So....got pulled over yesterday.

Jstas

It's a long story.





But hey, if you clicked this link, you obviously got time!


The Lightning has not been running well lately and I was sinking all my spare cash into the basement. So I let it go for a few months until I had the time/money to address it.

It was basically stumbling at high loads. It wasn't clear what was going on but it felt like a severe misfire. That and it was dumping boost like a runway model dumps her lunch. So there was a problem.

First step...spark plugs.

Came stock with Motorcraft fine-wire double platinums. Not a performance plug but given the boosted engine, platinums or iridiums are the only thing that survives. Copper plugs would be gone in 20-30K miles. Well, looked like the DP's were the originals. I never changed them and I looked through services records and they were never replaced unless they were when it blew one of the plugs out of the head but that was at like 40K miles. So they either had 80K+ miles on them or the full 125K miles. Either way, they have a service life of 100K miles so they were spent. For an idea of how spent, they were gapped stock at .052-.056. I measured the gap on the spent plugs and they ranged from .078 to .089. That's huge and they were running way hot too which is probably why it was dumping boost so much.

But now I know why they were so old.

It took about 10 hours, a contortionist level of flexibility and two Saturdays to change the damn things.

I have pictures but it'll have to wait until I get home to post them.

So, plugs are changed. Take it for a spin, not stumbling as bad but it's still there.

Crud.

Step two...fuel system treatment

Dump a whole bottle in. Run it for like 50 miles. Still stumbling.

Crud again.

Step three...clean the air filter

Holy moly was it dirty! Well, not so much dirty as clogged with tree seeds. I didn't even drive it all that much so I'm not sure how they all go in there. Anyway, cleaned it out, running better, idles better but still stumbling.

Crud crud crud crud...I was hoping it wasn't going to be a dying injector but...the problem is...it's hard to figure out which one is bad. Same with the coils. But they are so hard to get to that if I'm going to be changing one out, might as well change them all since I'll have to remove them to test them. Problem...new ignition coils $375 for the set of 8. New injectors $49 each so about $425 with taxes. So $800 in parts.

Crud crud crud crud

Step four...waitaminute! How old is that fuel filter? The dealer changed it last time I had it in for a scheduled service interval!

Check records...changed at 87,877 miles. (<-- that is what was actually on the service receipt)

Replace fuel filter.

ZOMG! still stumbling slightly but it woke back up! Finally! Reset the computer and started driving it around.



So, been driving it around places burning through the tank of gas with the fuel system treatment in it. Making sure I get on it from time to time so it gets nice and hot too. This means some full throttle blasts on on-ramps and 50-70 MPH runs on the highway. It's been getting progressively better and the misfire seems to have gone. The stumbling is so minimal now that I think it's just one of the new plugs got fouled by the lack of fuel pressure and it's just burning off.

But there has been this odd behavior at the 2-3 shift. I think it could be a transmission problem but it may have been what got me pulled over.

I took the truck out for a run 'cause I had to go get milk anyway. So I went to a far away convenience store so I could hit a stretch of interstate that is about 5 miles long between exits and not be too far out from my house.

So I get on the on-ramp to said interstate, come around the bend and as I hit the straight acceleration lane, I stuck my foot through the floor boards. It downshifted into 2nd and started screaming up the on-ramp. And by up I mean, the ramp is uphill. I was watching the tach, not the speedometer and saw the needle climbing all the way to redline while the blower was wailing like a banshee. It shifted from 2nd to 3rd and I felt this shimmy or shudder and then it shot forward. I let off and by now I'm in the right lane.

Then I see the flashing lights. I look in the mirror and there seems to be a small cloud of smoke waaaaay back there. I wondered if it was me. So by now the State Pooper is on my butt and I figure he wants me. So I pull over.

He comes to the window and asks me what I thought I was doing back there. I looked at him quizzically and said "Merging?" He looks at me like he's going to blow his top and says "Don't get smart with me sir!" I asked him what he was talking about, all I did was get on the highway.

Then he tells me how he watched me rocket up the on-ramp and light the tires up at the end of the acceleration lane like I was "some kind of top fuel driver".

I really didn't help my situation any because the next thing I said, with a big stupid grin on my face, "It lit the tires up? Really?"

By now the Pooper is thoroughly confused and didn't know what to say. So I said "Look, officer, I'm sorry. I had no idea it did that. Honestly, it's been running poorly and I just went through 3 weeks of fiddling with it and a few hunnert in parts to get it running right again. It was running so poorly that I knew when I got to the 2-3 shift, I was at around 65-70 MPH and I let off. If it blew away the tires on that 2-3 shift, I really have no idea how fast I was going and I had no intention of doing that, especially not at that speed."

He looked at me and I said "Really, I'm sorry, I was just trying to get some miles on it to get the ODB II diags back in range to see what other problems pop up. I wasn't racing or anything."

So he gave me a quick lecture about the dangers of speed and so on and so forth. Then he jabbered my ear off for 20 minutes about the truck and the problems I was having.

Hey, if it takes 20 minutes of listening to a cop prattle on about cars, superchargers and drag racing on the side of the interstate to avoid a ticket...time well spent! He didn't ask for my paperwork either.

So, long story short, truck is running well again, there's lotsa dead dinosaurs everywhere and I narrowly avoided a "speeding" or "exhibition of speed" ticket.

I wonder how many electric car owners have stories like that?

BTW, if the truck was running as well as it seems, I was probably a bit over 90 when I let off shortly after the 2-3 shift going by the gear ratios in 1st, 2nd and 3rd alone.

Nightfall

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=369h-SEBXd8

Enjoyed reading your story. What are you driving?

Dennis Gardner

Classic.........I forgot that you had a Lightning, nice trucks. Every once in a while I get caught keeping the cobwebs in the Hemi in my quad cab cleaned out and recall why I bought the HP version in the first place. Putting around in neighborhood traffic or letting them sit can sure gum up things that were meant to run wild.

exalted512

I would've guessed coils.

My buddy got pulled over in a friends hybrid lexus when i was with him, going to the liquor store of all places.

Cop - "Sir, do you have any idea how fast you were going?"
Buddy - "Not really"
Cop - "It looked like you were racing"
Buddy - "Sir...it's a hybrid"

lmao. Things didnt get better from that point, but he never had his radar gun on him so he got off with a "driving without a license" ticket because my friend forgot his wallet at home about 3 blocks away.
-Cody

AsSiMiLaTeD

I"m not a FORD fan, but the Lightning and Raptor are two of my favorite trucks of all time.

recoveryone

I wanted one for years when I had my SVT Contour, get it re-painted matching the teaodor red color of the contour

Jstas

Nightfall wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=369h-SEBXd8

Enjoyed reading your story. What are you driving?

Ummmm....

Jstas wrote: »

The Lightning has not been running well lately...

And I'm not sure what you're getting at with your video. That car doesn't seem to have gears. How's it going to vaporize vulcanized rubber on the 2-3 upshift without gears?

Also, dude ran a 12.9 at 107 MPH in a 2400+ pound car with like 300 horsepower. If I threw slicks on my truck, I could hit high 12's at about 120-125 MPH.

I have a better power to weight ratio. I don't have a power problem, I have a traction problem. It's putting down over 460 pound feet of torque to the rear wheels.

Toolfan66

Nightfall wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=369h-SEBXd8

Enjoyed reading your story. What are you driving?

That was great!!

Thanks!!

Jstas

exalted512 wrote: »

I would've guessed coils.

My buddy got pulled over in a friends hybrid lexus when i was with him, going to the liquor store of all places.

Cop - "Sir, do you have any idea how fast you were going?"
Buddy - "Not really"
Cop - "It looked like you were racing"
Buddy - "Sir...it's a hybrid"

lmao. Things didnt get better from that point, but he never had his radar gun on him so he got off with a "driving without a license" ticket because my friend forgot his wallet at home about 3 blocks away.
-Cody

I was hoping for coils too after I replaced the plugs and the miss was still there. I was dreading injectors.

But then I changed the fuel filter on the hottest and most humid day of the year so far 'cause I'm that kind of a genius and the miss was almost gone. It was still there but the truck was still dumping boost but now blowing black smoke when it did it. That meant it was dumping raw fuel too. So I pulled the battery cable for like an hour and let the computer reset. Put the battery back on and took a drive.

The stumble was still there but not nearly as bad and it's been getting progressively better. Plus, I'm seeing a full 10 pounds of boost again. I'm thinking that the fuel problem still fouled one of the new plugs but the fuel system cleaner in the tank is running through and cleaning it up.

Honestly, it's running like it was new again.

pitdogg2

When was the last time the injector's were cleaned? And no I do not mean a bottle of such and such in the fuel tank. I mean disconnecting the fuel line and running real injector cleaner straight to the injectors. In my Ford truck I used to have to do that often IF I used any ethanol fuel. I only use 100% shell gas and since I did that never any problem with cruddy injectors.

Jstas

Injectors aren't the problem. The fuel filter was the fuel problem.

tonyb

Darn fuel filters....after years of experience, it's one of the first things I replace when an engine starts running poorly. Those fuel injector cleaners will make your engine run poorly too until they work their way. After a tank of gas, you'll run better.

Well, glad ya got her running good again.

Jstas

tonyb wrote: »

Darn fuel filters....after years of experience, it's one of the first things I replace when an engine starts running poorly. Those fuel injector cleaners will make your engine run poorly too until they work their way. After a tank of gas, you'll run better.

Well, glad ya got her running good again.

I run the tank treatments after each "switch". They reformulate the oxygenation treatments for the spring/summer and fall/winter because the temperatures make stuff run differently due to air density. So I'll run the bottles through in like April and October. It gets rid of moisture in the lines and loosens stuff up that shouldn't be there before it gets caked up and causes a problem.

But it also has an octane booster in it and with the adaptive ECU, it will advance timing based on that octane boost so the A/F mixture burns a little hotter. That helps burn off carbon deposits but in my case, it means more power too. It actually runs better when the fuel system treatments are run through.

Then again, your average Mustang or Camaro would shut down on 100 octane unleaded racing fuel. The Lightning just sits there stuttering like a pro-stock car and runs like a scalded dog when you stomp the loud pedal.

polk500

Good story and glad to hear you worked out the bugs with the truck. And you never got a ticket!! That would make me smile all day long.

Cheers
Roger

dkg999

In Illinois the trooper would of ticketed you for "excessive use of power". It's not well defined and up to officer discretion, so it's a money-maker for them. I got one of those for trying to beat some traffic when merging onto I-90, in a 4 cyl. Honda Accord. I figured WTH I'll show up for the court date, showed the judge my window sticker for the Accord showing I had the 4 cyl engine, the officer told the judge I wasn't exceeding the speed limit, the judge rolled his eyes and dismissed the ticket.

George Grand

Somebody has hacked John's account and posted this stuff. The real JS would have told the state trooper everything he had done wrong, starting with turning his lights on/giving chase, and would still be in custody at this time.

tonyb

The real JS would have taken the lawn tractor to get a gallon of milk.

Nightfall

Jstas wrote: »

And I'm not sure what you're getting at with your video. That car doesn't seem to have gears. How's it going to vaporize vulcanized rubber on the 2-3 upshift without gears?

Also, dude ran a 12.9 at 107 MPH in a 2400+ pound car with like 300 horsepower. If I threw slicks on my truck, I could hit high 12's at about 120-125 MPH.

I have a better power to weight ratio. I don't have a power problem, I have a traction problem. It's putting down over 460 pound feet of torque to the rear wheels.

I wasn't trying to compare it to your truck and get you all defensive. You called out electric cars as being slow, I was just pointing out they aren't. The one I liked a video to certainly isn't the fastest either.

tonyb

tonyb wrote: »

The real JS would have taken the lawn tractor to get a gallon of milk.

....naked of coarse.

deronb1

Im thinking he flashed his **** to get out of the ticket

11tsteve

Glad I clicked the link... great story!

Maybe to go along with all of this, give the MAF sensor either a cleaning or replacement. I have had a dirty sensor give that lagging at lower shifts.

gudnoyez

tonyb wrote: »

The real JS would have taken the lawn tractor to get a gallon of milk.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=95qZtwJNjxk

I wonder if that lawnmower ride would of gone down like this classic?

mrbigbluelight

deronb1 wrote: »

Im thinking he flashed his **** to get out of the ticket

PICS or it didn't happen !

..... okay, it didn't happen but still, some pics would be nice.

.....and yes, things have been real slow here lately at the Ponderosa. Real slow. Did I mention slow ?

Jstas

Nightfall wrote: »

I wasn't trying to compare it to your truck and get you all defensive. You called out electric cars as being slow, I was just pointing out they aren't. The one I liked a video to certainly isn't the fastest either.

When did I say an electric car would be slow?


I'm not "getting defensive", I am being defensive. You're making insinuations and making an argument based on things that didn't happen.

I said "I wonder how many electric car owners have stories like that?".

It has nothing to do about anything being slow and like I said in my previous response to you, that electric car you posted can't spin tires on the 2/3 upshift because IT DOESN'T HAVE THOSE GEARS!

I don't know of any electric cars that aren't hybrids that have geared transmissions. That doesn't mean they don't exist. It just means I don't know about them...yet.

So saying "I wonder how many electric car owners have stories like that?" is accurate since, to the best of my knowledge, spinning the tires on a 2/3 upshift in an electric car is an impossibility due to the lack of gears 2 and 3.

Geez. What's so hard to get?

tonyb

deronb1 wrote: »

Im thinking he flashed his **** to get out of the ticket

**** ??
Did someone say **** ?


I'm such a man.....