I have a 2002 4.6L and recently had the idle air control replaced and after getting it back, I had a new problem. When I step on the gas it sometimes jerks like it it slipping out of gear and then suddenly runs like it lost four cylinders. I was driving on the highway at about 60 and went to pass someone and the truck did the jerking thing and would not accelerate anymore. I could barely keep it going 50 so I pulled over, shut the truck off and turned it back on. After that it ran fine, but it has done that a couple times. Could this be a defective idle air control or is it likely something else?

 

How many miles on the spark plugs? What about the fuel filter?

 

X2 on the fuel filter..

 

Yep, fuel filter. I change mine every 9000 miles, but the book states every 15,000. At 9000 miles it's dirty as hell. Mine is anyway.

 

I juyst had the same issue and it was the spark plugs. If you check them and your boots I bet ya you'll find they need replacing. Well at least the plugs. I did however have to change one of the coil packs.

 

Thanks to all-I will try the plugs first and hopefully won't need coil packs.

 

oh yeah...is the fuel filter easy to get at or is it buried somewhere?

 

It's clipped to the driver's side frame rail under the truck. You need disconnect tools.

 

Like glc said drivers side frame rail and will neeed the tools, that are cheap. Also after changing it some times it will need to be reset if the truck doesn't start. There is a little red button behind the front passenger side kick panel. If you run into this prob just push this button in and it will reset and should be good to go. This happened to me last time I changed my fuel filter.