Ford F-150 - 1997-2003 :: Random Interval Engine Stops With Short Delay To Restart - Code PO231
Jul 9, 2009
I have got the most aggravating electrical gremlin possible. For over a year now, the truck intermittently just dies. Mostly it happens about 2-3 mins after start (every couple weeks or so), then takes a couple of key offs, then back ons to restart. But it does restart and then runs fine for a time.... 2 weeks ago I was rollin' down the road and hit a pothole, and whammo, she died, and wouldn't restart. I thought, "great it was the intertia cut-off going bad." I had it towed to the shop where they did some diagnosis and told me it threw a PO231 code.
The tech then said he was doing the diagnostic manual directed test, and swapped out the fuel pump relay, and it started right up. New relay, out the door. A few days later on the way to work about 2 - 3 minutes after start, she dies again. I hang my head, say a curse word, and key it a couple times, and it starts back up and runs fine. Presently speaking she's back at the shop, but the owner, who's a straight up dude was loath to take her back, because it was running fine at the time.... I've got to figure this thing out before I drive it off a cliff.
Truck -- 2001 7700 XLT 5.4L 88K miles
Symptoms -- Random interval engine stops with short delay to restart, 1 hard bump engine stop with no restart. PO231 code (after the hard bump no restart). Didn't check it previously (wasn't aware there were "soft" codes).
Troubleshooting to date -- 1 new fuel pump, 1 new fuel pump relay.
Only things left are the inertia cut-off switch (which apparently don't go bad that often), and the wiring itself/connections to the different components....
View 5 Replies
Advertisement
I have a 03 F150 with a bi-fuel 5.4 engine an it has 195000 miles. I have had trouble for some time now with misfires. I bought the truck in october of 2011 with 125000 miles and replaced all the coils and spark plugs because it was misfiring badly will running on CNG. It was fine on gasoline and never had any codes. After I replaced the plugs and coils it ran fine on CNG and gasoline.
This summer 2013 it began missing badly at highway speeds only when running on CNG. If I accelerated the miss would go away until I was light on the throttle again.I checked the misfire count and found the bad cylinder and replaced a coil. Then a day later same thing on another cylinder. I swapped a coil from another cylinder and problem went away for a day. Eventually I chased the misfire around all the cylinders on the engine until I had ended up either replacing a spark plug or swapping a coil on all the cylinders. And I still had a misfire. It seemed to be worse on days with temperatures above 90 degrees. Eventually I got it to stop misfiring.
So now 5 months later I am back again with a misfire. This time it is misfiring on both gasoline and CNG and under any throttle conditions, except coasting. I have no codes. And the misfire monitor is sending me around the engine again. I have replaced a spark plug in two cylinders and swapped 4 coils.
I'm ready to buy all new coils, but I want to be sure that it is not a waste of money since the old ones only have 70000 miles on them.
Two days ago I had the misfire monitor saying #4 in the evening and the next day without me having done any work on it it was saying #6. Later that same day it said #7 and I still hadn't done anything other than drive the truck.
I checked the connections at the firewall on the drivers side with the three large plugs that are held in with a 10mm bolt, they looked fine, no corrosion or burnt pins. I checked the connection at the ACFM which also looks good. I will check the connection at the PCM in the next day or so.
Some other problems that may be contributing:
1. I occasionally get a U1262 code (scp fault)
2. Sometimes when I check the misfire monitor it only shows 7 cylinders, sometime 9 cylinders. I am using an Innova 3160 scanner.
3. I have either a leaking valve cover gasket or leaking head gasket, because I have oil dripping from the rear bottom corner of the passenger side cylinder head right above the exhaust pipe.
View 5 Replies
I was involved in a light accident over the weekend. I was hit in the rear by a Prius which didn't do body damage except for the 7 blade harness for my trailer towing. But, now the truck has a random misfire code. You can feel the truck jerk when you go up any grade. We changed the fuel filter and dumped in some cleaner already. One guy says its fuel and one thinks its coils. It is a 2003 F150 extended cab 5.4 with a nearly new motor. The truck has about 175xxx on it and I have had it for about 40xxx. I have not changed coils. We did check the inertia switch on the passenger side and it was not tripped.
View 2 Replies
My abs light comes on with the code above and im looking to fix it. No I don't want to buy a new abs module. Code C1185 - Car Forums and Automotive Chat the only thing i could find remotely close is from this link for a 2000 ford windstar. Need to just comfirm that there is a chance that resoldering the joints would work in fixing the problem that would be great. The light comes on and off at random. 2001 f-150 lariat 4x4.
View 2 Replies
The ac on my 97 chevy k1500 siverado works for about an hour then for no reason the air stops blowing thru the dash vents. The motor continues to run but will not blow thru the vents. At the same time my blower motor will slow down to the lower speed position even when I have it on high. But, if I shout off the ac for a view moments the air will start to come back up to speed and will begin to blow thru the dash vents again. I have replace all the blend doors excep the one for the cab recirculation. Replace the motor relay swith, the motor thermostat, and the dash mounted control module. The heater system seems to work fine.
View 10 Replies
2007 F350 6.0L 230,000 miles
Yesterday, while driving home from a weekend out of town trip, all of sudden lost throttle control. Just went to idle while at cruise speeds, could pump pedal and no response. Then got pedal control back and seemed to run normally.
This happened several times. Hubby suggested moving the adjustable pedal which I did slightly. Although I was not using the cruise control, we had a sense that maybe it was engaging??? So I hit the off button a couple of times. After these two interventions, drove the last 80 miles home with no further incidents.
Today, we checked codes and had a PO231, Fuel Pump Secondary Circuit Low. I don't think that is our problem with above based on research, but we will look into fixing that too. We are thinking TPS or a position sensor on the accelerator pedal. We could replace those easily ourselves.
View 14 Replies
2001 F150 5.4 v8 ... In the past few months my truck has been a bit strange, but in the past few weeks it's gotten to the point I'm nervous to drive it. Usually when shifting around 30-35, the engine revs up and stops accelerating and I have to take my foot off the pedal to make it return to normal. It doesn't do this after I do that, but the past time I tried to drive I couldn't get above 35 and the rpm was in the upper 2000s going at a constant 35. When I stop for any reason such as making a turn, when it shifts it lurches forward and I hear a loud clunk.
Naturally, I've checked all the fluids and fuses and they're all fine. The mechanic I regularly visit insists that nothing is wrong with it.
View 2 Replies
My 2002 Ford F-150 4x4 4.6L 5speed strangely has a time delay in starting now. A delay in TIME and not the usually chucking along waiting to start. Or simply I turn the key and a second or two passes before anything starts to happen and it fires right up. Was wondering a few months ago, if my clutch sensor was going out but then it cleared up once I put a new battery in it although at the same time the weather warmed also. Bad connection somewhere, bad ignition switch, or bad clutch position sensor – I could go in each of these directions. Thought maybe the security in the key was doing it too but both keys have the same problem. No codes also.
View 2 Replies
2000 f150 4x4 5.4auto tranny.
When I turn the key, sometimes i have a time delay before the starter kicks in. I replaced the relay on the firewall and no change. A couple of days ago I started the truck but the starter did not turn off when the key was released. I had to turn the key to off then back to run to get the starter to stop. Now today, I nearly got stranded by it. It took several attempts to get the starter to kick in.
To me this seems like a relay sticking. What should I try next?
View 7 Replies
So my F150 (with 4r70w) has a weird issue. If I jump on it (only briefly) and then drive normally it gets stuck in a high idle/late shift mode. Sometimes it won't even shift until 3500 - 4000 RPM. If I stop and restart it will usually go back to normal (depending on how warm the tranny is, the warmer it is, the less likely to fix on restart). Now I understand that if you give it a lot of gas it will shift later, but like I said, it get's stuck in this mode even if I have a light foot after. The really weird thing is that it does this after cruising on the highway for a while. Also, the OD light does not flash.
As I'm writing this, I just realized that a common thing is warm tranny fluid. I'm not sure if it's the tranny because the high idle and the fact that it will shift fine if babied. There are no codes.
Here's what I've done: Flushed tranny fluid and filter (full flush, not just the little bit with the filter change), replaced TPS, replaced PCV, replaced IAC valve, replaced a few vac lines, and cleaned entire throttle body (including EGR valve).
View 8 Replies
Just started getting a p0300 random misfire code on the durango a couple days ago. pretty sure it isn't moisture related since it started on a nice sunny day. it was running pretty rough so it was obvious that it was misfiring. I changed the plugs since it was about time anyway, and they needed it and I cleared the codes. new plugs (put in the oem champion copper plugs) didn't make the problem go away. The engine still ran rough and the code came back. 2 of the plugs looked like they may have been fouling a little bit. they were a fair bit blacker than the rest of the plugs. I went ahead and changed the coils on those two cylinders and reset the codes again. Still runs rough and the p0300 came back. where do I go from here? I am not getting any specific cylinder codes so it makes sense to me that it isn't one or two cylinders not getting spark. 2003 durango 4.7 ....
View 6 Replies
I have a 1998 F150 with 14300 plus miles. 4.6 engine. I have been smelling antifreeze after a drive long or short. I have looked for leaks but not finding anything.
View 1 Replies
I have a 1997 F150 that I have taken to a mechanic twice and it is still not right. I had a igination switch replaced and now when the humidity is really high
(I am Guessing), I can have the key in the house and my truck lights flash the radio is on and it sounds like it is trying to start. How hard is it to replace the igination switch myself. I believe it has a short someone in the steering column.
View 1 Replies
I recently bought a 1998 F150 with 4.6 . I've been having problems starting it after I drive it awhile... When I try to restart it, it just clicks out on the firewall... The difference in what I've read about this problem and mine is that after 30 or 40 minutes mine starts right up , so far . I know the battery is good and I put a new solenoid , battery cable ends and a neutral safety switch . I just can't pinpoint the problem...
View 14 Replies
No start, gets fuel, check injector plugs they lite. Ran fine shut it off went to re start and no go. Gets no spark what controls it?
View 2 Replies
I have a 2002 Buick Rendezvous and after driving the vehicle and turning it off for a short period of time it will not start. It will continue to "crank" or "turn over" but cannot get it to start unless I wait for around 20-30 minutes at which time it will start like it never had a problem. Also now when I am driving and I hit the brakes to come to a stop the Anti-Lock Brake Light comes on and the AWD Disable Light comes on? I just had the brakes done and thought it could possibly be a problem with the way they were done and took it back to have the brakes checked out again but found nothing wrong....
View 3 Replies
On my 98' f250 4.6L 4x4 .. My check engine keeps going off and on, I finally pulled the code and its the P0401. The truck pings and knocks now and than and idles a tiny bit rough sometimes but overall runs good and gets the same mpg it always gets.....is this a bad egr valve?
View 2 Replies
I have a 2003 f150 2WD crew cab with a 4.6 V8 engine it has 178,000 miles on it. The other day after I started it to leave work it died on me without hesitation almost like the ignition switch was turned off I tried to restart and it would turn over but wouldn't start so I switched the ignition all the way off and it started right up, going down the road it did it again.
If I try to restart without turning the ignition all the way off it won't start but if I turn it all the way off it will start up first try, it has done it a couple times since and its the same way every time, where to start. My check engine light has been on for some time for something else so I don't know if it picked up a code or not I don't have a code reader to see if it has a new code...
View 2 Replies
I have a 2002 4.6L FX4. When I run the A/C for an extended period (say 15-20+ minutes), it will start to cough and sputter and eventually just die. It will restart but run rough and cough, sputter, die.
If I turn off A/C and let it set a while, it runs fine. No check engine light. Possible EGR problem????
View 3 Replies
When going short distances, half mile to two miles, and I turn off the car it will not REstart. Dash lights come on but engine does not make a sound. No clicking, no engine trying to turn over, nothing. After the car sits for awhile and cools off it starts up with no hesitation at all. If on the road for several minutes the car does not have this problem no matter how far or how many times I turn it off and on. The battery checks out ok. Someone said it could be a ground wire loose. What do you think. Is this something I could do myself?
View 5 Replies
My Regency will randomly not start. No turn-over, interior lights nice and bright, all lights on dashboard come up. No security light shows up on dashboard thus does not appear to be security system.
Seems to occur more often when car is driven a short distance. Twice I have made short drives come back several hours later car does not start. I wait 7-10 minutes then try again and car starts right up.
View 3 Replies
