'03 ST - surging on hills, blinking check engine light

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Pat Freeman

Pat Freeman

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2001
Messages
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Location
Eldersburg, MD
My father's '03 ST started hesitating, surging and stumbling over itself pulling hills in 5th gear. It only has 30k miles on it. It's been doing this for a week even after a new fill-up at a different gas station and putting in dry-gas. He got PO'd at it one day and floored it where it shifted at redline but it started blinking the check engine light, temporarily. It came back after a hard acceleration earlier this week and now the check engine light is on all the time. He is going to get it scanned at Autozone and let me know the trouble codes, but until then, I told him I'd ask for opinions.



The ST still stumbles under even a slight load, pulling a hill. I found one other post on the forum about this back in Jan, suggesting it might be plugs or wires, but the guy never reported whether the problem was fixed or what it was. If anyone knows or has experience with this, let me know.
 
I had that exact problem almost a few weeks ago.. I had no check engine light though, and it was very minor stumbling. I had filled up with gas on the indian reservation, which i dont usually do, and i wont be doing that anytime soon again. But after i refilled the tank at a mobil station it hasnt done it since. I live on a hill thats about a 40 degree angle so i felt it but i think it was just bad gas, which may also be your father;'s problem. Run tyhe tank down and fill up soemwhere else... By the way, i have 116,000 miles so i could also expect that from mine, but not from yours.



Good luck

Andy
 
Have the check light scanned.... What is the code???



IT could be a tranny code since it was driven in a manner it was not used to.....

Todd Z
 
Another vote for a possible tranny code....



Other than that....real bad gas can clog your fuel filter.............could check into that as well......cause even after the bad gas is out, the filter is still clogged....





Cheers,
 
Thanks for the suggestions, so far.



When the truck is at a low RPM, 5th gear, pulling a mild hill, it surges. As soon as you apply more gas, it downshifts and it's fine. At high RPMs it is not starved for fuel. Since it's a low RPM, low fuel consumption surges would rule out fuel starvation or limitation (i.e. clogged fuel filter) in my opinion. What is everyone's thought on this?



I agree that it isn't used to being driven to redline, which would cause the blinking light. Mine did this one time while trying to show a heavy Chevy that it just couldn't compete with my '02 4x4 with the 4.10's. I won. :)



I'm awaiting the codes from him. I do know that it's out of warranty due to passing the 36 month period. Since Dad is a mechanic by trade, he'd like to figure this one out instead of taking it to the dealer. He just doesn't have the scan tool and I'm 150 miles away and can't make it up there for 2 weeks.



Thanks!
 
OK, doesn't sound like a fuel filter now. Almost sounds like a sensor....elbow..tranny.....computer problem...



I would get it scanned for codes...........Could be the torque converter locking up too soon.. could be something on the motor stalling it at low speeds.



You could just try reseting the computer as well. Lift the negative off the battery for 30 mins or so.....
 
Scanned it yesterday, it was showing misfire in cylinder 3. He couldn't get the plug wire off, it was SO tight. Probably going to dealer.
 
Screw the dealer. Replace the plugs and wires yourself. Cheaper and not a hard project. He will get the bone going to the dealer.



I recomend Motorcraft plugs and Taylor-Vertex wires.



Drive it to my place, I will change the plugs and wires for him, no charge for my labor, only parts.





Tom
 
I told him to do it himself. He's been a mechanic since the 50's! I think he gave up on the plug wire that wouldn't come off. Then he said he may as well take it to someone who can pinpoint it to just the plugs, or just the wires, to save some money. I said that's impossible but he argued with me and said that a good diagnostic machine can distinguish between a bad plug and a bad wire.



:rolleyes: Yeah, OK!



I swear, sometimes it's never good to even argue with family.
 
The difference between replacing the wires and not is only 40 bucks. It will cost 100.00 to just plug it on the machine.



My father is getting that way. Whenever he has a little noise, he wants to run to the dealer to have them look at it and doesn't even give me the chance to look at it.



Must old man syndrome.





Tom
 
Pat, Auto Zone will scan it for free and give you a paper with the needed parts along with the price. I set with your Dad at breakfast in Louisville and very much enjoyed talking with him. Now get on over there and fix his truck! He would come fix yours.



Paul
 
Hey Paul! Yeah, he got it scanned, #3 cylinder missing. Gonna drive up to PA this weekend. If he hasn't decided to do something crazy like go to the dealer between now and then, I'd gladly lay on his V6.
 

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