Problems on the way home.

Discussion in 'SN95 4.6L Mustang' started by branman444, Jul 17, 2007.

  1. branman444 New Member

    Member Since:
    Feb 10, 2007
    Message Count:
    22
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    I have a 02 4.6 gt that i drive everyday for my job. On the way home today from a long trip i was driving down the interstate at about 85 and my car started sputtering a little. Then worse then real bad. I noticed that when i gave it gass it got worse. I could let up on the peddle and it would be fine but i was slowing down. Didnt matter what i did i couldnt speed up at all. every time you give it gass it would cut out to the point of dying. I finaly has to pull over and it was all but dying. I killed it and it started back fine and even drove for a while with no problems. Hmmm maby it had a brain fart or something. On down the road it started it again. same thing over only this time i found somewhat of a sweet spot where it wouldnt cut out but it would at least keep up speed (70 or so). At this point i was getting frustrated and thought maby it was bad gass or something i had less than .25 of this tank so i finaly made it to a gass station and filleder up. Got back in started it up and down the road we went no problem. Even went side ways a little to see if she was all there. No problems. after about an hour more driving i had to make a couple of stops all the time thinking that everything was cool. Started up great all power was there everything. Yeppy bad gass right.... wrong. Had about an hours drive on down the interstate to get home and about 30 min into it it started it up again. Had to pull over twice kill it and start it to get it to go again. When i started up again one of the times i noticed that when i hit about 3k rpms is where it would cut out. I would hit 3k in second and it would litteraly die untill i let off the gass. I can give it gass untill i hit about 3k in 2nd 3rd and 4th and they all do it. Spit Spudder and if i keep on the gass it dies. I have no idea whats going on i can sit stoped and rev it and at about 3k it starts sputtering . No load or anything just sitting there. :( I made it home but have no ida where to start looking. When i noticed it doing it was when i was crusing down the interstate at speed and when it started i would have to come to a compleate stop and kill it and head off again. it would get to the poing that i could not rev it at all over idel untill i killed it. Now i have no warrning lights on no visible problems. The things i could think of was fuel filter but why would it work for so long then stop. Maby a bad fuel pump (yippy). Any ideas??? I am goign to take it to the shop in the morning and see what they can come up with. :bang:
  2. DTNODYA New Member

    Member Since:
    Dec 16, 2005
    Message Count:
    858
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Could be filter or pump .. But it could be many other things too. Could be your MAF or something with the plugs. Could be a sensor of some sort. Tough to give a concrete answer. :shrug:
  3. COramprat Old guys rule!!!

    Member Since:
    Mar 3, 2003
    Message Count:
    5,296
    Likes Received:
    4
    Trophy Points:
    88
    Sounds like the fuel filter. Change it 1st and go from there.
  4. Superhereaux chicks make me feel inadequate

    Member Since:
    Jul 30, 2002
    Message Count:
    2,216
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    56
  5. Kilgore Trout Fried or Broiled ?

    Member Since:
    Mar 31, 2005
    Message Count:
    8,280
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    76
    Could be a lot of things...
  6. branman444 New Member

    Member Since:
    Feb 10, 2007
    Message Count:
    22
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0


    Hmm... a lot of help you are If you cant write two sentences without taking Gods name in vane both times I have something you should read too.
    http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/kjv/index.htm
    Until you can clean up your potty mouth do not reply to one of my posts PLEASE! I am perfectly capable of writing correctly I was upset at my car and this is not a school lesson so thanks but no thanks....


    Now on to what i have done. I went and got a fuel filter and changed it this morning. I think i may have ran too low on gass the other day and it must have sucked up some trash. I pored the gass out of the filter when i got it off in the wrong direction and it looked like a mud slide. :eek: I dont think its supose to look like that. I think it was poring more dirt than gass.
    I hope that is what the problem was and after talking to some mechanics Im pretty sure it was. Ill be going on another trip tomorrow so we will see..... :rolleyes:
  7. Kilgore Trout Fried or Broiled ?

    Member Since:
    Mar 31, 2005
    Message Count:
    8,280
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    76
    Its normal to have goo come out of an old fuel filter.

    Most likely it is the IAC.

    also if the speling and gramur are gud enough to be understod that is all that is needad on teh interwebs...

    only the noobs waste their time cumplainin about it :rlaugh:
  8. Spreadman two wheels

    Member Since:
    Dec 21, 1998
    Message Count:
    11,112
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    0
    I will share some wisdom with you from my previous experiences with this issue.

    I had a similar problem. Now imagine this analogy.

    You have a fuel bucket that the pump is encased in. It's almost like at speed and acceleration, the fuel drains out of the bucket before it can be refilled. But at slower speeds/idling, the bucket has plenty of time to refill. Sounds daft, but follow me.

    I had replaced the pump, no fix. Filter. No fix.

    Turns out I had high-centered the car and bent the fuel tank so that the bottom of the "bucket" was crushed and couldn't fill up fast enough.

    I would say get the amount of gas as low as you can then remove the outer cover to see if there's any dents.

    Trust me on this...I thought my mechanic was crazy for saying the tank was bent, but then I remembered when I could have done it.

    Good luck.
  9. branman444 New Member

    Member Since:
    Feb 10, 2007
    Message Count:
    22
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    IAC? not sure what your talking about.....
    The stuff coming out of the filter wasnt goo it looked like dirt. Infact in the gass that came out there was a pile of the dirt like substance. Guess we will see.
  10. Spreadman two wheels

    Member Since:
    Dec 21, 1998
    Message Count:
    11,112
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Idle Air Control motor. It's bolted to the front of your upper intake. If the IAC was the problem, then the car would have trouble running. And everytime you let off the gas it was backfire like a mother. And most people here say clean it, but I say get a new one. Through Randy Stinchcomb they are affordable. That's where I got mine.
  11. blkhorse Founding Member

    Member Since:
    Oct 30, 1999
    Message Count:
    352
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    If it was the fuel filter plugged,be prepared for the pump to go out.Almost all of the cars I repaired where the fuel filter was plugged to the point of a drivability issue,the pump failed shortly after.

    It must have to do with the pump working hard to maintain the required pressure.I would plan,or save,for a future pump replacement
  12. BlackGT4.6 New Member

    Member Since:
    Jun 15, 2005
    Message Count:
    103
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0

    agreed
  13. branman444 New Member

    Member Since:
    Feb 10, 2007
    Message Count:
    22
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0

    Drove it all day today and no problems at all. Hope that was all it was.
    Now about the pump. How long do you think i have if it goes out and what will the symtoms be? I have ran my chevy truck out of gass several time (because of the gauge) and had to replace the filter but never the pump. hmmm hope i dont have to. Thanks for all your help and info.
  14. 4.6andSlicks New Member

    Member Since:
    Aug 23, 2006
    Message Count:
    171
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    I'm voting for the filter.
    Runs hard, fuel pumps pushing the dirt against the filter, clogging it, car dies.

    Shut car off, pump stops, dirt falls, start car up and it's OK for a while.

    Gas car up, runs good for a while because..............sorry, I got nothing for that.
  15. COramprat Old guys rule!!!

    Member Since:
    Mar 3, 2003
    Message Count:
    5,296
    Likes Received:
    4
    Trophy Points:
    88
    I had 170,000 on my car and didn't really have a problem with the pump. I jsut wnet ahead and swapped it out when I was tracing a short and had the gas tank dropped.

Share This Page