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Car Forum / Ford / Ford Explorer / January 200592 explorer check engine light and poor gas mileage
Hello eveyone, I am new to this group and I really hope there is someone out there who can help me. First off I have a 92 Ford Explorer with a 4 litre and 4wd. It has about 179k on the motor, but has been very well maintained, (engine and drivetrain wise, body kind of rusty but what can you do in Michigan winters). When I first got it, it was running beautifully, getting 21+ miles on the road and between 15-17 in town. Now the check engine light comes on, and it idles rough. (rpms REALLY fluctuate and sometimes when I put it in reverse to back out of the driveway it really chokes. Even when warm.) And even more alarming now, is the fact that it is only getting between 6 and 8 mpg's. Not kidding, I got 65 miles on 3/4 of a tank of gas. I talked to some people and EVERYONE said o2 sensor, so I changed that and still nothing. The check engine light still comes on, and it is still breaking the bank driving it to work. And all of this happened pretty much all of a sudden. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Dan Codes... you need to have the trouble codes read... without them, everything is a wild guess. > Hello eveyone, I am new to this group and I really hope there is > someone out there who can help me. First off I have a 92 Ford [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Dan Better quit driving and get it fixed. Next thing is the excess carbon being created will plug the catalyst. >Codes... you need to have the trouble codes read... without them, everything >is a wild guess. [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] >> >> Dan Geez....sounds like me....except my mileage. Mine was a MAF sensor and a brake switch. | Hello eveyone, I am new to this group and I really hope there is | someone out there who can help me. First off I have a 92 Ford [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] | | Dan Well I took it to the shop today and had them run a scan on it and the code that came back was 173. I don't know if this will help at all. The rough idle is a separate issue from the poor mileage too. The rough idle was the idler something motor, that is a relatively easy and cheap fix. Actually he said I might be able to get away with just cleaning it. Gonna do some more research, but any more input is greatly appreciated. Thanks for all the help thus far everyone, I truly do appreciate it. Dan I'm happy that someone can separate these issues so concisely.... 173 is a rich mixture indication which can cause a rough idle. I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that the "idler soething motor" is the IAC.... The IAC can give surge, stall, high idle, low idle and any other 'near' steady state condition, Rough idle depends on your concept of rough. Other info required.. was this code a memory code or an engine running code..... YES - it makes a difference. Sometimes you CAN get away with "just cleaning it".... depends on how you feel about repeat failures. I have "cleaned" many IACs, MAFs, EGRs, etc. Many of these came back to bite me before I decided on signed waivers. The big problem with signed waivers is that I never have the opportunity to display these after my cost saving attempts have become "de riguer" on the cocktail circuit. If I cheap out for you and it works, I'm a wizard.... If I cheap out and it doesn't work, I'm a dork...... If I fix it the way I am comfortable with, you will find someone who had the cheap fix work and you will feel over charged and I will look like a dork. > Well I took it to the shop today and had them run a scan on it and the > code that came back was 173. I don't know if this will help at all. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Thanks for all the help thus far everyone, I truly do appreciate it. > Dan Geez, now you are sounding like me..... A technician can never win, you know that. | I'm happy that someone can separate these issues so concisely.... 173 is a | rich mixture indication which can cause a rough idle. I'm going to go out on [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] | > Thanks for all the help thus far everyone, I truly do appreciate it. | > Dan Oh, c'mon now, John..... there was some kind of error message..... something about an illegal abortion..... I ran a couple of software cracks and "pictures of me and my girlfriend",,, ran that three times and never did see the porn 8^(..... Now, by hard drive, you do mean the TV thing, right? I have a 286 with Pentuiuiunumum 3. I have 3 gig RAM (I couldn't get 32 pin so I trimmed off some bigger stuff - and who said you needed a PCI slot for a PCI card?). The consumer is always right... he told me so.... > Geez, now you are sounding like me..... > A technician can never win, you know that. [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > | > Thanks for all the help thus far everyone, I truly do appreciate it. > | > Dan Exactly | Oh, c'mon now, John..... there was some kind of error message..... something | about an illegal abortion..... I ran a couple of software cracks and [quoted text clipped - 51 lines] | > | > Thanks for all the help thus far everyone, I truly do appreciate it. | > | > Dan Well I took it apart and cleaned it and checked for dirty connections on the MAF sensor and the cold air temp sensor. Idle has seemed to stop fluctuating, so that seems to be fixed....... for now. Check engine light is still coming on. Anyway that error code is a running code. A buddy of mine has an explorer with the same motor and a dead tranny and he said I could borrow his old MAF sensor and cold air temp sensor to see if that helps me out at all. Another backyard mechanic suggested that it might be the TPS but I don't think that I am comfortable attempting that one by myself. Again, I really do appreciate any and all help thus far and Jim I love your consumer is always right post, I am a technician myself and that is just too damn funny. Do you think that borrowing those sensors is a waste of time? Am I just being a jackass trying to save a couple of bucks replacing still working parts? Thanks Dan If the sensors are known to be good and they are available for use, subbing them is a viable choice..... Have you checked to be sure it is the same code coming back? How about the general state of tune? Fuel pressure regulator isn't leaking... that sort of stuff. > Well I took it apart and cleaned it and checked for dirty connections > on the MAF sensor and the cold air temp sensor. Idle has seemed to [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > Thanks > Dan Mostly it runs really really well. I have only had it for about 5 months and the people that I bought it from were very meticulous about taking general care about it. I changed the MAF sensor and that did not seem to help matters at all. As far as the fuel pressure regulator goes, how would I go about changing that? It doesn't appear to be leaking, but I am wonding if it isn't stuck open or something. Can I just pull the gas lines off of it and then the two bolts on the side, or is there something special I need to do to it because it is under pressure? As far as the codes, I believe it was checked a total of 3 times all with the same code....however it has not been back in since I changed the MAF sensor. Also I was checking the oil last night and I could smell fuel in the oil Big Time. Although I expected to be able to smell some, just not that strong. Dan You can have multiple issues. As I said, in my case, it was a MAF sensor, and a brake switch....even though the indicator was codes indicating the TPS was wide open, and my torque converter wasn't locking up. Apparently, the brake switch is in the circuit for the transmission, and the MAF sensor was bad, giving me the other code. If you have a reader, the manual will have a listing of codes and what they mean. I'm still trying to work through how everything ties in, but I'm getting there. | Mostly it runs really really well. I have only had it for about 5 | months and the people that I bought it from were very meticulous about [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] | | Dan You'll have to pull the vacuum line off the FPR and check to see if any fuel is coming out of the nipple the hose plugs on to. The diaphragms in these regulators have been known to leak... Another concern might be chronically high fuel pressure. > Mostly it runs really really well. I have only had it for about 5 > months and the people that I bought it from were very meticulous about [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Dan I traced the vacuum line from the FPR to the vacuum distribution and it was dry there. Didn't look corroded or anything like gas had been getting there. Do you still reccomend that I look at the vacuum line where it attaches to the fpr? How can I tell if it has chronically high fuel pressure? Dan Yes, you should carefully inspect the line and nipple at the top of the fuel pressure regulator...... turn the key to the run position while the line is off to pressure up the fuel rail. A fuel pressure guage that reads to 100 psi is required to check fuel pressure. > I traced the vacuum line from the FPR to the vacuum distribution and it > was dry there. Didn't look corroded or anything like gas had been [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Dan Why bother cleaning it when you can get a new one at NAPA for $40? This is one of the cheapest and easiest fixes you can do yourself. > Well I took it to the shop today and had them run a scan on it and the > code that came back was 173. I don't know if this will help at all. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Thanks for all the help thus far everyone, I truly do appreciate it. > Dan Well I took it apart and cleaned it and checked for dirty connections on the MAF sensor and the cold air temp sensor. Idle has seemed to stop fluctuating, so that seems to be fixed....... for now. Check engine light is still coming on. Anyway that error code is a running code. A buddy of mine has an explorer with the same motor and a dead tranny and he said I could borrow his old MAF sensor and cold air temp sensor to see if that helps me out at all. Another backyard mechanic suggested that it might be the TPS but I don't think that I am comfortable attempting that one by myself. Again, I really do appreciate any and all help thus far and Jim I love your consumer is always right post, I am a technician myself and that is just too damn funny. Do you think that borrowing those sensors is a waste of time? Am I just being a jackass trying to save a couple of bucks replacing still working parts? Thanks Dan Hello, this happened to me very recently. If the symptons happened suddenly, then you might have the same problem I did. Basically, Fords in the 1990's (and probably still today) are VERY sensitive to air flow through the air filter. I had my oil-changed at a Walmart, and they checked the air filter as usual, problem was that they incorrectly re-installed the air filter. I drove for a few weeks with all sorts of idle/surge/stall problems. I went to a Ford dealer...they checked for codes (nothing), then they discovered the air filter. They mounted it properly, and the problem was fixed. I know it's hard to believe, but doublecheck your air filter mounting. Dave dave@somogyi.com > Hello eveyone, I am new to this group and I really hope there is > someone out there who can help me. First off I have a 92 Ford [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Dan |
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