Need help, 03 HD "quit" running

[lightningmac]

My 03 HD with 20.7k mi just "died" while I was leaving for work Sunday morning. It would crank and fire but not stay running, kind of like a fuel issue. Full tank of gas, zero mods. I've only had it for about 2500 miles. Anyway I had it towed to the Ford dealer, I have a buddy who is a heavy line mechanic there. The service writer calls and beats me up about what oil I'm running, I explained I have no idea, I had recently bought the truck preowned and it had a sticker from a fairly recent oil change. He also questioned me about what octane fuel, I said 91 or 93 depending where I'm at. He replied it had to be 93! Anyway, he calls back and says there is oil? in the air filter housing and got on the mass air meter, is this what everybody is referring to about the oil separator kit? He says he has never heard of this, I've read a little about the kit but didn't think it would be a problem for a stock truck. I had a 01 L brand new then with a big at the time 6# pulley, chip, filter, plugs etc. and never had any problems. My 03 didn't give any pre-warnings either, it ran fine the night before. My wife and I were even talking about how much I liked my truck, kind of blows the whole newer vehicle reliability theory for me. Whatever the case I will probably get a oil separator kit if that is what everybody does. Will it harm the warranty? Thanks in advance...

[KevF]

Lightningmac,

hey I know how ya feel. My truck did exactly the same. Just giving it some of the loud pedal when she just died. Tried to restart and she fired right up but then died each and everytime.
It showed no dt codes on the trip or on my Predator.
It turned out to be the Idle Air Control Motor and the Power Command Module. Both were no good and were replaced and she now runs perfectly. Actually she feels like she runs better than before.......
Hope this helps.

Kev F :BF:

[Mako]

Has to be 93 octane?!?! Some states do not even sell 93 octane... does this mean that Ford CAN'T sell HDs and Lightnings in these states? Man, when they want to give you the run around they don't hold anything back!

Sorry about your bad luck. Hope everything works out.

Jim

[tbbucanrs]

Dealer D*ckheads! I don't know why they give people a runaround when it comes to warranty work? Can someone who works for Ford let us know why this happens? Doesn't the dealership get paid by Ford for the work?

[Mako]

From what I have heard, the dealerships get the word from Ford to try to void as much as possible. Not so much the dealers trying to get out of doing the work as much as it is Ford trying to get out of having to pay for it.

But in all fairness to Ford, I have heard it is just as bad with GM and dodge too.

My dad has a Pontiac montana minivan with the airride supsension in the back. Has hadit in the dealer here about 10 times in the last 6 months because it pumps whenever it feels like it. It is currently jacked all the way up in the back, with no load at all on it (told him it looked FAST that way, '60s muscle car look!). I was with him at the dealer a couple of times dropping it off and they have all but blaimed him for pumps and actuators going bad. He drives the thing like any normal person drives a minivan. They just don't want to fix it.

[Delmustator]

Man that dealer is a peckerhead!

I'd tell him to drop the grab-*** guessing game and fix the damn truck under warranty. It's bumper-to-bumper until 36k regardless of what he says.

I'd give him 1 shot before I talked to his boss.

-Del

[airtroop01]

Okay, if oil on the MAF indeed caused your problem then that's pretty much a ford design issue with these engines. There are two areas where engine oil returns back into the intake. On the passenger side, it gets sucked through the PCV valve and into the intake manifold. On the driver's side the tube routes around and dumps it in the intake boot. You must have had a bunch of oil blowby in there for it to roll back down and coat the maf. Then again, it doesn't take much - just a drop - to cause problems. You can put an oil separator on, but that would only cure the passenger side.

The gas you use has nothing to do with it - but I would recommend the 93 if you have it. All I get out here is 91.

In any case, this is one of the extreme situations I've heard of. You would have to be in boost all the time and letting off abruptly? Since you have sucking of oil on both sides, you could consider a breather cap on both sides to vent to atmosphere. I would not run it on one side only. Clear the computer and then get the a/f checked afterwards to make sure the computer compensated and that you don't need a tune.

Hope Ford fixes your problem. If not, we'll help you out with what you need to do.

[MRBLUEOVAL]

Its the IAC...I guarantee it!

[1mean02HD]

I would have to agree with MR Blue Oval on this one... I've heard that the IACs on these trucks are very sensitive to cold and moisture. Also have heard that there is a TSB recall on this part but I am not 100% on this. Hopefully someone knows this for sure because that problem is getting quite irritating....GRRRRRRRR.

[airtroop01]

Originally posted by MRBLUEOVAL
Its the IAC...I guarantee it!

I agree with you. Then again I didn't see the MAF element to see if it was oil fouled. But, I'd bet the IAC just needs a cleaning.

[2002GreyHD150]

2,000,000,000,000% sure its the IAC! there is a TSB out on it. Mine died at 5,000 \miles new... frozen (as in Ice/snow) solid.

totally covered by warranty. If you cranked on it alot to try & make it run, they will either remove/clean or repalce all 8 plugs due to being fuel fouled too.

My Maf was covered in salt, water, ice, they cleaned it & its still in the truck doin great..

Rob W