be helpful. 2000 4.6 V8 Auto

 

Will your motor turn over at all? Does it do anything unusual before doing this? Are there any other symptoms? At work we have an old Ford E~350 that will actually seize up sometimes in this manner. Of course it is a twenty year old vehicle with a million miles on it so that's probably not the best comparison but I think you see the point.... without knowing a little more it's going to be kinda hard to diagnose the problem without being there. It could be something as simple as a solenoid and/or starter or something as deep and complex as your motor seizing, however, with a 2000 that shouldn't be the case.

 

It sounds like it my be an Idle Air Control valve(IAC). When it does this give it a little gas to see if you can keep it running if it does it's the IAC. If not check for vacum leaks pay close attention to the PVC tube at the rubber lines, they run under the throttle body so check them really close, if they are soft replace them. If they are bad disconnet the batt. when you replace the tube to reset the PCM because you're fuel trims are why high. Good luck shouldn't be a big deal.

 

Have you tried anything yet?

I would start with the IAC. Thats a pretty simple task and a good place to start anyway.

You might also take a look at the plugs. The truck I drive at work ('97 with the V6) had a similar problem. Sometimes I would turn the key and it would kind of start, but it would run really rough then sputter and die. Unlike your case it would start right back up. I put new plugs in it on Friday and it starts up much smoother now. The plugs were worn big time, the gap was probably almost 3x that of the new ones we put in.