When I started my 00 f 150 4.6 this AM it started ran about 2 seconds and cut off. Tried again same. Gave it some gas when started the 3rd time and ran rough for 5-10 seconds then smoothed out...what would cause this????Like the old choke sticking days.

 

any codes.. check engine lights.? need more info

 

My 2000 5.4 is doing the same thing. I've got a friend who said his 2001 5.4 is doing it too. Not every time, but starting to do it more and more. No engine light. Not sure if it will pull a code. Yesterday afternoon it almost cut back off. this morning it would not keep running unless I held the gas and brake. By the time I got out of the driveway it was fine. It may go another week, or month or two before it does it again.

 

No lights no codes. No problems since....?????

 

Sounds like it might be time for plugs. Pretty typical cause for a cold start problems like that. Does it lope real hard for a moment when it starts, like it's got a really hot cam? Do you have to crank it for a second, then it feels like one cylinder fires, then pop.pop.....pop.....pop...pop.pop......vroooom? hehehe Couldn't think of a better way to describe that. LOL

Seen Bosch plugs and dirty MAF's cause this too.

 

my 98 4.6 did the same thing and then i traded it for the 05... it was real intermittent though. and i dont think it could have been plugs because i put new plugs wires and coils in like 10k miles ago in it

 

Things that have cured this problem for me on different ford vehicles...

1. Idle Air Control (IAC) valve

2. Intake Air Temperature (IAT) sensor

3. bad plugs




My money is on the IAC. From my experiences and what I've seen on this site and the ranger site I'm a member of, it's the IAC about 85% of the time.

 

I replace my IAC on all my vehicles at 5 years, or 50k whether they need it or not. They can be had for $50 and replacing them early saves headaches. I also replace my upstream 02's and plugs at 75k instead of 100. The intakes come off every 50k too and get cleaned along with the EGR ports and passages. EGR valve and DPFE are both replaced at 100k. Downstream 02's at 150k. At every oil change, I clean the MAF. Every third oil change the throttle body gets cleaned, the IAT gets cleaned (check to make sure it's pointing the right way, sometimes they will get turned sideways and not work as well) K&N's get cleaned and oiled (lightly oiled, that's the key, they should be dark pink, not blood red) and a new fuel filter and PCV. Tranny's and diff's are serviced at 30k. If you have it done, and you have a 4 wheel drive, they will tell you that you have 3 diffs to service (front, rear, transfer) but I have seen it, more than once (even with my own vehicles), where they fill the transfer case with 90w gear oil instead of ATF (transfer needs ATF). That causes all kinds of problems, especially if you have A4WD like with the 4x4 Navigators. Also, if you have limited slip, you need to add friction modifier. Lots of lube shops are too stupid to do it. So if you need it, make sure they now it. Sometimes they won't keep it on hand either, so you might want to bring your own. They say at the dealer, on the poster in the service area, that newer Lincolns should have the tranny and diff(s) serviced every 100k. BS! That's the dumbest thing I ever heard. On every Nav I've owned, the fluid's pretty nasty at 30k. I only replace plugs when cold starting gets a little more difficult (longer cranking times). That usually falls somewhere between 50k and 110k.

Also, and this is sort of a big thing, it's really common to get some ATF seepage around the entrance of the gear selector. What happens is that sometimes, the seepage will collect on the transmission range sensor and cause problems. Not saying that has anything to do with the OP's problem, but while I was laying out my maintenance plan, this came to mind so I thought I would throw it out there. Now, sometimes, this mud-encrusted ATF will, over time, work its way into the sensor. When the sensor is still somewhat working, but not 100%, you can have some very strange drive-ability problems. You can have it hunting gears, moving in and out of gear, problems shifting from 1st to 2nd, 2nd to 3rd or shuddering rapidly between gears. But, if the sensor fails completely, and this is the absolute WORST thing that can happen, you will be driving down the highway at 70-80mph, and it will all-of-a-sudden shift into 1st!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When the sensor fails, the computer shift into 1st and will not up-shift. One of two things happens at that point, either your drive tire(s) lock up (if you are going slow enough) and you will loose control just like someone yanked the e-brake. Or if you are really unlucky, your tire(s) won't lock up and you will grenade your engine and tranny. Now none of this is fun, but if you are in a 4x4, in 4H when it happens, you can loose every single part between your tires and air filter (KABLAM!!!!). This has happened to me twice! Once in a Windstar, and once in an F250 (THANK GOD IT WAS A GASSER AND NOT DIESEL). In the Windstart, I was doing about 60 when it shifted into 1st, the motor instantly red-lined but it did survive. In the F250, the motor red-lined and drug both back tires sending me into a ditch at 70mph. BOTH TIMES I was on an interstate and had to call for a tow. I was out of state, in the middle of nowhere. If it won't shift out of first, there's no way in hell you can drive on the interstate. Someone is going to come flying up your a$$ at 80mph and you're going to die. So I had to choke down a $200+ towing bill for a $49 sensor! My tranny man, who does all of my work and builds my race trannys said that probably half of the cars that he gets in that have been dealer diagnosed as needing a rebuild or new tranny had NOTHING wrong with them other than that bad sensor. A bad range sensor can cause all of the same symptoms as a failing tranny. So the dealer uses those same symptoms to soak you for a few grand EVEN THOUGH they KNOW that there's ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TRANNY ITSELF and it would be FIXED with for less than $120, LABOR INCLUDED!!!!!!!!!!!

My maintenance may seem to be a little more than nessesary. I mean, hey, I run Mobil one filters and 5w-20 or 5w-30 and change it every 5,000k or 4 months. I also use all sythetic lubes in the tranny and diffs. I even use synthetic grease! But 30 and 50 thousand dollar cars are expensive too. I just take care of them as best as I can.

 

My 4.6 did this when I first got it when I would start it up on a COOOLD morning. I'd have to give it gas to keep it running for like 20 seconds, and then it was fine. Ran a thing of fuel injector through it, and it hasn't done it in almost 2 years since I got it.

 

i totally agree with you and your thinking on vehicle maintance... some people have more money than common sense and act like .... well ill just buy another one... and then they are in the same boat they were in 20-50k miles later but in another car... just creates headaches for people who buy there trade-ins

Brandon,

 

I was going to guess it was your IAC , But I guess that one's taken lol

 

Well, we do pretty well financially. It wouldn't be any skin off my nose to go buy a Navigator or F350 or whatever once a year if I wanted to, but that's just not the way I was raised. I was raised to take care of and respect what I own, and make financial decisions with careful forethought and planning. I completely pay off every car or truck I buy, and then continue to drive them, paid for, for a couple more years. Sometimes I pay in cash, but usually I take a 36 month loan (NEVER more than 36 months) and put 25% down. It makes absolutely no sense to me to go out and buy a new >$50k vehicle and then treat it like total crap! I mean, WHY??? I, like a great deal of others on here, personalize my vehicles. They get new tires/wheels, audio systems (audio/video/game for the family vehicles, we have kids and take long trips), sometimes body or suspension work, performance enhancements, exhaust systems, etc. I am never the one driving around the exact same car as everybody else (gag). I usually do ALL of the work myself. So, just like most around here, my vehicles pick up a large part of "me". They are "mine" and everything in, on, and around them is "me" (and the wife but what can I say???). So I really don't want to sell them, trade them in, etc. I've got them the way I want them. They become our prized possessions. So I can't, in good conscience, abuse and/or neglect them. I give them as much care as I can. If they need something, they get it. If they are going to need something tomorrow, they get it today. When one of them need something, it just nags at me until it gets done. Whether it's just maintenance, or something else, it bugs me until I take care of it. But, you know what? In all my years of driving, I have never been stranded, ever, not once. I've had to call a tow because I was scared to drive at low speeds, and I've limped one home once or twice. But never, not one time, have I ever been stuck anywhere, ever.

Plus, I enjoy working on cars and that really helps. There's not a lot better than turning a wrench on a cool afternoon with my son. And there's always a nice sense of satisfaction when you are driving around and your car/truck needs NOTHING because everything is as perfect as it can be.

If you take care of your cars, they will take care of you. It's that simple. And the more love and attention they get, the more loyal and dependable they get. You get back what you put in.

 

Gary , Do the IAC , clean your MAF and Check PCV for vac pressure. Pull the throttle bodie and grab a set of pipe cleaners and go to town on it. 4.6's commomly foul the throttle body. At least SeaFoam . These are all basic and simple. It's 8 years old , so it probably needs it.

Good luck