My 2007 5.4L engine stalled when going into reverse... what’s going on?

Hey all,

So, something weird happened the other day while I was finishing up a 150-mile road trip. I was in a parking lot and about to reverse into a spot on flat ground with the A/C off. As I turned the wheel almost all the way while shifting into reverse, the engine suddenly stalled.

I didn’t even hear it stall because of my music, but the first thing I noticed was that I couldn’t turn the wheel, and my truck stopped reversing. I looked at the dashboard and saw the RPMs were at 0 with no oil pressure, but the keys were still in the ON position and everything else seemed normal.

I changed the spark plugs about 20,000 miles ago and haven’t had any check engine lights. I keep up with regular maintenance, and my truck usually runs great. My idle when in drive is about 500 RPM, and in park, it’s about 800.

Are those idle numbers normal? Could this have been just a one-time thing? Could it be a transmission or torque converter issue?

Struggling to reverse was one of the first signs I saw of my '07 transmission going bad. It had around 175,000 miles on it at the time. I had to gun it just to back up my 2° driveway, and about 6 months later, I had to replace the transmission.

Funny enough, 6 months after getting the new transmission, one of my cylinders seized. So, now I drive a 2015 and haven’t had any issues with it.

@Kai
Oh, I didn’t think this was a sign of the transmission going out, but it’s good to know. Thanks!

Did the engine start up right away after it stalled?

Asher said:
Did the engine start up right away after it stalled?

Yeah, it started right back up and hasn’t done it since. I even tried recreating the conditions as best as I could.

Noel said:

Asher said:
Did the engine start up right away after it stalled?

Yeah, it started right back up and hasn’t done it since. I even tried recreating the conditions as best as I could.

The only thing I can think of is a momentary reduction in air from the air intake. The 2007 is the last year to use this type of air system with those doors that open and close. I’ve had a similar issue before and had to replace it. I ended up taking the doors off the intake to stop it from happening again. Since you’re not due for an engine rebuild yet, I’d just watch and wait to see if it happens again.

Your transmission is tough though. I’ve got 300,000 miles on mine, and I’ve never had to do anything to it other than a transmission fluid change. You’re not even due for that until 150k miles. These trucks are well-built, except for the timing issues that these engines sometimes have… but I didn’t have to do my first timing job until 264k miles.

@Asher
Good to know, thanks! Yeah, I hate the timing issue with the Triton engine. Had to get a mechanic to fix that plastic piece that causes rough engine running. That was about 10k miles ago. And don’t even get me started on the spark plugs that wouldn’t come out!

@Asher
I’ve had the same experience with my 2007. Keep up with regular maintenance and do the timing jobs as needed. I’m at 304,000 miles now.

Those RPM numbers sound normal to me.

My 07 did the same thing once, even when I was just driving through a drive-thru. I started using 89 octane instead of 87 and switched to 5w30 oil, and it hasn’t happened since.

Shannon said:
My 07 did the same thing once, even when I was just driving through a drive-thru. I started using 89 octane instead of 87 and switched to 5w30 oil, and it hasn’t happened since.

Do you get better gas mileage with 89?

@Noel
A little bit, but I noticed more power when towing. Also, clean the MAF sensor and the throttle body. After that, disconnect the battery for 30 minutes to do a throttle body adaptation. That really helped with the issues I had, especially since the truck idles so low. 500 RPM is pretty low; it should be more like 750, but there’s nothing I know that can change that.

@Shannon
Could you list the steps for the throttle body adaptation? I’d really appreciate it!

Noel said:
@Shannon
Could you list the steps for the throttle body adaptation? I’d really appreciate it!

Here’s the video on how to do it: https://youtu.be/ZNxXM75zJOw?feature=shared

Make sure to do the adaptation after cleaning the MAF sensor and throttle body.

Shannon said:
Make sure to do the adaptation after cleaning the MAF sensor and throttle body.

Awesome, thank you so much!!!