Help!!We have a 1990 F150 4X4 Automatic truck we have to use spray starting fluid to start it. It bogs down on hills and back fires through the engine.Its like it has no power. We were told it would cost $53 an hr to put it on a dio machine to check it out. Asked how long and they say how ever long it takes!! Yikes!! I don't know any mechanics around here that are reliable. Even asked many people!! Everyone said they knew no one they could trust.Not good!! I don't need to tear everything out and replace just to find out what is going on. That is what the mechanics suggest!! I can't afford that!! Any suggestions on what it could be?? Fuel enjector? What?? Thanks!!

-- PJC (zpjc5_@hotmail.com), January 11, 2002

Answers

I would replace distributor cap. Look at spark plug wires at night for sparks.

-- ed (edfrhes@aol.com), January 11, 2002.

check here http://freeautoadvice.com/

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), January 11, 2002.

Air breather filter fuel filter cat.converter. Bob se.ks.

-- Bobco (bobco@kans.com), January 11, 2002.

Sounds like timing; does it have a vacuum advance on the distributer? If yes, pull the hose off and stick it in your mouth and draw, does the distributer move or do you get air? If you get air, thats the problem. Also see if the advance needs lubeing. What size engine, gas or diesel?

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), January 11, 2002.

Check the exhaust system (cat. conv., muffler, etc.). A friend had a Pontiac acting similarly. A piece of metal in the the muffler had rusted loose and would "flap" back and forth stopping up the exhaust and choking the engine. The ingnition system should also be checked.

-- Bart (Doominickwb@dot.state.sc.us), January 11, 2002.

Needing starting fluid indicates lack of fuel.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), January 11, 2002.

Where are you located?

-- Rickstir (rpowell@email.ccis.edu), January 11, 2002.

I have 2 or 3 ford products and have found a code reader to help with problems like this. They are somewhere around 30 to 50 dollars,but with sensors and the price of labor they can save a ton of cash.

-- john d hayes (jdhayes@adelphia.net), January 11, 2002.

I'd start with a new fuel filter. Usually those are under $10 and never a bad idea to replace anyhow. Next thing I'd look at would be the fuel pump. If you want to check your catalytic convertor, have someone get behind the wheel while you're at the exhaust pipe. If it's old and clogged it won't increase the amount exhausted in direct relation to the increased engine RPM as it's accelerated.

Personally, I'm going to guess it's a fuel delivery problem and more than likely the fuel pump. Try the filter first, though. As I said, they're cheap and you're probably needs to be replaced anyhow. ;o) Good luck. I hope this helps.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), January 11, 2002.

Buy a Haynes manual for the vehicle and utilize the technical support number for diagnostic assistance. Its the best $10 you'll spend. has sections on every aspect of maintenance, tune ups , even sections in some manuals on how to access on board diagnostic processors. Web site www.haynes.com .

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), January 11, 2002.

Gas or diesel??? If gas, change the fuel filter, check the spark plugs, change the air filter/cleaner, clean the injectors, check the fuel pump. You are not getting enough fuel/air if you need starting fliud to start it, unless it is a diesel.....

If it is a diesel, change the fuel filter, that is the number one reason they will run poorly!!! Then check the air cleaner and clean the injectors, one bad batch of fuel can ruin the injectors so they need cleaning or changed even. Have a semi truck shop do this for you if you are not mechanically inclined, the big truck shops are cheaper than the auto places.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), January 11, 2002.

go to cars.com and look up a recomended mechanic in your area - they aren't necessarily going to be cheap but someone thinks that s/he does decent work for the money

-- kirby johnson (kirbyj@deskmedia.com), January 11, 2002.

Assuming the vehicle is maintained in respect to fuel filter, plugs, cap and rotor, plug wires- 1st I'd check for error codes(12v test light works for Fords before 92, don't buy the expensive diagnostic tool) Checking the error codes could save you alot of work. Check the timing and timing advance. If you don't have a timing light, loosen the distributor clamp bolt a bit and turn the distributor a few degrees either way while trying to start the vehicle. You can time it by ear and trial and error. I'd see if you could retard/advance the timing enough so it starts without ether and then fine tune it from there by taking it out on the road and advancing the timing until it clears up the power loss/backfiring problem without pinging under load.

If no error codes and timing is ok, check the compression. Bad valve seats/burnt valves can act like what you described. A bad EGR valve can cause those problems with some emissions setups. The backfiring that's happening would point more to those problems rather than fuel starvation.

Here's the Ford trouble codes. http://www.batauto.com/Ford.html

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), January 11, 2002.

Is it possible that you have it cross wired? I agree with the previous about buying the haynes manual they are priceless. Look under the hood after dark to see if maybe your plug wires are "leaking" if they are you'll see fire jumping everywhere. It could be a hole in a fuel line causing it to lack fuel. It sounds like something simple and probably cheap to fix just a bear to find.

-- Joel Combs (jwcinpk@yahoo.com), January 11, 2002.

Hi, I have a 95 F-150 and experienced some of your frustrations, after talking to anyone who would listen I got some good advice. With the following question a yes appears, this may be your problem. 1. does a slight humming sound show up when you turn on the key, don't hit the starter as you listen, this is the fuel priming(fuel injected). If it doesn't, then on the right hand side under the hood are 3 one inch square little plug ins, go to the junk yard and pick up some out of a compatable Ford product. I ended up changing these and carried a few with me for a awhile and it helped, the thing that seemed to stop all future problems was changing the Throttle control sensor. I also used starting fluid to start the darn thing, quite an operation with fuel injection. Good luck cause you're going to need it to protect you sanity. Check the fuel filter on the rail and make sure that the GROUND WIRE has a good connection, I paid $20 to learn this lesson, causes intermitent loss of fuel if it comes and goes (duh) didn't sound that stupid in my head. I never got much from the Ford F-150 book that I bought, so now I just go toi the library and read theirs.

Happy hunting,

Wayne Roach

-- Wayne & (LYN) Roach (R-Way@msn.com), January 11, 2002.

After saying all that I really screwed up, the modules are on the LEFT side. Sorry

-- Wayne & (LYN) Roach (R-Way@msn.com), January 11, 2002.

PJC, several questions come to mind after reading your post. 1)is your vehicle carburated or fuel infected. If fuel infected I doubt very seriously it has mechanical or vacuum advance. Sounds like a fuel delivery problem which could be any number of the following: 1. Throttle positioning sensor, 2.air/idle control valve, 3.injectors/throttle body assuming your vehicle is fuel infected, 4.clogged fuel filter (i'd start here) 5. ignition and timing problems. As far as a code reader as suggested earlier. The problem is, usually they are of no use unless the problem at hand has set a code off. Meaning the check engine/service engine soon light is on.

Hope you can fix it God bless, DV

-- David Valliant (dhvalliant@yahoo.com), January 12, 2002.

I am with everyone else. You have a fuel delivery problem. Backfiring is often a sign of too lean a mixture. Start with a fuel filter. If the truck is carborated, it could be time for a carb rebuild, which YOU CAN DO YOURSELF, and might be a good idea to do even if it is not your problem.

Go to the library and check out the Chiltons, Haynes or Motors manuals that you might need.

-- clovis (clovis97@Yahoo.com), January 12, 2002.

I hate posting after like 50 people have said something like what Im going to say... It sounds like fuel. Your truck fuel injected. Thus here is the list in ascending order that I would do. Fuel filter. Dirty throttle body- spray it down good, might have to try pulliing it off the truck (pretty simple) and cleaning it out good. Fuel pump- your truck MAY be equipped with dual tanks- many fords of that year were. Does the truck backfire and all that when running on just one tank? As opposed to both- if it has dual tanks and backfires on both tanks, the fuel pump (which is located in the fuel tank- those trucks with dual tanks have 2 pumps- one in each)is not the problem. If your truck is single tanked, this would be my next good bet- fuel pumps are only good for about 100k. You can lengthen the life of a good pump by always running your tank above 1/2 full- the fuel pump is designed to cool itself by being submerged in fuel. To really make your life easier, go get a PSI gauge and attach it to the fuel line. If its pumping, I would say, but check with a mechanic to be sure, above 25 PSI, your fuel system is not the problem, though dirty injectors could still be the cause. Cat converter is a possible-- BUT sometimes the "unhook it and see how she runs- if it runs better, the cat was clogged" check LIES. Its like this, you unhook the cat and the truck runs better, but the fuel pump is only operating at 1/2 power. By unhooking the cat, the engine breates much easier and the trucks preformance improves, though the pump is still the cause of the trouble. IF YOU DO NEED FUEL PUMP ADVICE- how to get to it, what to do once you get there, contact me, as I have done at least 100 of these 90 era ford truck tanks before. I may also be able to suppy you with parts- maybe a fuel pump for 10 dollars or so IF thats the problem. Distrubutor is easy to check- pull the cap, are the contacts dirty>? Is the rotor button diirty- clean them. Start the truck at night to chck for a cracked cap- you will see sparks near it. Plugs are easy to check too, just pull, regap and clean- a Chiltons Automotive manual will show you in picture form (available at any parts store) how to see a good spark plug from a bad one.

-- Kevin in NC (Vantravlrs@aol.com), January 12, 2002.