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'05 Ford Freestyle Idles Ok, but Stalls After a Short Drive and Then Won't Start


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Ihateworking
Novice

Jul 8, 2022, 9:45 AM

Post #1 of 17 (1314 views)
  post locked   '05 Ford Freestyle Idles Ok, but Stalls After a Short Drive and Then Won't Start  

Automatic transmission. Car sat for about a year. New battery.
Started and idled fine for about 40 minutes on the old gas but stalled as soon as it was put in gear and then cranked but wouldn't start.
Tried again 2 weeks later and started on the first try.
About 5 gallons of new gas was added to the old.
Idled for 10 or 15 minutes and drove about 100 feet and then reversed back.
Started to drive again and got about 50 feet when it faltered and died. Started again but died a few seconds later and then wouldn't start.
I do have a little exp working on cars but haven't run into this problem before.
Thanks for any help.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jul 8, 2022, 10:07 AM

Post #2 of 17 (1311 views)
  post locked   Re: '05 Ford Freestyle Idles Ok, but Stalls After a Short Drive and Then Won't Start  

What's the big surprise here. You're trying to drive it on year old gas.

You need to completely empty the tank, even if you have to remove it to accomplish that. There's also a very good chance it will need a new fuel pump now.

You may have even messed up the fuel injectors.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Jul 8, 2022, 10:08 AM)


Ihateworking
Novice

Jul 8, 2022, 10:30 AM

Post #3 of 17 (1305 views)
  post locked   Re: '05 Ford Freestyle Idles Ok, but Stalls After a Short Drive and Then Won't Start  

Lol.
I guess I was just wondering why it would idle and drive at all.


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jul 8, 2022, 10:49 AM

Post #4 of 17 (1299 views)
  post locked   Re: '05 Ford Freestyle Idles Ok, but Stalls After a Short Drive and Then Won't Start  

Agree - old fuel if outdoors for a year probably too wet/water it ran but can't deliver enough. Why unknown for now this may have a port to check fuel pressure let some out of that into glass you might see how bad it is?

T



Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jul 8, 2022, 11:07 AM

Post #5 of 17 (1295 views)
  post locked   Re: '05 Ford Freestyle Idles Ok, but Stalls After a Short Drive and Then Won't Start  


Quote
I guess I was just wondering why it would idle and drive at all.


Because it requires a lot less, quality fuel to idle. Typical bad/low fuel symptom.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Ihateworking
Novice

Jul 26, 2022, 8:01 PM

Post #6 of 17 (1188 views)
  post locked   Re: '05 Ford Freestyle Idles Ok, but Stalls After a Short Drive and Then Won't Start  

Alrighty. The next step is draining the gas, however the old rubber tube down the fill pipe only gets me gas-flavored air. Apparently cars can have a screen and/ or an anti-rollover (anti-syphon) valve in the fill pipe now. After about 2 feet it feels like I have to push through something, then I can get about 6 feet of hose down the tube before I hit a blockage.
I have looked around a bit but haven't been able to find a descriptive article on how to get past this obstacle. Any ideas?
Thanks!


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jul 27, 2022, 2:53 AM

Post #7 of 17 (1177 views)
  post locked   Re: '05 Ford Freestyle Idles Ok, but Stalls After a Short Drive and Then Won't Start  

How impossible does it look to take the tank out? Straps are available, neck and grommets. Check whole new too some aren't as costly as the gas they hold!

T



Ihateworking
Novice

Jul 27, 2022, 4:09 AM

Post #8 of 17 (1169 views)
  post locked   Re: '05 Ford Freestyle Idles Ok, but Stalls After a Short Drive and Then Won't Start  

Lol. Ugh.
I guess that's the next step. Hopefully it's possible to do in a driveway.

You know, when I was a young man, this job started out as a bad steering pump. Not even my car, but it's in my driveway. Laugh


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jul 27, 2022, 4:12 AM

Post #9 of 17 (1169 views)
  post locked   Re: '05 Ford Freestyle Idles Ok, but Stalls After a Short Drive and Then Won't Start  

You're looking for an easy fix where there isn't one. The tank needs to be dropped and thoroughly cleaned out and a new fuel pump installed.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jul 27, 2022, 5:02 AM

Post #10 of 17 (1164 views)
  post locked   Re: '05 Ford Freestyle Idles Ok, but Stalls After a Short Drive and Then Won't Start  

Your plain location may not be suitable to do this? If tank now has a lot of fuel in it that much harder.

NOT OVER ASPHAULT especially newer and away from plants if the case.

Need containers to even get rid of old gas.

Have you asked a shop for help? Might be surprised it's just a hassle all around,

T



Ihateworking
Novice

Sep 1, 2022, 11:40 AM

Post #11 of 17 (1075 views)
  post locked   Re: '05 Ford Freestyle Idles Ok, but Stalls After a Short Drive and Then Won't Start  

Hey! Me again!
Thanks for the advice so far.
I drained most of the gas by removing the rear seats (burn in Hell, Ford engineers), and putting a rubber hose on the fuel pump nozzle and pumping the gas into a container until there was mostly air coming out.
Put 2 gallons of fresh in, and a little bit of injector cleaner. I drove it 100 feet up the driveway and then reversed, then again. Seemed good. Left it to idle for a while.
Fired it up yesterday and let it idle for about 15 minutes. As soon as I put it in gear, dead and would not start again.
Seems to somehow be related to how long the engine is running. Right after starting, it will go. After warming up for 10 minutes, it's no longer interested.
Today I'm going to start timing it to see how long it has to sit before it will start again.
How are you guys?


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Sep 1, 2022, 1:22 PM

Post #12 of 17 (1070 views)
  post locked   Re: '05 Ford Freestyle Idles Ok, but Stalls After a Short Drive and Then Won't Start  

I already told you that you would likely need a new fuel pump. Sounds like you do.

You need to check the fuel pressure either manually or with a professional scan tool to confirm.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Sep 1, 2022, 1:55 PM

Post #13 of 17 (1066 views)
  post locked   Re: '05 Ford Freestyle Idles Ok, but Stalls After a Short Drive and Then Won't Start  

I see how well you like the Ford engineers - don't blame them, they all do things to be difficult.

Fuel pump probably has such sh*t all over pick up sock (most would do that) it can't pump enough or now clog up tight. High bet now burned up the fuel pump it uses gas to lube itself most anything of the sort does.

Could you see it from inside the car/thing? The tank maybe so bad you'll need a new one AND the pump?

Stinks - I trust you're trying a year sitting takes its toll on things never mind motor vehicles,

Tom



Ihateworking
Novice

Sep 3, 2022, 9:51 AM

Post #14 of 17 (1035 views)
  post locked   Re: '05 Ford Freestyle Idles Ok, but Stalls After a Short Drive and Then Won't Start  

Yeah, you did. I'm just trying to find anything else that might be a fixable problem, because unlike my '97 Avalon which uses screws to fasten the pump cover to the tank, this......thing... only has a large locking ring which has managed to fuse to the tank through the power of chemistry and time.

My main reason is because I don't think I'm equipped to drop a tank here, and cash isn't currently available to take to a shop. But on the other hand, summer is quickly ending and autumn is around the corner.
Might have to bite a really huge bullet and do it in the driveway. Unsure


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Sep 3, 2022, 10:00 AM

Post #15 of 17 (1033 views)
  post locked   Re: '05 Ford Freestyle Idles Ok, but Stalls After a Short Drive and Then Won't Start  


Quote
I'm just trying to find anything else that might be a fixable problem,


Yeah, I heard when you have a broken leg you can just take an antacid to fix it. Is that what you're looking for?




You should be thankful that you even have access to the pump without dropping the tank.

Like I said a couple of times, the first thing you should be doing is testing the fuel pressure before you decide to do anything.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Ihateworking
Novice

Oct 20, 2022, 6:29 PM

Post #16 of 17 (953 views)
  post locked   Re: '05 Ford Freestyle Idles Ok, but Stalls After a Short Drive and Then Won't Start  

Apparently the automotive gods are at least grinning at me. To recap: After draining all of the gas that I could, I put fresh in along with some injector cleaner and just let it idle for as long as it would go. Eventually I could put it in gear without a stall; then a very short drive, then to the top of the driveway and finally today, it went for a 5 mile trip and seems to be running well. Didn't go above 40 because I think all 4 tires have separated belts, but those are next.

I guess I got lucky this time, and had the luxury of not needing this car in a hurry. Seems like I just had to wait for the bad gas to finally get out of the system Thanks for the advice, even though I didn't use most of it and rolled the dice. I just couldn't have dropped that gas tank under the circumstances. You guys got me started in the right area, so thanks.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Oct 20, 2022, 6:38 PM

Post #17 of 17 (949 views)
  post locked   Re: '05 Ford Freestyle Idles Ok, but Stalls After a Short Drive and Then Won't Start  

At least you got it resolved.

Closing this now as solved.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.







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