Odd problem with power loss

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Septimus

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I have an '00 Lincoln Continental with 48k miles. Today, it died on me for the first time since I bought it in October last year. It died on a side road to work (within walking distance thankfully). No engine sputtering, no noises, just...stopped getting power. The dash lights and heater were still running, and it threw up the CEL. This tells me that it isn't the battery or alternator at fault (correct me if I'm wrong). I pulled over and was able to restart it with no problems. I am able to go home for lunch, and when I returned on the same route I take to work every morning, the engine stopped yet again at nearly the exact same spot...

I'm a tad confused by this, and when I called my mechanic, he was confused as well. The CEL does not stay illuminated either, so I'm not sure what the issue could be. Whether it be the pot holes in the road jarring something loose (the road is kind of rough in spots) or the road is haunted (my chronic labyrinthitis started on that road). Whatever the case may be, I would love to hear what other people have to say about this. I suspect it may be the fuel pump from the issues I've seen, but it's hard to tell. I've got it scheduled for inspection next week.
 
Fuel pump. It's a PITA to reach so most have it done professionally. I've had the full fuel pump / assembly combo from AutoZone in my car for just over 1.5 years now.

It will start failing more often, then it won't run at all. This is all the warning it will give you! There is a tiny chance that it could be the fuel pump controller that mounts behind the rear seat (behind the carpeting) but it's my experience that the problem lies in a poorly made fuel pump. Variable-voltage pumps never seem to have the lifespan that the old return-style fuel pumps have.
 
I suspect it might be. Would think fuel filter would make it run rough. Don't think modding the air box would have anything to do with it do you? Not sure about making it run too lean.
 
Sounds like fuel pump or filter. A mechanic buddy of mine said the fuel pump is the most common failure on these cars, followed by evap lines, filler neck failure, and torque converter clutch system.
 
Septimus said:
I suspect it might be. Would think fuel filter would make it run rough. Don't think modding the air box would have anything to do with it do you? Not sure about making it run too lean.
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Doubtful, just reduced the amount of tubing the air has to go through. Would run too lean if you're not getting enough/any fuel ;)
 
I appreciate the answers. Do either of you recommend a specific fuel pump manufacturer? Some of the ones like Airtex look a bit...flimsy.
 
Apparently that's what I have, and it's got a lifetime warranty. I chose the assembly to keep replacement a plug and play job. Since I wasn't doing it myself, it means less chance for someone else to put it together incorrectly. Yank out the stock setup, plug this in, done.

The only upgrade pump motor that works easily with a returnless fuel system is one from a Focus SVT. I'll never approach the limits of our stock fuel system so I didn't mess with it.

Remember that ethanol blends weren't commonly found in 2000 and the new pump is designed to handle today's fuels with no corrosion issues. I have to wonder how much of a factor today's gas plays in the early demise of our stock pumps.
 
MooJohn said:
Remember that ethanol blends weren't commonly found in 2000 and the new pump is designed to handle today's fuels with no corrosion issues. I have to wonder how much of a factor today's gas plays in the early demise of our stock pumps.
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That alone is enough to make me consider a new pump; even if the old one is still kicking. I didn't encounter any power loss this weekend, or this morning, even going over the same road...might have been a bit of bad gas. Regardless, gonna have a full injection system cleaning this week to see if anything is found.
 
Had the shop check everything out; they basically concluded it was a 'ghost' issue and they would no longer pursue it. I did notice on my last tank of gas, I was getting around 18.4 average MPG, which is lower than usual for me. I had it back up to 19.9 after I pulled it into the shop though, so could very well have been some watered down gas. Car runs fine, and rides a lot smoother with new front rotors and rear pads.
 
Septimus said:
Had the shop check everything out; they basically concluded it was a 'ghost' issue and they would no longer pursue it. I did notice on my last tank of gas, I was getting around 18.4 average MPG, which is lower than usual for me. I had it back up to 19.9 after I pulled it into the shop though, so could very well have been some watered down gas. Car runs fine, and rides a lot smoother with new front rotors and rear pads.
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What about ignition coils? Did it throw any codes at all?
 
jrdnhsnbrg said:
After re-reading your original post I would definitely be looking at all new ignition coils. Could be caused by them, too
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That would be another very likely suspect, although I haven't had the problem since that day. I haven't checked the coils since I bought the car, so it sounds like that could be it. Can maybe check them out after work today.
 
Septimus said:
That would be another very likely suspect, although I haven't had the problem since that day. I haven't checked the coils since I bought the car, so it sounds like that could be it. Can maybe check them out after work today.
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A bad coil should throw a misfire code though, which is why I'm wary about the shop. They should have been able to deduce the problem.
 
jrdnhsnbrg said:
A bad coil should throw a misfire code though, which is why I'm wary about the shop. They should have been able to deduce the problem.
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I specifically asked them to check fuel delivery, and they claimed to run a code check. I'm not sure whether they have one of the $6000 portable diagnostic scanners, or simple handheld scanners. It's partially my fault for suggesting they check there, but they could have at least checked the ignition coils for good measure...which matches the problem I had perfectly. I think they're good for problems that are blatantly obvious, but hunting for issues doesn't seem to be their strong suit.
 
Septimus said:
I specifically asked them to check fuel delivery, and they claimed to run a code check. I'm not sure whether they have one of the $6000 portable diagnostic scanners, or simple handheld scanners. It's partially my fault for suggesting they check there, but they could have at least checked the ignition coils for good measure...which matches the problem I had perfectly. I think they're good for problems that are blatantly obvious, but hunting for issues doesn't seem to be their strong suit.
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If you don't already have one, pick up a cheapo code reader and see what's going on in that computer. Definitely a useful tool to have.
 
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