HELP with Fuel/Ignition
 

I have an '02 GT that sputtered to a stop yesterday after driving fine all day. When I restarted the car it was misfiring then just quit and won't start now. Still has plenty of fuel in the tank. What's up with this? Car only has 29,000 miles. Any ideas out there on what's the problem? :icon_sile

Is the car stock? What mods do you have? I assume it tossed an SES light, right?

It could be a million things, but sure sounds like a major computer problem. If it is still under warrenty, get it in. If not, try to get the codes read. I would also pull a few spark plugs and see how they look. The fact that the car won't start at all, leads me to think it is a computer issue. 'Course, could be a fuel pump gone bad too. You can have all the gass in the tank, but no pump then no start....it will seem like it ran out of gas. also, a really badly clogged fuel filter can cause the same problems...missfire followed by no start.

Thanks for advice. My thoughts on this are fuel issues. No motor mods yet. I did try today to start it. When I floored the gas pedal and let it crank for 4-5 seconds it would start, though again misfiring then die. No check engine light is coming on so I think it could be fuel. Would a clogged fuel filter do this? I will replace first before getting it into the dealer if that does not work. It's now out of warranty by 2 months. How's that for luck. :help:

Yeah, either a fuel filter or a bad fuel pump could do this. Fuel filters are cheap, so it can't hurt to check it. Normally though, when a fuel filter starts to go bad you begin to see problems under load at WOT. If one or the other were a problem, I would think more likely to be a pump issue.

Can you get a guage and check fuel pressure?

Another vote for the fuel system. Go buy a filter, they are like 10 bucks, and also dont forget the fuel filter changing tool, those are like 5 bucks. Its a cheap check, however, I would think it was the pump gone bad. Give it a shot, if it doesnt help, get it to the dealership. They shouldnt give you any hassle as it is a stock car (GASP) LOL. Good luck man, I know it is hard to have a downed stang.

Fuel filter is in the back by gas tank. Since we were installing the SLP cat back we went ahead and changed the fuel filter. The tool you need is AC/fuel line disconnect tool size you will need is 5/16 ". I just bought the whole set that comes 6 sizes as I had done some work on my AC.

Thanks all for the advice. Yes, it is sad it's not modified yet on the engine side. Have put on chin spoiler, Tri-Ax shifter and will put on 18x10 chrome bullits in a couple of months (have the wheels, deciding on tires). Next up is a cold air kit and cat back exhaust to keep me happy for a year or so. Anyway, the fuel pump seems to be more the issue. Had it opened up WOT several times the day it died. No hesitation until it started sputtering and then died. Thanks again for the tips.

My bet is the Fuel Pump. I have replaced about 50 Ford fuel pumps in the last year. They have been having a high failure rate since 2001. Make sure the dealer replaces the fuel filter if you take it there.

Did you ever run out of gas or let it get to low at anytime and what octane and brand of gas have you been using?

Running regular unleaded as I read a Car and Driver article that showed a drop in HP when using higher octane unleaded in this car (I think it was an '01 GT they tested). The car has never run out of gas I always keep a minimum of 1/2 tank in the car, especially during the winter to reduce the chance of condensation in the tank. Nice to know that fuel pumps are problem with this car. I checked AllData and Ford does'nt have a TSB yet on fuel system issues that I could find. Maybe I'll plead with the dealer to fix it under a "customer satisfaction" clause.