OT - Any SVT Lightning mechanics around?

[DanEC]

I have a 2003 Lightning with about 14k in miles that I take to cruise night once in awhile and pull a little trailer down to Lowes for building/garden stuff. It's got a 4 lb pulley, K&N CAI, colder plugs, a moderate street tune, and a cat-back exhaust. It lives a cushy life and has never given me any trouble but I noticed this morning on a run to Lowes that it was not quite right.

After I dropped the little trailer off I took it out and accelerated at about half throttle or a little less through first and second. It idles dead smooth and ran up through first smoothly, shifted and started out in second fine but after a few seconds it started a stuttering deal for lack of a better description. It's kind of like a miss but not quite - it doesn't fall completely on it's face just stutters until I back off the throttle. It's very repeatable - pretty much the same thing each time. I didn't press it any harder. No engine check light - I haven't hooked up a tester yet to look for codes.

From memory, these supercharged trucks are sensitive to having a clean fuel filter and I've never changed it out. Fuel sits in the truck for months and months sometime as I only put about 500 miles a year on it. I filled it up about a month ago. Does this sound like what might be expected from a partially clogged fuel filter? I'm thinking about changing out the fuel filter and running some injection cleaner through it and see what happens.

Any other low tech things I might try before going to visit my Ford dealer?

Thanks

Dan

[mrmustang]

Do you have a code reader?
That would be the first thing I would check.

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by mrmustang

Do you have a code reader?
That would be the first thing I would check.

Just got back in from the garage - no codes to be found.

I used to be a member of the F-150 Forum and Lightning subforms. Just checked and it appears to be defunct. Joining the SVT Lightning Owners forum to see if anyone there can help.

[Gaz64]

Sounds like water in fuel tank, from lack of use.

[DanEC]

Always a possibility although I ran the last tank down pretty low and then filled up at SAMS which is a high volume dealer around here. It ran fine the last couple of times I drove it. I hate the thought of draining nearly a full tank of fuel.

What does one do with drained, contaminated fuel anyway (at least legally)?

[mln385]

Try some dry gas in the tank, if you don't run it much You should put some stabil in it at each fill up.

Could also be a dirty MAF....

[mrmustang]

I'm better it is either the fuel filter, or a bad tank of gas. Especially since there are no codes to be found.


Bill S.

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by mrmustang

I'm better it is either the fuel filter, or a bad tank of gas. Especially since there are no codes to be found.


Bill S.

I'll try changing the fuel filter and adding a good gas dryer to the tank first and see if that takes care of it.

Thanks.

[DanEC]

Success!!! I changed the fuel filter today and put a couple containers of Valvoline gas drier in the tank. Everything seems to be back to normal when I went for a test drive afterwards.

Thanks

Dan