Hi Ford dudes,

I have a frustrating problem with my '98 4.1 XH ute. It was running ok, albiet very thirsty and recently it has virtualy stopped running, it will idle, but when I touch the gas pedal it will either die or sometimes manage to gather some revs but cough and splutter then die.
I have checked for vacuum leaks, found none, replaced the MAP Sensor Suit, disconnected/reconnected the auto throttle thing. It has developed a high pitched noise from the rear of the cab, (fuel pump?)
Anyone have any ideas of what the problem could be?

Not sure about high pitch noise, if it's coming from the fuel tank, then maybe clogged fuel line causing fuel pump to be running over time? Change your fuel filter and check your fuel pressure.

Is the spark all good?

Thanks phongus,
Just changed out the fuel filter, no change.
Do I need special gear to check the fuel pressure, guages and the like?

I honestly don't know as I have never done that myself.

Have you checked the ignition? Spark plugs, leads, coils, distributor, distributor cap? Also is the timing okay? What have you replaced?

I had an issue with acceleration when I changed the camshaft on my first engine and it turned out to be as simple as broken leads. It would idle fine, but under load the lead would break down causing hesitation in acceleration and surging. I did not realise this until I started the car in the dark of night and saw the blue light through the lead on a couple of them. Replaced and fixed the issue.

Running rich could also mean a dead O2 sensor/poor spark or even a blocked injector (dripping rather than spraying fuel into chamber).

Thanks again for the info,
I checked the plugs to see if there was any soot or other tell tale signs on them, they seemed ok, but I will replace anyway. Had a bit of an issue with the leads when I pulled them off, the bit that clips onto the plug stayed behind on 4 of them, I shoved them back on hoping nobody would notice, but now it seems to have a miss as well, I have ordered a new set on Ebay.
I have removed the plexiglass canopy and Rhino liner and now access to the fuel pump, which is still noisy and that bag thing on the bottom looks a bit grubby too, so guess will replace anyhow.
May as well drain and clean the tank while still accessable
The ute has only travelled 100,000 k's so hasn't done much work, so most componants should be in reasonable shape I would have thought(?)

Cheers