I have a 2001 7.3L Powerstroke with about 297k miles (I have owned it since new). About six months year ago...I would intermittently get a "Check Engine Light". The situation deteriorated until the truck would not engage in drive (Start/Idle fine, but when you accelerated...nothing). I quickly learned that if I put the truck in Neutral...then back in drive, the engine/transmission would engage (accelerate).

Over the past two weeks, it is now to the point that I start it, maybe pull out of the driveway...and it goes back to the point...it will only idle...which means I am doing a whopping 2 mph.

I thought it might be the fuel injectors, so I put some ATF in the fuel and for an afternoon, it appeared to start running properly again until the end of the day where I was nearly killed on the highway when it went back to not accelerating past idle (in neutral or drive).

Any ideas on the issue? I am thinking the fuel pump or injectors as it starts fine and will initially "rev up", but then the "Check Engine Light" comes on and the truck won't accelerate (past idle) until about 45 seconds later...when I go through the whole scenario again.

I am also thinking the oil pump or the transmission (ECT Sensor if I remember right).

LAST NOTE: Once I get up to speed, if I put the Cruise Control on, it will accelerate, etc despite the "Check Engine Light"...once I disengage the Cruise Control, then it goes back to where I can only idle when in neutral OR drive.

I appreciate any help.

Marcus

 

Pull the codes... Sounds like a TPS issue, but without pulling codes there is no way to even guess.

 

Thanks, Obviously if I had the codes...

It turned out to the be the injectors. I put some Seafoam in the fuel and it took about a half of talk of "run through", but the "Service Engine Soon" went away.

 

Pull the codes still... They were stored..