New help from New Edge Guys!!!

[zeus201]

Long read:

Went to a Omaha, NE for a big cruise / get togther. On the way there two things occured which I didn't think about "too" much. The car ran great other than than during the cruise on the interstate & roads through the Loess Hills.

Where it all went bad was on the way back to central Iowa. We were going down a hill when I just let the car started sputtering. I then tried easing into the gas and it started cutting out again. Then the car lost power for second or two then came back running horrible. Then completely shut off and started coasting.

I pulled over thinking I may have gotten a tank of bad gas or even worse. I checked the oil level and it was good. We looked for anything that may have been loosened up. We started it up and it didn't sound like anything mechincal. We then decided to merged back onto the interstate and when going over the rumble strips the car would just lose all power then come back on.

Thats when we figured out whenever I went over bumps in the road the car would lose power, loaded up the motor with fuel, then come back on running really rich. So for the next 120+ miles back, we'd pull over every 10 minutes because it seemed to run better with a little cool down. Those two things I noticed on the way there finally made sense because I went over some bumps.

Two oddities too...during one of the 10 minute drives, the cars compeltely shut down and then came back on with all the lights on the dash turning on. The theft light kept flashing and not allowing me to turn the car on for a minute or two. This only happened once which made me think the PATS system. Also when the turning the car off, it seems the car is still running for a second or two even though you have practially removed the key from the ignition.

The car is at my buddies place because it made it to Des Moines where it trailed to his place. This is where I need any ideas on what could be causing me to lose power when going over bumps. 99.9%, we think it has to be electrical.

Cliffnotes: Going over bumps the car loses power, comes back on, runs really rich and has hesitation. Have to pull over and wait 5 minutes and then drive another 10 minutes & repeat. Car is still running for second or two even though key is almost out of the ignition.

Sorry for the long post...just a headache considering it ran great during the cruise :bash:

- Ryan

 

[STAMPEDE3]

Tough one but I'd agree with electrical.

Ground problem is one option.

Bad connection on a sensor is another.

 

[VtekII]

do you have a boost a pump with all the motor work you have done? is it possible that could be messing with the fuel delivery?

 

[zeus201]

^ Nope.

Any other ideas...?

 

[Gallows]

Fuel pump crapping out:shrug:

 

[Wynn]

My car acted funny like that when the bolt on my engine ground broke. Look right by the oil filter, and there should be a ground strap that goes from a bolt above the filter to the frame. I replaced mine with about a foot of 4 guage wire and 2 ring terminals. My bolt actually broke, so I had to ground it to a different bolt by the oil filter. Good as new.

Good luck man, I hope you get it fixed. Try that engine ground first though.

 

[006]

Fuel pump crapping out:shrug:

Ding!

When a fuel pump is on it's way out, it tends to shut down when it's hot.
After a cool down, it works and then the process repeats again when hot just like the OP described.

 

[Iluvatar]

I'm having a fuel pump problem too. What brand do you all recomend? Is Bosch ok or do I need to go to Ford and get an OE replacement?

 

[006]

I recommend an SVT focus pump.

Cheap, direct drop in with no modifications required....PLUS it's an upgrade due to it's higher LPH ability.

 

[03snkvert]

Just another tidbit about this car, is that it has an 03-04 motor swap done to it!

I am going to get underneath it tonight and check all the ground wires, etc. The only thing that throws me off about it being a fuel pump, is that you could here the car cut out as soon as the car would go over a bump coming off a bridge. That is when the car would load up and sputter and die! I would think that if it were the fuel pump getting hot it wouldn't matter if you hit a bump or not, once the car would sputter it would then backfire and start running bad until he shut if off and restarted it.

It also sounds like more of an electrical issue because when he would hit a bump and the car would sputter a couple of time the gauges swept back and forth like when you would disconnect the power!

 

[006]

Just another tidbit about this car, is that it has an 03-04 motor swap done to it!

I am going to get underneath it tonight and check all the ground wires, etc. The only thing that throws me off about it being a fuel pump, is that you could here the car cut out as soon as the car would go over a bump coming off a bridge. That is when the car would load up and sputter and die! I would think that if it were the fuel pump getting hot it wouldn't matter if you hit a bump or not, once the car would sputter it would then backfire and start running bad until he shut if off and restarted it.

It also sounds like more of an electrical issue because when he would hit a bump and the car would sputter a couple of time the gauges swept back and forth like when you would disconnect the power!

Thanks for the better description to the problem.

Check the ground wire at the ECU. Also check to make sure that the ECU wiring harness is firmly secure. Check that all other wire connections are secure. e.g above the headlights, at the fuse box, next to the k-member and frame on the driver's side, plus all wiring in the trunk pertaining to the fuel system. Important also is the MAF wiring, and also make sure that the firewall to cabin harnesses are screwed in tight.

 

[chinchilla]

Check the connection to the negative post on the battery, my car went insane for a week because of it, would mess up over bumps, and PATS was going off over nothing.

 

[03snkvert]

I checked all the wiring under the hood that I could get to last night and couldn't find a problem with it! I will have Ryan (the owner) check the ECU connections when he get the car back home tonight.

I told him to take it out and drive it and see if the problem continues, we did a lot of driving on the cruise and that can cause cars to do weird things, but without driving it and seeing if the problem persists I cant give him anymore advice.

The weird part about the car, and I don't know if this could have anything to do with this problem is the Run On that the car has. I had this same problem on my 70 Camaro and it had to do with the charging system. When Ryans car is running and you turn the key back to shut if off it still maintains full power and will "Run On" for a good second or two before it shuts off. I was looking at the key switch last night, and it seems kind of a looser fit than it should. maybe I can get Ryan to make a short Video of the Run On and how loose the Lock Cylinder is!

I checked the wiring at the K member, at the MAF, at the Firewall, and at the Headlight (has HID Conversion) and still didn't find anything, but with as rough as the car rides, checking the ECU would be a good thing also. I also checked the Battery and made sure it had a full charge and did a test to make sure the Battery was good and they check out!

 

[zeus201]

^ thanks for better description corey.

as the for car, it's the oddest thing...we'll have to make a vid about the ignition switch.

 

[brkntrxn]

I'd look closer at the ignition switch.

 

[03snkvert]

Last night he took me for a ride in the car, and I could feel the sputter etc (and he got it on tape) and then as we turned back onto my street he tried to clear the car out, and it backfired and died ant the theft light started going nuts and it lost all spark!

I am thinking he will get the videos up later today!

 

[zeus201]

Last night he took me for a ride in the car, and I could feel the sputter etc (and he got it on tape) and then as we turned back onto my street he tried to clear the car out, and it backfired and died ant the theft light started going nuts and it lost all spark!

I am thinking he will get the videos up later today!

I'll post vids and description on what happened last night when I get home from work today. Just didn't feel like even looking at the video and posting on what happened last night.

 

[03snkvert]

After doing a little research, the "theft" light was flashing a code 1:6 which say "1:6 Faulty link between PATS module and EECV Go to main dealer" I don't know if this would cause a problem just when the car warms up a little, but deff is a problem.

 

[006]

After doing a little research, the "theft" light was flashing a code 1:6 which say "1:6 Faulty link between PATS module and EECV Go to main dealer" I don't know if this would cause a problem just when the car warms up a little, but deff is a problem.

Sounds like PATS is coming on and shutting the fuel pump intermittently.

PATS' role is to shut down the fuel pump if the "theft" symptoms are there.

Any problems with his keys? does he have a spare that he can try?

Also, maybe the connections under the dash by the steering column are not secure. The harness runs from the ignition area and down the steering column and goes into a black or grey connector harness attached to the dash frame above the right knee.

 

[03snkvert]

We tried a second key, but that was after the "theft" light was going crazy, now I read that you need to turn the key to "run" and let it set for 10 min. However he had another key with him and that is what he was using when we had the problem again, so I don't think it is KEY related.

Hopefully he will read your post and go out and give that a try tonight. The car was in my Driveway, but when it died when we were out and about we put it on a trailer and took it to his house in Ames, which is 30-40 min away.

It still seems like a loose connection, and I would agree that the pats could be shutting off the fuel pump. The reason it sounds like a loose connection is that it mainly happens after going over a bump.

For some reason after the light started blinking rapidly, he turned the key to run and we hear a lot of clicking by the eec but outside of the firewall. We tried to get it to happen again to get it on video, but of course it wouldn't do it again.

The other thing I noticed, is that after the theft light came on rapidly if the key was in the "run" position that the Cooling Fan would run constantly!

Ok that is I can think of for now!