EastVanDamager
New Member
(Sorry if this is long, just trying to give as much info as I can)
First off, some background info: Truck has about 260,000 KM on it. I've had it for a little over 2 years and about 30k. I think it had decent care taken of it before I got it (previous owner had a bunch of receipts) but I guess you can never really be sure. Took it to a mechanic a couple times when I first got it, try to change the oil (somewhat)regularly, runs pretty good. It has the tick, but not too bad, Basically, it's a 20+ year old truck.
Anyway, a couple weeks back the truck started hesitating/bogging a bit under load in the higher gears/at higher speeds. I'm used to this thing not having much power, so I didn't worry too much. I figured it was the fuel filter starting to clog. I changed the filter on Sept 3, and threw some STP injector cleaner in with my next fill-up (figured it couldn't hurt).
The bogging/hesitation didn't go away, in fact it seemed to get a bit worse. Again, it seemed to be higher gears, higher speeds and under load, but it started doing it more often and more easily. I think it was worse when the truck was warm, but that might be because I didn't really get on it too hard right after start-up. I thought maybe there was just more crud in my fuel system and hoped it might work its way through.
Then, I was driving it around this past Sunday doing some errands. It was fine until I was almost home and it started sputtering really badly and died a block form my place. It still fires up, but sputters for a few seconds and dies. Giving it gas doesn't really help either. I've been thinking 'fuel system' all along, so I assumed it was the fuel pump, but when I disconnected the fuel line at the filter (I tried disconnecting the line near the fuel rail, but my crappy plastic disconnect tool wouldn't separate the line, and yes, I definitely installed the new filter the right way) and cranked the engine, it spat a bunch of fuel out, so the pump seems unlikely, unless it's pumping but not giving enough pressure. Speaking of pressure, I should mention another thing: when I bled off the fuel pressure (the Shrader valve on the fuel rail, right?) to change the filter and again to check the pump, it didn't spit out much, if any fuel. After some of the reading I had done I was expecting to be blinded by gas, but nothing. Even when I disconnected to filter a second time without bleeding off any pressure, it spat out a bunch of gas but didn't seem to be under too much pressure. I may be reading too much into this last bit, but I want to give as much info as I can.
I did some looking around the forum and I'm starting to think it might be ignition. I'm thinking it could be my coil or module. I'm sure it's also time to change plugs, wires, etc. but that stuff shouldn't cause it to just die, right ?
I'm an ok wrench, but not the most knowledgeable at diagnosing, so I figured I'd ask on here before getting to deep into trying to find the problem (I seem to have a special talent for making simple jobs harder than they need to be). Any ideas? Fuel pressure, coil, module, sensor, other ?
Thanks muchly
First off, some background info: Truck has about 260,000 KM on it. I've had it for a little over 2 years and about 30k. I think it had decent care taken of it before I got it (previous owner had a bunch of receipts) but I guess you can never really be sure. Took it to a mechanic a couple times when I first got it, try to change the oil (somewhat)regularly, runs pretty good. It has the tick, but not too bad, Basically, it's a 20+ year old truck.
Anyway, a couple weeks back the truck started hesitating/bogging a bit under load in the higher gears/at higher speeds. I'm used to this thing not having much power, so I didn't worry too much. I figured it was the fuel filter starting to clog. I changed the filter on Sept 3, and threw some STP injector cleaner in with my next fill-up (figured it couldn't hurt).
The bogging/hesitation didn't go away, in fact it seemed to get a bit worse. Again, it seemed to be higher gears, higher speeds and under load, but it started doing it more often and more easily. I think it was worse when the truck was warm, but that might be because I didn't really get on it too hard right after start-up. I thought maybe there was just more crud in my fuel system and hoped it might work its way through.
Then, I was driving it around this past Sunday doing some errands. It was fine until I was almost home and it started sputtering really badly and died a block form my place. It still fires up, but sputters for a few seconds and dies. Giving it gas doesn't really help either. I've been thinking 'fuel system' all along, so I assumed it was the fuel pump, but when I disconnected the fuel line at the filter (I tried disconnecting the line near the fuel rail, but my crappy plastic disconnect tool wouldn't separate the line, and yes, I definitely installed the new filter the right way) and cranked the engine, it spat a bunch of fuel out, so the pump seems unlikely, unless it's pumping but not giving enough pressure. Speaking of pressure, I should mention another thing: when I bled off the fuel pressure (the Shrader valve on the fuel rail, right?) to change the filter and again to check the pump, it didn't spit out much, if any fuel. After some of the reading I had done I was expecting to be blinded by gas, but nothing. Even when I disconnected to filter a second time without bleeding off any pressure, it spat out a bunch of gas but didn't seem to be under too much pressure. I may be reading too much into this last bit, but I want to give as much info as I can.
I did some looking around the forum and I'm starting to think it might be ignition. I'm thinking it could be my coil or module. I'm sure it's also time to change plugs, wires, etc. but that stuff shouldn't cause it to just die, right ?
I'm an ok wrench, but not the most knowledgeable at diagnosing, so I figured I'd ask on here before getting to deep into trying to find the problem (I seem to have a special talent for making simple jobs harder than they need to be). Any ideas? Fuel pressure, coil, module, sensor, other ?
Thanks muchly