Hello all, I've got an issue.
my 96 f150 xlt 2wd 5.0 auto extended cab, with 88k miles has always felt a little sluggish almost like I'm towing a heavy trailer.
I've owned it for 3 years and bought it with 69k miles, from the original owners son, whom it was left to when he died. The truck sat in the garage for 8 years before the guy decided to sell it.
So there's the history. I've always suspected a timing issue because it would ping and knock under heavy acceleration or going up hill, and really lacked power. I replaced the dist do to a hard miss at 40 mph. That fixed that problem. After 2.5 years it finally dawned on me, when I unplug the spout to set timing the PCM still says the timing at 16-18.5* btdc (according to my live data on my code reader) if I plug the spout back in the timing stays the same 16-18.5*. I did a continuity test on the spout and it toned out. I checked voltage (with a power probe)at the spout pigtail and got varing voltage of 9-13v on one side 6-9v on the other. If I put 12v to 6-9v side the truck starts to die. I'm thinking PCM? Any ideas?
Ok yeah, rotating the dist doesn't change the degrees the code reader (PCM) is seeing.but obviously affects the idle.

 

Welcome.

 

I am not so sure I would trust the code reader, You can get a timing light pretty cheap. My truck had a similar feel from what you are describing, and it turned out to be a plug wire that was burnt on the inside some how.

 

I am not so sure I would trust the code reader, You can get a timing light pretty cheap. My truck had a similar feel from what you are describing, and it turned out to be a plug wire that was burnt on the inside some how.

Thank you for the reply. I have a timing light and marked the balancer @10* with some white our. According to the timing light, with the spout unplugged I'm right at 10*, the code reader says other wise. When I turn off the truck and plug the spout back in the timing doesn't change. With the light or the code reader.

 

That is strange. Wondering about the ICM mabye? Have you changed that out? Is it the right color? Gray or Black?

 

I haven't replaced that. As far as what color it is, I don't know and can't go look. It's at the body shop now someone backed into me. However I think there are 2 modules. One on the dist. And one under the ABS module on the inner driver fender.

 

depends on the year, can't remember exactly when they moved it to the fender, but my 93 is on the fender, and pretty sure everthing after that was too. You will find both Gray and Black on the Fender, I want to say that mid 94 was the switch over time frame. It is important to get the right one.