Stalling when in Gear along with Flickering Lights

[GeorgeH]

Well, all the coils should be good. They're about a year old. Same with plugs.
How do you suggest diagnosing? Or are you just recommending I drop 200$ with high hopes?

I recommend you take it to a mechanic that knows what he's doing. Failing that, of the choice between coils and a power steering pump, I would change the coils. Have you read how many issues there are with the coils on these vehicles?

And you state that the "coils should be good" - clearly they are not if they are so loose you have to add zipties to hold them on.........

 

[Thafisher]

I recommend you take it to a mechanic that knows what he's doing. Failing that, of the choice between coils and a power steering pump, I would change the coils. Have you read how many issues there are with the coils on these vehicles?

And you state that the "coils should be good" - clearly they are not if they are so loose you have to add zipties to hold them on.........

The coils themselves should be good. It's quite simple. The connectors that connect to the coils are broke so they don't snap on. They just slide on. The ziptie is acting as the connector's clip.
Now, how would coils being loose mean they're not good?
At very best, It'd make sense to recommend swapping the connectors.
Also, funds are a variable here. Hence the reason I'm not kicked back letting someone else do the work........

 

[GeorgeH]

The coils themselves should be good. It's quite simple. The connectors that connect to the coils are broke so they don't snap on. They just slide on. The ziptie is acting as the connector's clip.
Now, how would coils being loose mean they're not good?
At very best, It'd make sense to recommend swapping the connectors.
Also, funds are a variable here. Hence the reason I'm not kicked back letting someone else do the work........

Then change the power steering pump so you can rule that out and move on.

 

[07EddyB]

I think what everyone is suggesting is that you fix your engine problems first. I see that your check engine light is still on and your engine does not sound good. If you are not getting misfires logged anymore then start on the next of many trouble codes you have. If the engine isn't running well, then it isn't going to take a load well.
What is that big wire running along the top of the left front quarter panel? And I would swear that on one of your videos I saw some wires connected with wire nuts?

 

[Thafisher]

I think what everyone is suggesting is that you fix your engine problems first. I see that your check engine light is still on and your engine does not sound good. If you are not getting misfires logged anymore then start on the next of many trouble codes you have. If the engine isn't running well, then it isn't going to take a load well.
What is that big wire running along the top of the left front quarter panel? And I would swear that on one of your videos I saw some wires connected with wire nuts?

Yea the CEL is still on. The only codes I'm getting are P0053 and P0132. Both 02 codes that I've seen before. There's not any other codes to work on at this point.
The engine seems to be running much better than it was in the past.
Everyone is suggesting that I fix my engine problems first, but what are my engine problems?
Link me the video with the big wire you're talking about.
Also, yes, I used wire nuts on the cam sensor connector. It is providing a good steady connection so I didn't personally see the issue using them. Maybe I'm wrong though.

 

[Rcflyer330]

Wire nuts are the the greatest thing to use the proper way fix is to solder them and use heat shrink to cover the solder joint.

 

[07EddyB]

Link me the video with the big wire you're talking about.

The one called Power Steering Chopiness

 

[Thafisher]

Wire nuts are the the greatest thing to use the proper way fix is to solder them and use heat shrink to cover the solder joint.

I will probably redo them soon and just solder it.
Thanks!

 

[Thafisher]

The one called Power Steering Chopiness

Are you talking about the red wire? If so it is the power for a sound system. It is unhooked though from both ends.

 

[Thafisher]

Thanks a ton everyone for all the help!
My solution to it stalling out unless you press the gas ended up being caused by loose coils and plugs. About 3 of my coil's connectors were broken to where they wouldn't clip onto the coil. After realizing this I snugged them all down with zipties to provide a temporary hold for them. After I did that the truck would stay running and was driveable.
It was still having a few smaller issues like, the power steering is still stiff at times, I still have constant misfires (even with new coil/plug in place), white smoke from exhaust upon accelerating after idling for 30 seconds or more, I can also still make it stall out if I try hard enough. (AC on, Lights on, Rolling windows, in gear, etc) Almost as if there isn't enough voltage/power being produced.

So all in all, if you're having this issue, check your coils and connectors first. If they are loose at all, fix that.
Also, make sure all plugs are snug. Don't ask me how mine ended up loose.
Then check the connectors going to your fuel injectors.
In the end I had a total of 2 fuel injector connectors broken, 3 coil connectors broken, and 3 coils that were physically wobbling around due to stripped bolts that secure the coils. Now with everything snugged as tight as it can be (using zipties) It will run and get me anywhere I need to go. I've already taken it on multiple hour+ long trips with no stalling..


Now, for the problems that still exist.. It shakes pretty violently when trying to maintain a speed of 45 or higher. It's intermittent though.
So for example, I'll get on the highway and be driving at 60 mph for 10 minutes straight with minimal roughness, then out of the blue while just trying to maintain a speed of 60 (1500 rpm) it will start shaking violently. The only way to get it to stop shaking is to either let off the gas, or press it hard enough that I start speeding up (2000+ rpm). It's very inconvenient. I'm thinking it had to do with the misfire that won't go away no matter what I do. #3 mainly. Sometimes I get a code for #1, and random.

 

[Rcflyer330]

That does sound like a misfire. Glad it's at least running now. How old are the plugs?

 

[Thafisher]

That does sound like a misfire. Glad it's at least running now. How old are the plugs?

A year or so, could be less. But I pulled out #4 today and it was completely missing the arc. #2 Had some weird buildup around the arc. I swapped them both with newer working plugs. Better performance now but that shaking is still there.
I have codes for #3 pretty much constantly. So I went and bought a new coil for it and a plug. Still misfiring.

 

[Explorer_PL]

Let me say one more time and hopefully the last.
Those Triton engines are super sensitive to the coils. If you have some old aftermarket coils, the chances are they are failing without throwing 30x code or CEL. I have had my 4.6 for almost 12 years and have replaced spark plugs and coils number of times. Only once I did not use Motorcraft and I had to replace them within a year. I know some used aftermarkets and they work. I clock lots of many miles daily and they went bad fast. Every time the coils were failing, the car would kick, buck, jerk, hunt for gears as if the tranny was failing.
Bottom line, when funds are available, get a set of OEM coils and plugs.