Happy Turkey Day, everyone!

I've also posted this under "General Discussions". I have to take my truck in for some warranty work. If you look at my signature you will see my mods. I have already removed the Super Chip to trouble shoot the problem, which still continues. Anyone had any experience with these types of mods (air system or exhaust) voiding their warranty? Should I reinstall my factory air intake/filter system before taking my truck to the dealer? Will I be paying through the nose to get my repairs done?

What's the problem? Glad you asked! The engine stalls. I start it up and it won't idle. I drive with both feet so it won't stall when I stop for traffic or when doing slow truns in parking lots. Some times it runs normally after I've driven 5-8 miles. I went to Chicago last weekend...it started and ran fine every time all weekend...until Sunday morning when we were leaving. We went 18 miles, driving with two feet...and stopped for gas...it started and ran fine the rest of the way to Cincinnati (we stopped a few time along the way, too!) The other day it was acting up... I drove about 15 miles on the interstate, got off, and when I stopped at the light at the end of the ramp...it died. Sometimes it'll start right up and run fine until I shut it down. It first happened back in August...one time, drove home (12 miles) with both feet. Then it never happened again until the end of Sept. It has slowly gotten worse...to about half the time I start it, it acts up. It's intermittiant. (sp) Sound like a warranty issue to you? I couldn't have taken it in any sooner because it might not act up when they started it. Funny how that works, you take it in and they say..."nope, couldn't find nuthin' wrong, she runs just fine..." Oh, did I mention the mileage: 48,000. It gets 13 to 16 miles to the gallon.

I removed my Super Chip. Didn't help. Switched gas stations...nope! Tried different octanes...nada. Tried full tank...then low tank. Cold weather-warm weather...makes no difference. I only get a "Check Engine" light when it dies. When the engine is running I don't get the "Check Engine" light . A buddy of mine is going to loan me his engine code scanner gizmo which checks all the systems and a light blinks out the problem codes.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

 

No, theroretically those mods won't void your warrenty but the dealer WILL try to void it and you will have to fight with them. So it probably would make life easier if you took them off first, especially if you are having these kind of engine problems.

These kinds of questions have been gone over many times, do a forum search and read about everyone else's dealership experiances.

-Jon

 

I can reinstall the air intake/filter system but not the S.S. exhaust system. It's tack welded on and the stock system is long gone.

Thanks!

 

I would check your FIPK for loose connections or vacuum leaks. Also, did you reset the computer after you took out the chip?

 

Hi Camper Dan & Happy Turkey day to all!

Good replies here...

Its been my experience with Ford dealers for many yrs...its always a crap shoot when you go in....dosent seem to matter if your in or out of warranty....of course, thats another story.

IMO....leave chip out.....put the stock "air filter" & parts back on. If you dont have a filter, go get one, yeah i know...but

My 99SC underwarranty, they didnt say anything about the cat-back system... They were reading the code that was thrown( thru
OBDII)....bad shifting....

Its my understanding if chip is in.. When scanned thru OBDII..shows code indicating something wrong with PCM...so just makes life easier if its not in...

Like Jup said...do that pcm drain....disconnect battery..turn headlights on 5 min..turn lights off..reconnect battery...

Wierd how that PCM works...Someone hear posted about new spark plug install...didnt run right after etc...someone suggested "brain drain" sure enough that corrected his problem. Wierd....

Just some thoughts.... Good luck...OT

 

Have you re-oiled your air filter? if so maybe you put to much oil on it and now your Mass air flow has residue on it form the excess oil and needs to be cleaned or replaced.
Hope this helps.


Bones.

 

yeah take your chip out and drive the vehicle for awhile so that if the problem does set a code it will actually be there for the tech to find, also chips make diagnoisis a pain as the wds gets inacturate pid readings for example some chips show the power stroke is reaching 9000rpm before it shifts and how about 30 diffent codes and the fact that sometime the wds wont even communicate with the pcm and the tech has to revert back to an ngs and it still has a hard time. Alot of people here are hard on dealership techs but if you have to spend your time fiddling with false codes and inacurate pcm readings you would understand why trucks dont always get fixed the first time. by the way if it wont idle right probably a iac but take in in with no chip so they can atleast have decent datta to look at the maf and fuel trims, and your after market intake system could be also blamed aswell for the fact the iac has a seperate tube that runs to it so its best to change back to the factory one when u take it in. the exhaust shouldn't be a problem but that all depends on the place u take it too, be nice and dont b!tch if they dont get your truck in the first second u walk in the door and things should be fine, some people belive the more they yell the better it will be --- not

 

I'd check the IAC before you do anything else. The next time it won't start, whack the IAC with a wrench, hammer, etc. (not too hard, you don't want to punch a hole in it). If it starts after that then you know it's the IAC. $60 bucks at the local dealer if you do it yourself.

 

UPDATE!

First off I'd like to thank everyone for their helpful comments.

This is what I have done so far to help remedy the stalling problem. I removed the "Super Chip" (about 4 weeks ago...no change/improvement). Last Friday I...purchased an OBD-II code scanner (and found no problem codes---tried it on the wife's car and got a "Lean Mixture" code, so I know it works)...removed the K&N Generation II FIPK... cleaned the MAF sensor... cleaned the IAT sensor...removed and cleaned the throttle body (used STP throttle body cleaner)... removed and cleaned the IAC valve...reinstalled the stock air filter system (but the only clean air filter I had was a new K&N air filter I tried out before I bought and installed their FIPK)... and while I was doing all this I had the battery disconnected and the lights on (doing the "brain drain" thing)!

I am re-educating the onboard 'puter, now. Engine still stalls and I have to drive two footed. It appears to be acting differently since I performed the above. I may try to repeat the work I did on the IAC valve. I sprayed some STP throttle body cleaner in it. There was this dark oily film in throttle body and IAC valve. What is safe to clean IAC with?

Thanks again!

 

Clean it with Carburator Cleaner, find one that will not damage O2 sensors.....

 

Why are you doing all of this work??? Remove your mods, reset the computer and then take it to the dealer for repair under warranty.

You paid for the warrranty in the purchase price of your truck, so use it.

 

Agreed. You have the warranty, let them do the work. The mods you have done shouldn't be the cause of your problem.

You have to watch some of these shops. My brother had a problem with his Ranger and took it in. They told him the problem was his drop in K&N getting oil on the MAF. He then asked them how they determined that without checking for codes. When they checked the codes, it had NOTHING to do with the MAF.

 

I had a dealer tech gripe me out for painting my brake calipers Some of them are a little puritanical in their thinking. If your concerned about them saying something, then change out the intake for the stocker. I also agree with the other guys. It's your warranty, use it,,,,98

 

Why not use my warranty, you ask? Why do all this work my self?

Well, #1 is my lack of confidence in the dealership's ability to remedy problem...based on their performance on past warranty problems. They try and have spent time on past problems and not charged me...but they are batting about .200. I had my truck in about 4-5 X's for excessive chassis squeaks (driving through a campground and parking lots at 5 mph everybody stopped to look at the noisy, squeaking F-150...no it wasn't a washboard type surface...we wittnessed other F-150's/vehicles drive over the same surfaces without the noise)...never did fix it. It finally wore in. Bad odor from A/C 6X's...had to go to another dealer much further away to get it fixed (in one trip). They did some body work (transportation damage) and left a mess in the cab. The only thing that has gone right is when they said they replaced all the wheel lugs (recall work). I haven't lost a wheel yet! Since I do mechanical repairs for a living...I can sympathize with how things like this can happen...but it hasn't helped me any. We all just schrugged our shoulders. I just have not had very good experiences with my dealership.

Reason #2 is this stalling problem is still intermittent. If I could know exactly which day it was NOT going to run right...well you know I'd have it at the dealer, then. I also needed your all's feedback, not only on the stalling problem, but about what to do about the Mods/Warranty issue.

Reason #3 is if I can fix it myself with a $4.00 can of cleaner and an hour or so of my time...I'm ahead of the game. Also, my being a machinist/mechanic helps in my tinkering around with it. It took me about an hour and a half to do all the work I mentioned. It costs me about $30 dollars in lost wages every time I have to take the truck in for warranty work. Also, the truck usually behaves after it has been warmed up...so when I have to drop it off in the morning it would be running fine...then again it might not act up for them if I dropped it off the night before, either. Right now...chances are better for it NOT ACTING UP for them while they have it. I have neither gotten a "Check Engine" light...nor has my OBD-II scanner shown me a problem code.

I am basically waiting for the problem to get worse...where it runs bad...like about 75-80% of the time...instead of about 25-30% of the time. That way they will at least have a problem to see/hear when I drop off the truck. Then, hopefully, I won't have to take it back 3 or 4 or however many times.

The truck is running a little better now and I replaced the K&N air filter with a Fram air filter (did the "brain drain" again, too). I'm still going to have to wait and see...when this gets bad enough/often enough to take in to the dealer .

Thanks, again, for all the comments...yes...all of them !
Kind of makes me feel at home.

Dan

 

I've replaced IACs on a 91 Z28 and my 97 Ford xlt/4.6. Sometimes, if not most of the time, cleaning them doesn't work--yes, it's worth a try because they are so easy to remove but I finally had to go the dealer and buy an IAC--that fixed my 'idle surge/die' problem.

Dan