New guy with a problem

[DavidsTruck]

Hey ya'll new to the forum and I have bit of a problem. My truck won't run! It died on me coming back from glen rose the other day and now I can't get it to run at all. I changed the fuel pump and the filter because it wasn't coming on. After I did that it ran for about 20miles and died again but this time it wont start at all. It was around a 1/4 of a tank when it died so I added 5 gallons but that it didn't help. When it is running it seems like it isn't getting enough fuel. As soon as I put it into drive it dies. Its blowing smoke where it never did before. I searched all over this website and about the best I can come up with is to do the intank mod. Does that sound right or is there something else I should be looking at? I dont have a scanner and I don't have access to one. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

David

[Drew60diesel]

Give us some details on your truck so we can help you a little better. tpye, any mods, ect...

[DavidsTruck]

Sorry about that. Its an '03 F250. It has a 5" exhaust, DIY intake, edge programmer, and the plantdrive WVO setup. I haven't run the vegetable oil in a couple years though. There is a 150k miles and the CPS was changed a few months ago. Fuel filter and pump were changed last week. I cant think of anything else that would be pertinent.

[DavidsTruck]

Sorry to bug everyone but the truck has been down for a couple of weeks while I was chasing parts and air leaks and whatnot. Just want to find out if the next step is pulling off the bed and checking the fuel tank.

[melmount]

first see i its pumping fuel, I have seen new cps's fail. I hooked up a fuel pressure gauge to the drain valve on the fuel filter cannister. I just opened the valve and let the fuel go to the gauge. YOu need about 60 psi. Ifso check the cps again. Is the wait to start light comeing on? you said it runs but not well? So its not the fuse blown for the pcm, caused by the fuel heater? If you have fuel, the cps is good, I would try to get the hpop pressure at cranking?
Try unplugging the icp sensor, if its bad, it wont start. If you unplug it it will default to about 700 psi which will idle the truck fine. If that helps its the sensor.

[DavidsTruck]

It is getting fuel but I'm going to have to track down a fuel gauge to find out what kind of pressure its getting. I unplugged the ICP sensor and got a p1280 code on the edge. I'm guessing that relates to unplugging it. The WTS comes and goes. When I to start it with the ICP it acted like it wanted to start but it didn't. I'll try and track down a gauge tomorrow and see what kind of pressure I'm getting.

[melmount]

Unplug the fuel heater on the back side of the bowl, Its on drivers side bottom. Then replace the fuse for that and the pcm. Any shorts in this, will casue an erratic or a no start condition. I dont see why the wts light would come and go. Usually its out(blown fuse) or its on. But free to unplug it and swap the fuse.

[DavidsTruck]

The heater is unplugged and the fuse is good. I was able to get it started yesterday and figure out that the fuel bowl is completely dry after it dies. I'm thinking that the line must be blocked somewhere and its not letting enough fuel get through when the truck is running or its shutting off after it starts. I've read that the fuel pump relay is behind the radio. Is that correct? Thanks again for the help.

[melmount]

not sure where the relay is, I assume under the hood where the fuses are. Need to make sure the pump is turning on and staying on. That could be a bad relay. Theres a check valve and spring in the return line attached to the fuel bowl. Some people have had the springs fail or push into the line due to deterioration in the fitting. But that would not account for an empty bowl. If you click the key on will it fill the bowl up? (The filter and lid has to be screwed down to do this. Theres a valve the filter pushes open.)