stephens95

Hi all,

I just bought a 2005 f150 xlt supercab 4x4 with the 5.4l 3v triton with 57,000miles and it's been giving me some trouble starting.

Most of the tome (typically after sitting for an hour or so) the truck will not start on the first try. Sometimes it takes anywhere from 2-4 times to start and when it does it struggles to start and idles rough around 500 rpm for maybe 10-15 seconds then comes back up to normal idle. Once the truck starts it runs fine with no problems and I can turn it off an recrank with no issues unless it sits.

Is this a common problem?
What could it be?

It's such a nice truck and people compliment me and I hate saying "Thanks!!" And then it won't start.

Any help would be appreciated.

Only thing I have done so far is the fuel filter which was pretty nasty!

Stephen

Cutless009

That just sounds like a weak battery to me. POSSIBLY a bad alternator but I doubt it because the truck would still run kind of crappy even once she's up and going.

When's the last time you checked the battery?

stephens95

Never checked the battery but it's not a slow start. I can get it checked tomorrow though just to see.

It just cranks and cranks then fires.

98SnakeHorse

Possibly the FPDM (fuel pump driver module), just got done reading many threads as those being the culprit on hard starting or no starting 04-08 f150s.

stephens95

Never heard of an FPDM
But all of my vehicles until now have been 1996 and older!
Is this hard to change??

corey_lax

FPDM is easy to change. And it is very common to fail after this many years. So you might want to search FPDM on the forum to educate yourself. Easy to change, drop the spare tire, and it is located on the frame rail near the spare. It just unbolts and replaces. BUT, I don't think that is the problem.

I used to think my truck cranked over well. Sometimes I would need to crank it twice to start, but I figured the battery was fine because it never sounded slow when cranking. That was until I replaced the battery and the thing cranked up in no time. It took like half the cranking time. I would say you battery is getting tired. My original battery in my 06 lasted until last October of last year. Pretty good haul for a battery manufactured in 05 and lasted until late 2013. You might want to check into that.

stephens95

I will for sure check my battery tomorrow then!! I might even go ahead and but an FPDM and keep it in the truck just in case. I hope it's just the battery. My brother and I thought it could be a leaking fuel injector but I'm not to familiar with that so I'm not too sure! My brother also swears it just needs a tune up and it will be fine.

Newfiedan

Would not hurt to change the fuel filter and do a tune up if you never have. Last time my buddies f150 was like this he had a plugged up fuel filter.

papa tiger

Look at the back side of the FPDM. Check for a vacuum leak. Check for code.

stephens95

Thanks guys I'll check all that tomorrow!
I did change the filter yesterday and it started fine the first time and then it started acting up again