dberladyn

Hi,

My truck has sat in parked for a just over a year. It was moved once or twice 20 - 30 feet, aside from one 50 mile trip to change parking lots. That was it's entire life for roughly a year. It was really low on fuel before dropping it off the last time to park it. During the road trip the truck suffered a momentary suffered a power loss and stuttered which I thought was odd. It just died for moment before coming back to life.

Yesterday, it sat on a battery charger all day. We were concerned about the battery. I came by to pick it up and it turned over firing right up on the first try. We poured maybe four gallons of fresh high octane gas from a jerry-can to ensure that I can get to a gas station. With the engine on and running, I then filled it 3/4's of the way with the pump I parked at. Regular gas, likely mixed with ethanol (the gas station brand is known for this). I left it running as I worried about the battery. From there, I drove 50 miles home. Happy to have my truck back I took it out for a drive four miles away and parked it. Twenty minutes later it started right away but it could not keep the rpms up and it died. Turning the key again, same thing. Turns out the battery is holding a charge but the truck will not keep idling once ignition occurs. It is like it cannot make it up to 500/600 rpm and stay there. It just conks out.

Today I took the truck for a run down to the supplier. It fired right up. Once parked and starting it again ten minutes later, I went through the same cycle. It will not start. This time it was real pain. I eventually got it going. On recommendations, not sure if this was right or not, I drove five minutes away and bought some fuel system cleaner that claims to deal with water in the tank. I poured that in. I went through plenty of trouble starting it again. I drove it another five miles giving it some more aggressive acceleration before parking it at home. I let it sit in park and ran it at 2000rpm for a little while. Upon restarting the same issues are still present. I tend to think the longer the truck sits the easier it is to start it. The Check Engine Light is on. This came on during the second trip last night. The oil needs changing and I am likely going to go do that now.

The engine has 1100 hours it and 45,000Kms (23,000 miles?)

Any suggestions?

canucklehead

This is when I wish these vans never went with return-less fuel systems. Now you can't swap your fuel filter to rule it out.
High octane fuel is only meant for high octane engines. The vans have an 87 octane engine. I put high octane in my car once and it ran like crap until I burnt it off. 4 gallons of it will take some time. It could be the issue.

geo1

Post the code when you can

dberladyn

First, I am not quite sure I was correct to say four gallons of high octane fuel, but likely it was only two gallons. Converting liters into gallons, being too busy and guestimating... it was easy to state too many. Not that it likely makes a difference.

Fault Codes

• P0108 - Powertrain (pending fault)
  • Mass or Volume Air Flow Circuit High Input
• P0101 - Powertrain (historic fault)
  • Mass or Volume Air Flow Circuit Range/Performance Problem

Today after starting it and watching it stumble, I could see the tachometer displaying 300 rpm, 400rpm, 300 rpm, 500rpm... I have to quickly pump the gas pedal (drivebywire) hoping the computer will relay that command and give it just enough to pick up the rpms and run. It can almost completely die then hit 1200 rpm. Once it runs in a stable fashion for a moment it's fine. It just needs to turn through smoothly at a fast enough rpm.

Thank you for the replies.

geo1

Key off,disconnect MAF,start it, hopefully better,check connection also, something maybe wrong there and airbox,any obstruction?

dberladyn

Thank you for the Help. I took the air filter out and left the assembly open to the environment. It was still weak upon staring but better. Leaving the Air Filter as is (removed), I then unplugged the MAF. It started right up like it used to. Flawless. Except now it says "Service Traction Control" .... "Service Stabilitrak" on the DIC. I am just going plug the MAF back in, put the Air Filter back and drive it as is. I am really broke right now, I have a million issues going on all at once. I soon as I earn some money I will buy a new air filter and a new MAF Sensor. I assume that will take care of everything.

Thanks again.

geo1

A new MAF,sounds good,get a oem one, aftermarket ones out of box are not trustworthy

canucklehead

You could try to clean the old one. There are lots of videos online. There is also a special cleaner to use. Just remove it from the van first.
That may help and be kind to your wallet.
There are also lots of posts online about people getting that stabiltrack code with a bad and or disconnected maf.

geo1

Agree,but my luck has been better with new mafs

StanVan

Are you running an OBDII monitoring device or some other device that plugs up to the OBD port? Any device like this can cause that Stabilitrak warning.