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Fuel light on and stalling even after filter change

14K views 11 replies 4 participants last post by  tbarbee 
#1 ·
I have a 97 f-250 with 175,000 miles. One weekend I noticed the fuel filter light coming on the truck. I didn't drive it during the week, and last Friday I replaced the filter and took off down the road. I made it about 3 miles until the light came on and soon after the truck started losing power and died. I pulled the truck back to the house that night, and the following morning I pulled the filter and cleaned out the bowl real good. I had sediment in there but nothing incredibly horrible. I also removed the heater while I was in there because the coating on it seemed to flake off really easily. I took off again and made it into town and got half way home before the light came on again and then died out. Next, i cleaned the FPR screen which was pretty dirty and drove it around the neighborhood. I noticed that under acceleration the light would come on, and if you continued on accelerating it would be begin to sputter unless you let off of it.

I was thinking maybe a clogged screen in the tank, so yesterday I pulled the rear tank and the screen was dirty, but it wasn't even half way plugged up. So I re-installed the tank and drove again and the problem is still there.

There is a small amount of fuel(or maybe oil) in the valley, but its not a huge amount and the truck doesn't leak anything on the ground. Could this problem be a fuel pump? normally when they go out, they just start leaking a lot of fuel everywhere, right?

So whats causing the high rpm issue? The truck starts up fine and idles great, but when at highway speed or under hard acceleration is when this happens.

Thanks for any help. I've been a long time lurker, and I normally figure this stuff out by searching. But I'd like a little input before a drop a hundred on a fuel pump.
 
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#2 ·
It could be the fuel pump. One way to check is to hook a 0-100 psi liquid filled gauge to the schraeder valve on the FPR with a hose long enough to reach the windshield (tape it on there). See if the pressure drops off drastically under load and WOT. Cheers!
 
#3 ·
Sounds like it's your fuel pump. You should put a gauge on it and verify. My other powerstroke was doing the same thing so I hooked up a gauge to it and it barely had any pressure at idle.
 
#4 ·
well i replaced the fuel pump and everything seemed to be working great for about a 100 miles. Then the damn fuel filter light came on again. I checked fuel pressure and was getting about 45lbs at idle. Went ahead and bought new california ems FPR spring kit, new orings for the FPR and replaced the little plastic check valve/screen and ball, and soaked and cleaned the metal filter in the bottom of the FPR(under the c-clip). I have 62-67lbs at idle now. runs great, idles better, etc, etc. Hasn't died(yet).

Still that damn filter light comes on. I haven't driven it out on the highway, only around my neighborhood. It comes on under acceleration and will eventually flicker off when i get to 45mph and cruise for a while. The sensor is not leaking. Maybe it just went bad? I have a new on order that will be here in a few days. Any other ideas? I can't think of anything else.
 
#5 ·
oh this is getting fun.

changed the fuel restriction sensor, light still on and running ok. changed the fuel filter(motorcraft) and truck goes about 1/8th of a mile with no fuel filter light, but the water in fuel light comes on and the truck runs rough and dies like it ran out of fuel.

maybe bad fuel in the truck? its been raining and very foggy around here and the fuel has been in the tank for a little while.

anyone have any tips?
 
#6 ·
You can remove the water in fuel sensor and plug the hole with an1/8 npt plug. And unplug your fuel heater element, that might be your problem.
 
#7 ·
i removed the heater element when i replaced the fuel pump and cleaned the fuel bowl. I got the truck started today finally and no lights are on. i have not driven it down the road yet to see if the fuel restriction light comes on yet.

thanks! any other ideas? anything would help.
 
#8 ·
You could check your icp sensor if it continues to stall or the cps, they are known to cause similar symptoms.
 
#10 ·
just to refresh where I am at now:

New fuel pump w/ new blue hoses, 2nd new motorcraft filter, no oil in ICP connection. Some oil in IPR connection, new fuel restriction sensor, rebuilt FPR, 65lbs fuel pressure at idle. No fuel leaks.

Under hard acceleration, "Fuel Filter" light comes on, sometimes will loose power if you continue accelerating (0-70mph). The last time it died, the truck idled in the driveway for about 30 mins and died about 1/8th mile from the house(not fully warmed up). The "water in fuel" light came on right before it died and fuel bowl had fuel in it.

It took a while to get it started, almost like it had run out of fuel. It was making smoke while cranking over. It "seemed" to want to start more with the ICP unplugged, and was actually unplugged when it started, plugged it in while it was running and it idled fine, have yet to drive it since then.

The three times it had died it was warmed up, making me think the IPR is getting stuck, but each time it has been nearly impossible to get it started again almost like it ran it out of fuel. And the Fuel Filter and Water in Fuel lights on have me a little confused.
 
#12 ·
I just dropped my front tank last night and the pick up foot on the bottom of the sending unit was busted in hundreds of pieces in the bottom of the tank. And what remained the steel tube that was left wasn't long enough to reach the fuel. Ill change it tonight and see how it does. Maybe you have the same problem?

Sent from my Ally using Tapatalk
 
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