1996 V8 XLT? Dies while driving.

[bugmenotplease]

I've been reading up and searching. Now im asking for my friend. She drives a 96 V8 explorer XLT. Completely stock.

Now as of late it's been cutting out on her. It idles fine, and drives fine for the most part. But randomly it'll completely shut off. The thing is when this happens it cranks right up and problem is gone.

Anyone have any ideas? Doesn't sound like the IAC. How about the MAF? Battery is new and tested good. I'll be trying to pull codes from it today. Anyone know where the ODBII port is on a 96? I'm worried that it might be ODB I and not II

 

[410Fortune]

96 is OBD-II, the port is directly under the steering wheel.


When it dies, does it stumble out, like it barely idles and then dies?
Or will she be driving along onthe highway and it jsut shuts off?

When it shuts off does she have battery power?

I would first check battery cables followed by fuel pump fuse and relay

But it could be so many things, without more details it is hard to say.
Pull the codes is a perfect place to start.

 

[Turdle]

With key switched on and engine not running
Have someone watch the check engine light on the cluster, and listen for fuel pump motor running,while you jiggle all the relays and fuses in the Power distribution box under the hood.
now same thing with dash fuses. (#23?)
You are looking for a bad connection to either the fuel pump relay- or PCM relay.
Might not be your problem, but it is an easy check. Not all that uncommon.

 

[bugmenotplease]

she says power stays on when it dies. it just starts losing power and dies. the engine doesn't stumble out or anything.

And it has yet to die while idling. Will be checking codes soon.

 

[410Fortune]

check fuel pressure is a good idea.

Might be time for a full tune up? plugs wires, filters, etc

oh and clean the MAS

 

[Turdle]

Fuel pressure chack is a good idea

Mine developed this same thing. Would die for no apparent reason, or cut out and die
one day, I switched the ignition on, and bingo! no check engine light.
(with key on, check engine light should illuminate--indicates power to PCM)

I wiggled the PCM relay and it clicked on and off. Once I could get it to stay on, the check engine light would be on.
also, at the same time, the fuel pump relay was cutting off. wiggling it caused the fuel pump to turn on and off.Turned out to be the connections inside the power distribution box, where the relays plug in.
Driving down the road, hitting bumps was doing the wiggling and killing the engine

 

[bugmenotplease]

update, The pcm threw no codes. Will try checking relays and fuses once I can. we're at work and cant really play with it when the boss is around

 

[cozy338]

Is there a separate, small ground wire on the neg battery post? Not sure if they're similar, but I had a 1991 that would do that and found that the battery was moving around and losing ground connection on the small wire. Stabilized the battery and had no problems for the next 10 years.

 

[performancenut]

My guess is a fuel issue- likely intermittent fuel pump failure. Like previously mentioned, a fuel rail pressure (right at the time that it dies) that is low or absent will help narrow your issue down.