Problem with 2003 Ford Lightning
04-07-2014, 07:38 AM
#1
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Problem with 2003 Ford Lightning
I have a 2003 Lightning with about 14k in miles that I take to cruise night once in awhile and pull a little trailer down to Lowes for building/garden stuff. It's got a 4 lb pulley, K&N CAI, colder plugs, a moderate street tune, and a cat-back exhaust. It lives a cushy life and has never given me any trouble but I noticed this morning on a run to Lowes that it was not quite right.
After I dropped the little trailer off I took it out and accelerated at about half throttle or a little less through first and second. It idles dead smooth and ran up through first smoothly, shifted and started out in second fine but after a few seconds it started a stuttering deal for lack of a better description. It's kind of like a miss but not quite - it doesn't fall completely on it's face just stutters until I back off the throttle. It's very repeatable - pretty much the same thing each time. I didn't press it any harder. No engine check light - I hooked up my code reader and there were no codes.
From memory, these supercharged trucks are sensitive to having a clean fuel filter and I've never changed it out. Fuel sits in the truck for months and months sometime as I only put about 500 miles a year on it. I filled it up about a month ago at SAMS which is a high volume seller. Does this sound like what might be expected from a partially clogged fuel filter? I'm thinking about changing out the fuel filter and running some injection cleaner through it and see what happens. Could be water also or phase seperation of ethanol.
Any other low tech things I might try before going to visit my Ford dealer?
Thanks
Dan
After I dropped the little trailer off I took it out and accelerated at about half throttle or a little less through first and second. It idles dead smooth and ran up through first smoothly, shifted and started out in second fine but after a few seconds it started a stuttering deal for lack of a better description. It's kind of like a miss but not quite - it doesn't fall completely on it's face just stutters until I back off the throttle. It's very repeatable - pretty much the same thing each time. I didn't press it any harder. No engine check light - I hooked up my code reader and there were no codes.
From memory, these supercharged trucks are sensitive to having a clean fuel filter and I've never changed it out. Fuel sits in the truck for months and months sometime as I only put about 500 miles a year on it. I filled it up about a month ago at SAMS which is a high volume seller. Does this sound like what might be expected from a partially clogged fuel filter? I'm thinking about changing out the fuel filter and running some injection cleaner through it and see what happens. Could be water also or phase seperation of ethanol.
Any other low tech things I might try before going to visit my Ford dealer?
Thanks
Dan
04-07-2014, 07:42 AM
#2
I have a 2003 Lightning with about 14k in miles that I take to cruise night once in awhile and pull a little trailer down to Lowes for building/garden stuff. It's got a 4 lb pulley, K&N CAI, colder plugs, a moderate street tune, and a cat-back exhaust. It lives a cushy life and has never given me any trouble but I noticed this morning on a run to Lowes that it was not quite right.
After I dropped the little trailer off I took it out and accelerated at about half throttle or a little less through first and second. It idles dead smooth and ran up through first smoothly, shifted and started out in second fine but after a few seconds it started a stuttering deal for lack of a better description. It's kind of like a miss but not quite - it doesn't fall completely on it's face just stutters until I back off the throttle. It's very repeatable - pretty much the same thing each time. I didn't press it any harder. No engine check light - I hooked up my code reader and there were no codes.
From memory, these supercharged trucks are sensitive to having a clean fuel filter and I've never changed it out. Fuel sits in the truck for months and months sometime as I only put about 500 miles a year on it. I filled it up about a month ago at SAMS which is a high volume seller. Does this sound like what might be expected from a partially clogged fuel filter? I'm thinking about changing out the fuel filter and running some injection cleaner through it and see what happens. Could be water also or phase seperation of ethanol.
Any other low tech things I might try before going to visit my Ford dealer?
Thanks
Dan
After I dropped the little trailer off I took it out and accelerated at about half throttle or a little less through first and second. It idles dead smooth and ran up through first smoothly, shifted and started out in second fine but after a few seconds it started a stuttering deal for lack of a better description. It's kind of like a miss but not quite - it doesn't fall completely on it's face just stutters until I back off the throttle. It's very repeatable - pretty much the same thing each time. I didn't press it any harder. No engine check light - I hooked up my code reader and there were no codes.
From memory, these supercharged trucks are sensitive to having a clean fuel filter and I've never changed it out. Fuel sits in the truck for months and months sometime as I only put about 500 miles a year on it. I filled it up about a month ago at SAMS which is a high volume seller. Does this sound like what might be expected from a partially clogged fuel filter? I'm thinking about changing out the fuel filter and running some injection cleaner through it and see what happens. Could be water also or phase seperation of ethanol.
Any other low tech things I might try before going to visit my Ford dealer?
Thanks
Dan
04-07-2014, 10:01 AM
#3
I'd drain ALL that old fuel and replace the filter immediately! That truck is 11 years old now with barely any run time, your doing it more harm than good by letting it set so long...
New ethanol based fuel is garbage and nothing like the old stuff, setting months kills it and its even worse that you're doing this in a 400hp supercharged truck that needs fresh premium fuel anyway!
Once you've done all that, if it hasn't fixed it, I'd bet a coil is on its way out, sounds very characteristic of a failing COP.
New ethanol based fuel is garbage and nothing like the old stuff, setting months kills it and its even worse that you're doing this in a 400hp supercharged truck that needs fresh premium fuel anyway!
Once you've done all that, if it hasn't fixed it, I'd bet a coil is on its way out, sounds very characteristic of a failing COP.
04-07-2014, 06:51 PM
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I changed the fuel filter and dumped a couple containers of Valvoline gas drier in it and that seems to have taken care of it. I took it out for a test drive and it was pulling strong and smooth afterwards.
It doesn't sit for long spells - it's usually driven evey week or two for some purpose - just not very many miles. I forget off-hand what plugs the tuner had me install - I think they were an Autolite.
It's a good truck. Never given me any trouble which is one reason I've hung on to it. That and it looks like it came off the showroom floor last week.
I swear this forum used to have a Lightning subforum that I used to frequent a number of years ago. I guess it was dropped.
Thanks for the suggestions.
It doesn't sit for long spells - it's usually driven evey week or two for some purpose - just not very many miles. I forget off-hand what plugs the tuner had me install - I think they were an Autolite.
It's a good truck. Never given me any trouble which is one reason I've hung on to it. That and it looks like it came off the showroom floor last week.
I swear this forum used to have a Lightning subforum that I used to frequent a number of years ago. I guess it was dropped.
Thanks for the suggestions.
04-07-2014, 07:22 PM
#6
Senior Member
Sharp Lightning!
Same thing happend to my Triumph motorcycle last summer. Old fuel sat in the tank for winter and then it ran like crap the first time out (back fire/bogging down). Had to drain it like you did and then put some race fuel in it and ran great. gas today sucks.
Same thing happend to my Triumph motorcycle last summer. Old fuel sat in the tank for winter and then it ran like crap the first time out (back fire/bogging down). Had to drain it like you did and then put some race fuel in it and ran great. gas today sucks.