Here we go again!

[cbxer55]

Is your truck flex fuel? If it is, and you have access to e85, it's the best fuel system cleaner going for the money. If you decide to try it, just make sure that you phase it in slowly with partial mixes first. Going directly to 100% e85 can loosen up sludge in the fuel system too quickly that breaks loose and clogs injectors.

It's a 98, not sure there were flex fuel vehicles in 98. In any event, the fuel system cleaner I use is a combination of methanol, MEK, acetone and toluene. Pretty potent stuff, but it's only 15 ounces at a time. Been using it every couple tankfuls since forever, cause this truck has always had this problem in one shape or form. Sometimes bad, sometimes not.

My sister had no problems with it, from 2010 to late 2013. I had no problems with it from then until January, two weeks after putting in a new pump and filter.

I'm definitely going to remove the upper intake and get the injectors cleaned sometime this year. Maybe new ones, but at around $90.00 apiece, I'll try cleaning first.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I was talking with my one mechanic friend yesterday, he said he can replace the fuel filter and check the pressure, but not until Sunday at the earliest.


Sent from my kite using a trebuchet

 

[cbxer55]

I was talking with my one mechanic friend yesterday, he said he can replace the fuel filter and check the pressure, but not until Sunday at the earliest.


Sent from my kite using a trebuchet

Myself, I have a fuel pressure gauge in my garage. Got it from Auto Zone, not expensive. Really easy to do. Remove the cap off the schrade fitting on the passenger side front of the intake, near the PCV hose at the oil filler neck. Screw the adaptor onto that fitting. Screw the hose onto the adaptor. Start the truck and observe the reading.

I wouldn't wait for a friend if you can do it yourself. Auto Zone also has the tools required to remove the hoses off the fuel filter, there not pricey either.

Because the symptoms you describe sound like a fuel pump getting hot and the pressure falling off due to that.

Changing the pump doesn't have to be bad. Jack the truck up and put it on stands. Remove the tires. Remove the screws holding the fuel filler neck to the bed. Remove the bubs and connectors from all the lights. Remove the bolts holding the bed down. Slide the bed back a few feet. Change the pump, then re-assemble everything. Beats dropping the tank, especially if there is a lot of fuel in it. ;-)

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I could probably get a fuel pressure gauge and check that myself easy enough.

I can't change the filter or fuel pump right now though. It's not for lack of tools or experience there, it's more related to the fact that I had hip surgery back in December, lol.


Sent from my kite using a trebuchet

 

[cbxer55]

That would tell you in a heartbeat if the fuel pump is the culprit. Sounds like it to me. This way you can either fix it, or move on to the next thing to check.

Bet it's the fuel pump though.

 

[cbxer55]

Well, since my original problem refuses to go away, I am trying something different in order to avoid using that strong injector cleaner too much. Last weekend on Sunday evening, topped off the tank from the halfway point using 89 octane with 5% ethanol. From that point on it's started every time reliably. The first day, it started, but not on all cylinders. It was hitting on all six within 15 seconds. Since then haven't had another problem.

It pings lightly on 89, so I am trying a different tactic. Bought five gallons of E85 on Thursday. Topped off the tank from the half point using 91 octane Shell V-power, then added a half gallon of E85 to that. PERFECTION. Starts every time, cold or hot and no longer pings. Doesn't set the lean codes either, computer is clean. No codes and all monitors in the READY mode.

This will work until the end of Spring. I need the vehicle for the rain and hail season. During the summer, if I have to, I'll pull the upper intake, pull the injectors and get them cleaned.

That being said, I do not mind at all keeping some E85 on hand, keeping half a gallon under the bed cover, and using that to keep things going. Not a problem at all. There is a station a short distance from me that has E85 at the pump. At least I know what works now, and for sure what the problem is.

Just don't understand how injectors get t his way. Gasoline is a powerful solvent, I use it to clean things that nothing else will. How the heck do injectors get all gunked up like this??

OT: A friend has a Lightning which is tuned to run nothing but E85. Great running truck. Another friend has a Lightning tuned for E100. Also a great running truck. If I get as far as removing the injectors, I may look into larger injectors so I can tune it to run straight E85. It's just about the cheapest fuel available. 93 octane is $3.25. 91 octane is $2.89. E85 is $1.89.

 

[stmitch]

Again, if your truck is flex fuel, it's already capable of running 100% e85.

If the 8th digit of the VIN is a "V", then you have a flex fuel setup. If the 8th digit is a "U", then you don't have flex fuel capabilities.

 

[cbxer55]

Again, if your truck is flex fuel, it's already capable of running 100% e85.

If the 8th digit of the VIN is a "V", then you have a flex fuel setup. If the 8th digit is a "U", then you don't have flex fuel capabilities.

The 8th digit is a U so it's not Flex Fuel. It's a California vehicle, and I don't recall reading or hearing much about Flex Fuel vehicles in CA at the time I bought the truck, 2001. I don't recall there were even that many stations selling corn fuel back in them days in CA. Even when I moved to Oklahoma in 2002, it was rare, there were no stations selling E85 at that time in OK. In 2010 there was a total of two stations selling it in the Oklahoma City area.

Anyhow, it's pretty common now. There are a couple big stations in the Midwest City area that sell it, along with LNG. I hate driving past them, that LNG stinks to high heaven.

In any event, a gallon of E85 is 108 ounces alcohol and 20 ounces gasoline. In a 15 gallon tank it is just a hair over 5%. It shouldn't hurt anything at that low a percentage. My sister drove the thing from January 2010 to September 2013. I had these same starting problems before she took it (Nov./Dec. 2009), She had none of them. She used E10 the entire time she had it, and it didn't hurt anything. So I am not concerned about it.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Almost forgot you mentioned about it not wanting to crank in park. My dads 99 Ranger was doing that once in awhile and the shifter felt a little sloppy to me. I finally did some investigating and it turns out that the shifter linkage has a tendency to come loose. If you get up under the dash, it's above the brake pedal linkage. There's two T-30 torx bolts that come loose. I had the dash apart, so I just reached in from the front and did it by feel. Fixed the excess slop and now it starts fine in park.


Sent from my kite using a trebuchet

 

[cbxer55]

Almost forgot you mentioned about it not wanting to crank in park. My dads 99 Ranger was doing that once in awhile and the shifter felt a little sloppy to me. I finally did some investigating and it turns out that the shifter linkage has a tendency to come loose. If you get up under the dash, it's above the brake pedal linkage. There's two T-30 torx bolts that come loose. I had the dash apart, so I just reached in from the front and did it by feel. Fixed the excess slop and now it starts fine in park.


Sent from my kite using a trebuchet

Yes, my shifter is a bit on the sloppy side. I was reading on the LightningRodder forum that Lightning's have the same problem, and it's fixed the same way.

Amazing!!!

Oh, when mine won't start in park, I just shift it into neutral and it fires right up. ;-)

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

In dad's Ranger we just lifted up on the shifter to put it more towards park and it would start, but that's kinda awkward. From what I read on it, pretty much all Ford auto trans trucks over a wide range of years are affected by this problem. I didn't pull any bolts out, but I have a suspicion that there is no factory locktite on the bolts. The little lever for adjusting the steering wheel gets yellow locktite though, go figure.


Sent from my kite using a trebuchet

 

[cbxer55]

I've got to do some reaching around under the dash soon anyways, my fuel gauge bulb recently burned out. The light from the temperature gauge lights it sufficiently, but I want it back. While I'm feeling around up there, I'll see if I can figure out which bolts it is that need tightening.

Also one of the climate control bulbs is burned out. Not sure how easy or difficult that one will be to replace.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Not sure about the climate control bulbs, haven't had to deal with them yet.

Gauge lights, you have to rip the dash apart to get to them. Remove the two bolts for the radio/climate control bezel and pull that partway out. Remove the two bolts for the panel under the steering wheel, then two more bolts that hold the hood release, then you can pop the lower panel free, it has two clips at the top so you kinda try to pull the whole panel straight back. Loosen the 5 bolts that hold the metal panel under that (or remove them completely to give you more access to the shifter). Now there are two bolts on the bottom of the upper panel and three above the gauges. Then you can pop the upper panel free. To get the upper panel out, tilt the steering column all the way down and put the trans shifter in first, then you can wiggle it out. Tilt it out the drivers door and unplug the switches. Now, best way I've found is to pull the torx screws holding the outer cover on the gauge cluster and remove that. It might be easier to remove he 4 bolts that hold the cluster in first (I've done it both ways). Now you can pull the cluster out some and tilt it enough to get at the bulbs. Since it's a pain, I try to replace all of the bulbs at once. It's usually the black housings, twist to free them and they take 194 bulbs.

I'm probably going to tear my dash back apart soon, I'll try to get some pics and video. I replaced all the bulbs in mine, but one was defective out of the package, so I have to do it again.


Sent from my kite using a trebuchet

 

[cbxer55]

The Hayne's manual I have says you should just be able to reach up from the underside to replace most of the gauge bulbs. Maybe that isn't the case, but I'm going to check it out. Hate to tear the dash apart, horrible job.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Haynes is wrong. After having it apart, I don't see any possible way to reach up and do it. I'll have to get some pictures soon


Sent from my kite using a trebuchet