97 Expedition- Intermittent hesitation and then it dies.

[wepeppers]

I have a 97 that I bought off a friend of my wife- against my gut feeling

I ran it out of gas about a month ago and this when the problem started.

Once the fuel ran to about 1/4 of a tank it would start to miss then die

I would let it set for a while then it would crank up and run for a bit then the same results- this continued for about 2 weeks

It is now DOA

1. Added gas treatment to the fuel- this seemed to sorta work
2. replaced the fuel filter- this seemed to help a little
3. Drained the tank of all the old fuel and replaced with 97-with NO Ethanol
4. Unhooked the fuel line and turned on the ignition to see if the fuel was flowing (at the fuel filter)
5. Turned over and squirted starter fluid in the intake (seemed to run, not well though)

Just some notes to keep in mind-

This was a total "Jerry Rig"- I apologize if your name is Jerry

The "check engine" light doesn't come on at all- Probably disconnected

Oh- I also found one of the vacuum hoses melted to the engine (now repaired)

I have read there is suppose to be a pressure release valve to measure the pressure- I cannot locate this and I believe it has been "Jerry rigged" out of the system, excuse me modified off the system.

If you have any further trouble shooting steps i would be greatly appreciative.

 

[toms89]

The schrader valve to check fuel pressure is on the passenger side of fuel rail.

Sounds to me like the fuel pump is shot. Running it empty may have contributed to it failing. The fuel is what cools them.

 

[Lightnig]

The schrader valve to check fuel pressure is on the passenger side of fuel rail.

Sounds to me like the fuel pump is shot. Running it empty may have contributed to it failing. The fuel is what cools them.

That was the first thing that came to my mind too.

these electric in-tank pumps can overheat if not immersed in fluid (gas), and running it dry will only make it worse.

Follow Toms advice and check your fuel pressure, I'd be willing to bet you a 6 pack it is very low...

 

[wepeppers]

reading 15-20 psi

I have gauged the pressure and it was around 15-20 psi, i have read somewhere that it should be near 50- is this correct? If so, def. needs replacement.

thanks.

 

[toms89]

I have gauged the pressure and it was around 15-20 psi, i have read somewhere that it should be near 50- is this correct? If so, def. needs replacement.

thanks.

Via ford shop manual:

Engine running 28-45 psi.
Key on engine off 35-45 psi.

I have found with the engine running its generally in the low 30's with 20 inches of vacuum and low 40's with zero vacuum at the regulator. (W.O.T. or vacuum line disconnected)

So if your motor was running when you checked it, 15 to 20 psi is very low. This could be caused by an issue with the electrical circuit, fuel lines, regulator but most commonly the fuel pump. Since it was run dry I would suspect the fuel pump.

If you checked it while the motor was off check it again with it running. The fuel pressure can and will bleed down after it is shut down.

 

[wepeppers]

I replaced the pump this weekend and it seems to be running fine now. Thank you. How do i move this post to resolved?

 

[toms89]

I replaced the pump this weekend and it seems to be running fine now. Thank you. How do i move this post to resolved?

Congrats! The threads never get moved as far as I know. The fact that you actually reported back your results helps greatly.