Hello everyone,

2003
F-350
6.0
200XXX miles

This has been an ongoing issue that I have been posting on Ford-truck.com and decided to jump over here to see if I can get some different answers or suggestions. This is my DD and really need to get this issue fixed. Thanks in advance.

I really seem to notice this issues mostly on the freeway at freeways speeds. Once I get up to 50+ for a couple of minutes the truck starts to hiccup and struggles really bad. If I let off the gas the truck will die. As long as I keep the skinny pedal down I can feather it to a lower speed, which seems like the truck does a lot better. I noticed a couple of times black smoke when the truck starts acting up. I think the injectors are getting loaded because I have the pedal almost to the floor to keep the truck from stalling when the hiccups get really bad.

at idle it seems like it fluctuates. I don't notice a change in RPMS, but I hear the idle change and the exhaust sounds throatier like the motor is missing or something.

I have an oem fuel and oil cap. Cleaned the EGR valve and put new o-rings on. had a tear on the ICP pigtail. Replaced the pigtail and ICP sensor. This is a new truck to me and the previous owner said all 8 injectors are about 6 months old. Did a bubble test, test came back negative. I have a scangaugeII all values are coming back normal at KOEO, ideal and High idle. Not throwing any codes. Truck feels like it drives fine on city street. However, once I turn the truck off after getting up to temps I will have to crank for a good 10 seconds to start. sometimes have to crank it over 2 or 3 times for about that long. On cold starts the truck starts right up. HELP!!

ICP
KOEO - 15
Idle - 664
High Idle - 1483

IPR
KOEO - 14.6
Idle - 22.7
High Idle - 37.9

FMP
KOEO - 47.0
Idle - 47.0
High Idle - 47.5

FPW
KOEO - 0
Idle - 1056-1208
High Idle - 648ish

CVI
KOEO - 4.98
Idle - 4.98
High Idle - 4.98

FSN
KOEO - 0
Idle - 1
High Idle - 1

ICV
KOEO - .19
Idle - .91
High Idle - 1.71

 

Any mods on the truck?

All these values you're posting... is the truck warmed up? Sounds like you're taking readings while it's sitting in the driveway... you really need to watch what's happening as it's dying out.

I'd be interested to see ICP actual and ICP desired against each other while you're driving.

How old are the batteries? I would have them load tested. I would also manually test the FICM with multi-meter, just to rule it out.

 

The prior owner advised me the truck has been performance chipped. I've been debating on going to my local ford dealer to flash the ECU back to stock specs.

And you are correct those reading are when the truck is sitting in the driveway. I briefly drove the truck around last night to try to get it to die out. Of course I couldn't get the truck to mess up, but then again it wasn't as hot outside and a short drive. However, when I turned the truck off and tried to restart it, it was a very hard start. My ICP readings started at low 360ish and worked it's way up to 500psi to start the truck.

Could this be a leak in my HPO system? I just started to notice a small oil leak on the passenger side right about where the tranny meets the motor. It's a lil dirty under there, so planning on pressure washing it, then follow the leak.

 

Sounds like it might be the start of a high pressure oil leak yes. It needs 525psi to fire the truck.

See if you can monitor it and read those settings while you're driving it.

The small leak where the tranny meets the engine... I haven't seen a 6.0 without this. The infamous wet bellhousing.

 

thank you for your help!

When monitoring the ICP values while driving should I be at a certain speed or should I start to monitor the ICP once the truck starts acting up? or both?

I read a couple of threads on how to test the FICM manually and will get that done tonight. Will post up values tomorrow.

 

Test at a variety of speeds. Well... speed itself doesn't matter as much as throttle input. When you go to WOT, it should go near 4000psi, and the key is to make sure ICP actual and ICP desired stay close together. Desired is what the PCM is requesting and actual is what the HPOP is putting out, make sense?

As it starts running rough I suspect (if there is a high pressure oil leak) desired will remain the same, and actual will start falling off, you may even see IPR duty % go up to try and compensate for this.

 

I understand the ICP actual and ICP desired, but how do I determine the ICP desired values. I have a scangaugeII and I'm assuming I am watching my ICP actuals values. Is there another code to punch into my scangauge to view ICP desired values?

 

I'm sure there is since both can be monitored via the OBD port, so I would think the scangauge can do it, unfortunately I'm just not that familiar with them.

Regardless if it's only showing one it's probably showing actual. See what it is driving and see what it is when the truck starts dying.

 

I've been reading about ICP desire values for the scangaugeII and doesn't look like it will give those numbers just ICP actual.

Took the truck out last night drove it like I stole it and it ended up messing up on me. When monitoring the ICP while the truck was hiccuping I couldn't get an actual reading the number were fluctuating so much. At one point the ICP actual values hit as low as 364 and this is driving/coasting at 60 MPH. When the truck starts to hiccup I kept the gas down to keep it from dying out and my IPR values were at 77.8.

the truck ended up dying on me while exiting the freeway. Just waiting about 15 min and truck started after a very hard start. I think I messed up my starter. It sounds horrible now when I started it this morning...
ICP
KOEO - 30
Idle - 640
Cranking w/no start- 389ish
High Idle - 1458

IPR
KOEO - 14.6
Idle - 24.9
Cranking w/no start - 77.8
High idle - 39

ICV
KOEO warm - .20
Idle - .86
High Idle - .58

 

Next time it does this, get out and unplug the ICP sensor, if you can. I know on your 03 it's buried in the back. If you can unplug it and then try restarting it, if it fires right up and seems to idle fine, it's probably just the sensor. If it still has issues, there's a high pressure oil leak. When you unplug it, it defaults to 2000psi desired, so it will start and run great, but you probably wont be able to drive it very fast, it's more for limping it home. If it still starts hard and idles choppy it's gotta be a high pressure oil leak. That, or the HPOP is starting to die on you. What were your ICP numbers when you went WOT?