Have a '96 E-150 van (V8/5.8). Little over a week ago it shutdown in the middle of the road. It'll start, it'll idle like normal, and you can rev the engine if you take the gas peddle down very, very slowly. If you tried to drive it normally, the minute you step on the gas the engine just shuts off. Example: You're at a stop sign, start to pull out, engines dies, but cranks right back up and idles.

The van has a history of intermittent miss that comes and goes on Cylinder Number 2. The miss isn't constant, some days it does, some days it don't; more common if you're going up hill. The day it shut down, it missed going up a hill, but once we crested the hill it started running just fine. Some days it throws a code on the cylinder, some days it doesn't. At the moment, the only engine code thrown is one for a error on the crankshaft position sensor.

Where do I start looking for the problem that's shutting it down when you punch the gas?

My first thought is bad fuel pump or pressure regulator...

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Replaced the pump last summer, but pressure regulator wasn't replaced. So step one would be get a pressure gauge on the rail?

Sounds like the PIP sensor is bad. Change your crank sensor and you should be back up and running.
It's functioning enough to run but breaking down as the rpm increase.

smokey said:

Sounds like the PIP sensor is bad. Change your crank sensor and you should be back up and running.
It's functioning enough to run but breaking down as the rpm increase.

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Where would that be located at or are it and crank sensor the same?

This van is completely buffaloing me. If it was an older model truck, I could fix about anything on it no problem. But one thing breaks down on this thing and you fix it 4 more problems crop up.

The crank sensor is located front of the engine right beside the timing pointer

smokey said:

The crank sensor is located front of the engine right beside the timing pointer

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And the PIP sensor?

A couple other things come to mind. Has it progressively gotten harder to accelerate, or has it been sudden? Does it revv ok sitting, but not going down the road?

Progressively getting worse, and free revvs ok makes me think bad cat. Sudden change or even progressive and no difference on revvs makes me think TPS. It is also possible to be fuel filter related, but not totally convinced. It is however a maintenance item, and relatively cheap, so is worth a try all the same.

Ive also seen coils do this....as you step on the gas and computer dumps more fuel the coil cant make enough spark and it basically floods itself.

Evans are a PITA to work on to...

My dad had a 94 with a 302 and not only was it a dog, it took us a 3 days to put plugs in it.

I also would put a pressure gauge on the fuel rail. For other problems such as all of the electrical sensors the guys are mentioning, it would be beneficial to pull the codes and see if the computer is suggesting any of them are out of range.

Ryan

Best thing since it is an OBD II is have someone actually scan it by monitoring the readings, codes alone really don't always tell the whole story. I also agree with the fuel pressure gauge, as it helps confirm or deny adequate fuel supply.

Been a bit since I had a chance to check the thread. Thanks to everyone that gave me advice. Got the cam' out today and shot a vid of what the motor is doing.



Suggestions?

Fellro said:

Best thing since it is an OBD II is have someone actually scan it by monitoring the readings, codes alone really don't always tell the whole story. I also agree with the fuel pressure gauge, as it helps confirm or deny adequate fuel supply.

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^^This. Has it been hooked up to an actual diagnostic tool that can read the data stream and see what all the sensors are doing? Pulling codes is fine, but just getting the codes does`nt tall you the whole story.

I would definately throw a fuel pressure gauge on it, a vacuum gauge, check timing, blah blah. A lot of the old stuff still works, you just need to add a multi-meter to the mix.

Something I forgot to mention. I had a 94 F-150. Twice it had the fuel pump go bad. Each time it would start and stall, or start and idle, but if you put it in gear and tried to go it would die.