94.5 Powestroke-Fuel Filter Light and now its dead

Kenneth Brown

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Joined
Feb 3, 2003
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3,481
I was driving down a dirt road and the fuel filter light would flicker. Once on smooth road it stayed on. About a mile down the road it died. I pulled the fuel filter out since the light had been on. It had quite a bit of trash on the outside fins. Since I was out in the boonies with no help available I tapped it out and reinstalled. It fired right up. I then made it about another mile befor it lost power and died again. This time it wouldn't restart but I was on a main road and got cell phone coverage. I towed it to the house and installed a new filter. Nothing. I pulled the filter and filled the well with fresh fuel. Still nothing. I hate starter fluid so I used some WD40 and it fired off and continued to run but pretty rough. I wrote this off to air in the line and waited 5 minutes or so to clear out. Continued to run rough so I was going to drive it around the pasture thinking it might help. I made it about 75 feet before it died. Back to nothing. I let it sit a few days and messed with it today. The well has fuel in it. The schrader valve hisses but no fuel comes out. I mixed a squirt bottle of fuel. When i spray this down the intake house with a very light touch of starting fluid it fires and runs for a few seconds.

I'm a good wrench on gas and hotrods but lost on diesels. From digging in old posts I know to say that the tach is showing a reading. Do I have air in the lines still? If so how do I bleed? What else can this be? Truck ran like a scalded azz ape before all this and its completely stock with 252,000 miles.
 

puddle jumper

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Jul 5, 2006
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3,830
Re: 94.5 Powestroke-Fuel Filter Light and now its dead

I bet your fuel pick up screens in your tank are plugged. I work on these trucks all the time and its common for that to happen with that exact symptoms. To prove this. Take the suction line off the lift pump on the frame under the drivers seat. Hook up a rubber hose to the inlet side of the lift pump and put the other end in a clean gas can of diesel. Fill the fuel filter housing and run the engine. It should run just like it should normally. Even take it for a drive if you wish. The big thing is to find out how the dirt got into your tank or you will be in the same trouble as before.
 
D

DJ

Guest
Re: 94.5 Powestroke-Fuel Filter Light and now its dead

You have TWO fuel filters. One on the engine and one on the drivers side frame rail, just under the drivers door. That is also the water seperator.

If you buy a Motorcraft fuel filter, you get both, in one kit.

I highly recommend the Motorcraft kits. There have been some issues with other brands not fitting properly and causing fuel starvation. Sure death to a 6.0L.
 

Kenneth Brown

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Joined
Feb 3, 2003
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3,481
Re: 94.5 Powestroke-Fuel Filter Light and now its dead

PJ- You're on to something there. Its running again. I cleaned the FPR screen as it was covered in junk, blew air through the lines back to tank to clean off the sock, and then blew air into tank to help pressureize (is that even close lol) along with quite a bit of staring fluid and wd40.
 

puddle jumper

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Joined
Jul 5, 2006
Messages
3,830
Re: 94.5 Powestroke-Fuel Filter Light and now its dead

Ken unfortunate but you will still have to drop the tank and clean it. The dirt will get picked up again. But glad your up and running.
 
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