Hey guys, im stuck on this. Out of no where im driving my truck, and it begins to shake and shutter violently. Not far from my house thank god. As i pulled into my drive way i could smell rotten eggs from the tail pipe. Noticed black crap spraying or blowing out of tail pipe. And i know for a fact it was misfiring. So i cut the exhaust thinking clogged catalytic converter. And i checked spark plugs they needed a change so i replaced them as well. Got back in my truck and went to start it back up to see how itd run. Boom. Wont start. Cranks and cranks but will not pop off. I know i hear the fuel pump cluck on when i turn the key and the fuel filter is brand new. The enersa switch didnt set off, i checked. Im seriously lost. And i dont know where else to look. Has anyone had this happen to them? The e e.c.relay powers the fuel pump and injectors. Could that possibly be it?

 

You need to treat this as a no start condition, then work from your findings.

Check fuel pressure, fuel injector reference pulse with a noid light, check for spark at each cylinder and check for compression at each cylinder.

Once you know what your truck does not have we can help.

 

[QUOTE=EaOutlaw;2123001]You need to treat this as a no start condition, then work from your findings.

Check fuel pressure, fuel injector reference pulse with a noid light, check for spark at each cylinder and check for compression at each cylinder.

I checked compression on all 6 cylinders i have 160-170 psi on every one. And i know i have spark. Ill check fuel pressure and injectors and get back to you.

 

Welcome to the forum

Just spray some gasoline or Quick Start into the intake and see if it starts, if it starts and dies then you have a fuel or fuel delivery issue.
If it doesn't start then it is spark or electrical issue
50/50 test, always the first thing to do with a no start


From your description, "short way from my house", it could be you got some "bad gas" at last fill up, when was that?

Bad gas is gasoline with too much water in it, all gasoline will have water in it, but not much.
Gasoline is lighter than water and will not "mix" with water.

If you get some bad gas you won't notice it until vehicle sits for awhile.
When driving the gas in the tank sloshes around so the water is not concentrated.
When parked the water will settle to the bottom of the tank, because it is heavier than gasoline.
And where is the Fuel pickup for the fuel pump?
At the bottom of the tank
So your fuel system starts pulling in mostly water at start up and you will notice that after a short drive, with very bad misfires.
And a no start until water is cleared.

HEET or other product containing methanol can bond with the water in the tank, making it less troublesome.
But just to check you may want to siphone some gas from the bottom of the tank into a glass jar, let it sit for a few hours and you can see how much water might be in the tank, yes to see


And there is always the chance of someone putting something into your tank, **** anyone off lately?

 

Ok guys. Magically it started, i unplugged the eec relay and the fuel pump relay, then plugged them back in after i had just switched the ignition on. I went to start it and it fired right up.

I feel like a weight has lifted only thing is the engine light is on and it still runs really crappy. Misfiring i hope. Took it around my yard and its still shaking and shuttering.

Because my exhaust has been cut its really loud and has 0 back pressure now. Idk if that could be an issue now. I have a welder and i plan on welding the pipe back on as soon as i can. Tomorrow for sure i have to take it somewhere to read the codes the ecu is throwing. Nobody around here loans or rents their readers out anymore.

But over all the same thing that started to happen in the beginning is still happening. Misfire, shaking and shuttering, etc. It just starts up now.

 

Ok small update. I syphoned some gas. Not sure if it was at the bottom of the tank or not. But i am waiting on it to settle then tell you if theres any water in it.
Anyways i started it again and popped the hood. I was hearing a tick in the engine bay. Anyways i cant remember what the number of the cylinder it is but lets say youre looking at the motor and on the drivers side the cylider thats closest to the radiator. (Front of the engine) i took the plug wire off and nothing changed. As in the idle. Thats where the ticking is coming from and probably the misfire. I dont have a volt meter but maybe that injector is bad?
The spark plug is sparking but i dont think im getting any fuel...

 

Back pressure is a myth, NO 4-Stroke engine can tolerate even a little back pressure, cuts power


Ford numbers
Passenger side 1, 2, 3
Drivers side 4, 5, 6

Run some HEET and Seafoam injector cleaner in the gas tank

Ford injectors do make a ticking sound, can be quite loud

You can test injectors with an OHM meter, 11-17ohms

loose spark plug wire also makes a ticking sound

 

Ok. That sounds great. Thank you by the way, you guys have seriously helped me in a long run on what to look for. I hope this all works.

 

Just a heads up on spark plugs and the 4.0l OHV engine.
Mine "eats" them, they all do, lol, Motorcraft or Autolite last the longest

Never use Single Platinum or Iridium
Use regular copper or Double Platinum
Ford used a Waste Spark system, so Single platinum will wear out on one side of the engine the same as Regular copper, so waste of money

Check local Ford Dealers, they often run sales on spark plugs and wires, Motorcraft brand, and at cheaper prices than discount brands at local parts stores.
You can get on their email list, if you want, I am for mine, as expensive as Dealer pricing is they DO run some GOOD sales

 

Damn. I just bought ngk plugs for it not long ago. Bummer, atleast they are not terribly expensive.

Quick question if i put sea foam in my truck a while back about a month or 2 before it broke down. I probably shouldnt put anymore in it anytime soon right? Im pretty sure its that number 4 cylinder injector.

 

Won't hurt anything to add more, I put in a can once a year on all my EFI vehicles.
But no, probably won't "fix" the issue.

If possible test compression on the whole engine, all spark plugs removed then test each cylinder and WRITE it down.
Compression is a mechanical system test, so can't be intermittent like spark or fuel, black and white no grey area, lol.
Once you take that off the table then you can look at spark and fuel for cause of misfire.
If #4 has low compression then you won't be wasting time and money on a spark or fuel issue that will never fix the problem of low compression