Intermittent rough running truck?

[Got Smoke?]

A friend of mine has a 97 F350 5spd CC DRW bone stock except for a straight exhaust that I'm looking to purchase for a VERY good price.

It started having an intermittent missing issue a few months ago and he has just let the truck sit since. Truck would fine for days or weeks on end, and then suddenly one day without warning the truck would start to cut out/miss and run like total crap.

After speaking to a couple of Ford savy friends initial suspect's are the CPS & IDM. CPS is cheap enough to replace just in case and see if it fixes the problem, the IDM however is not.

Valve covers have also been removed and the pass through harness for the injectors is intact and not melted.

Anywhere else one might check before hand? Going to try and get the valve covers back on in the next few days and see if it runs decent or not.



Sent from the command position of my dinosaur.

 

[ghohouston]

Check the truck for codes, generally, you cant just guess your way around a powerstroke

 

[Got Smoke?]

Check the truck for codes, generally, you cant just guess your way around a powerstroke

I'm extremely green to Fords, is there a key on off method... or will a generic inexpensive code reader work? Or is a more extensive high dollar scan tool needed?


Sent from the command position of my dinosaur.

 

[ghohouston]

Most generic code readers wont work. See if there is anyone near you that can scan it, or last option would be get ford to scan it onl I sugges doing all your own work. 7.3's are really easy to work on

 

[ghohouston]

Hell where are you located?

 

[ghohouston]

And you actually have to check resistance in the under valve cover harness, they dont always just melt

 

[Got Smoke?]

Most generic code readers wont work. See if there is anyone near you that can scan it, or last option would be get ford to scan it onl I sugges doing all your own work. 7.3's are really easy to work on

Don't mind working on it just have some friends who know these trucks better than me. I've been a Dodge man most of my life, I rebuilt the 5.9 in my 97.

Hell where are you located?

Middle Tennessee

And you actually have to check resistance in the under valve cover harness, they dont always just melt

What are the voltage spec's and I will check it out.

Thank you!

 

[ghohouston]

Iirc, a higher resistance than 3.5 ohms means a harness is bad. Anything less is good

 

[Rideracelivemx7]

Does it run like Crap coincidentally when I rains out?

 

[ghohouston]

^ good point, IF it only occurs when wet, its probably cps related, or idm related. The idm's have a reputation to get water inside them, you would have at least a p1316 code if its u.v.c.h.'s or idm

 

[always-strokin]

+1 for UVCH. Ohm it out.

If that doesn't work, pay $100 to the local dealership or buddy for to have the codes read.

 

[Got Smoke?]

Iirc, a higher resistance than 3.5 ohms means a harness is bad. Anything less is good

Thank you.

Does it run like Crap coincidentally when I rains out?

No the day he originally called me it was a nice clear day no rain.

^ good point, IF it only occurs when wet, its probably cps related, or idm related. The idm's have a reputation to get water inside them, you would have at least a p1316 code if its u.v.c.h.'s or idm

I pulled the IDM out this afternoon and shook it trying to see if it sounded full of water. Nothing that I could tell.

+1 for UVCH. Ohm it out.

If that doesn't work, pay $100 to the local dealership or buddy for to have the codes read.

I didn't have an Ohm meter with me today, but we put the valve covers back on this afternoon and have the batteries on chargers and are hoping it will start up tomorrow.

I have plans to take it to a local friend who's an excellent Ford mechanic for a thorough inspection. Even called my local Ford dealer today and priced a CPS only $26.:rockon:

Thank you all for advice I appreciate your help, I did try some searching prior to posting and found most stuff was contributed to IDM/CPS. I just wanted to make sure there wasn't anywhere else I needed to look.

 

[always-strokin]

The cps are a dime a dozen. I bet that isn't it though.

 

[Got Smoke?]

Starting to think this Ford doesn't want me to be its owner. Got the valve covers back on yesterday, and the batteries were dead. My buddy charged them over night and it started for him today and still ran like **** coughing missing little white smoke out the tailpipe. When I got there the it didn't want to start, after 5-6 attempts I held the starter a little longer. It started but sounded like crap so I cut it off not knowing he had ran it earlier. Apparently the starter solenoid checked out on that attempt because it wouldn't do anything afterwards. I have the starter with me I'm going to drop off at the local rebuilder.


Sent from the command position of my dinosaur.

 

[ghohouston]

dont let it discourage you man, these trucks are just tempermental sometimes. hell, within 2 months i think, i replaced my tranny, starter, steering column shifter tube, both batteries, all 8 glow plugs, and the ipr and pigtail, then after all that, blew a trans line going down the freeway, and basically fried it

 

[Got Smoke?]

dont let it discourage you man, these trucks are just tempermental sometimes. hell, within 2 months i think, i replaced my tranny, starter, steering column shifter tube, both batteries, all 8 glow plugs, and the ipr and pigtail, then after all that, blew a trans line going down the freeway, and basically fried it

I'm tempted to throw a CPS on it just because its only $26 at my local dealer, but seems I'm starting to hear of more IDM issue's than CPS.

Going to call that Ford friend I want to carry it to tomorrow and see if he has a spare IDM laying around he just might.

I have the starter to take by the local rebuilder, but I got off extremely late today.

 

[always-strokin]

Instead of tossing in parts, scan it. It takes 2minutes and we'll be able to tell you exactly whats going on with the truck.

 

[Got Smoke?]

Instead of tossing in parts, scan it. It takes 2minutes and we'll be able to tell you exactly whats going on with the truck.

Agreed but was at a loss of how to get it to someone with a scan tool, then fate slapped me in the face today.LOL Another friend called me about something totally different, and I asked if he had a spare IDM I could use for testing purposes.

We got to talking and come to find out he has a nice Snap On scan tool. He's bringing it, a spare IDM, and a spare starter to see if we can get it straightened out tomorrow!

 

[old man dave]

You should put your doubtful IDM into a good running truck. If you truck has problems then you run the risk of damaging the good IDM trying to use it in your truck. IDMs generally shut down a complete bank of cylinders at a time or not run at all.

A quick check of the CPS is to watch the tach for movement, if the tach moves then generally the CPS has output. No output, no tach movement.

 

[always-strokin]

Agreed but was at a loss of how to get it to someone with a scan tool, then fate slapped me in the face today.LOL Another friend called me about something totally different, and I asked if he had a spare IDM I could use for testing purposes.

We got to talking and come to find out he has a nice Snap On scan tool. He's bringing it, a spare IDM, and a spare starter to see if we can get it straightened out tomorrow!

Hell ya:thumbsup:

Keep us posted man, hope you get this thing going.