need help! my x doesn't want pass the 10 miles !

[EBawd1998]

hello every body ! i have a ford explorer eddie bauer awd 5.0 L model 1998
built in nov 1997 . it was runing pretty well until now but this last friday after a 1/2miles it doesn't want to go more than 10miles /h ( even 1, 2 and drive same reaction ) .big problem! i turn it off and start it again the power come back for 2 second and after same problem ! no power! it can hardly climb an one degree hill ! it not seem to be affected on the reverse , the motor is turning very well on the iddle but refuse to go upper in the rpm when i put it on drive (but sound very well no noise no hesitation just doesnt go up in the rpm ! )
all the cylinders are working but the filling is like if only 2 cylinders were working . nothing special has been done on this truck untill it happen ! ford doesn't know what is happening, they just change many sensors and many parts without any result at higly cost! after the 5 time they plug it to the they computer they found a default crankshaft sensor so next part will be the crankshaft sensor (200$ more labor ) but they are not sure is the base of the problem and cannot garantee the job! even they plog it on the scan to test it , the first reading said short circuit, it has been fix but not solved the problem , the second test said , automatic solenoid transmission default , it has been fix too but no change, 3th reading said oxigen sensor fault , has been changed but the problem still there, 4 th said egr vaccum regulator fault , it has been changed and the computer reseted , ford was sure that the car was finally fixed but when we try it after 30 feet , the problem came back ! this car is driving me crazy and ford too , only thing they can tell me it is :we need to fix every trouble one after one to get to the real problem ! i have spend lot of money whitout result it is really frustrating! i beging to beleive that ford dealer is not really good because since the last fridays they work on it but no result ! i won't tell you how much it cost me! you could be scared if any one know what it is , please tell me every opinion are welcome at this point ! a couple of week ago i had a noise a low speed such a couic couic couic from 1mils to 15 miles /h but desapearing up to 15 miles/h, brakes has been inspected but nothing was found ! i don't think there is a relation between that and my actuel trouble! thank for your help !

 

[Glacier991]

From your description it is difficult to tell... do the engine RPM's go up when the vehicle is just barely moving along? If so it sounds like a pressure problem in the transmission. Low fluid can be a problem that could cause this, or a leak in the transmission somewhere could as well.

It sounds like this dealer throws parts at problems. If you have an engine that revs when the vehicle is not moving...I'd check fluid level and then check the pressure at the line pressure tap.

Let us know a little more specifically what you are experiencing. You are doing fine, I realize English is not likely your first language. We want to help you.

 

[EBawd1998]

hello! thank for your fast reply ! You are absolutly right , english is not my first language ! i wish you would excuse me for all the mistake in my writing !
On neutral position (N) rpm's can go up (but slowly and hardly)when i accelerate but not as fast as it done before (at the begining i was thinking that only 2 cylinders were firing and the 6 others weren't )oil transmission level and other are ok .
ON drive, 1 or 2 position (D ,1, 2) the RPM's not going up even i give it more gas .
it is like i had a 2 hp motor and it barely move the truck ! rpm refused to go up ! (it is not the transmission sliding) if i am not on a flat ground , the truck doesn't enought HP the move , i have to put the reverse and come back in the momentum of the car
to move forward . What is very strange is that when i turn off the motor and start it again, i have all the hp for 2 second .
oil pressure is ok
gas pressure too
i have a very small leak between the transmission and the motor (may be transmison shaft seal ) but it's just a two or three drop per day and it has ever been like that !

rigth now in going to see ford i wish they at least have a good news! i will tell you what they said to me for this day ! thank again for your help ! it is very very nice of you ! have a good days !

 

[PTBishop]

has anyone checked the catelytic converter. a plugged cat will cause the exhaust to linger in the chambers, or blocked for that matter. make sure the exhaust is not blocked, i don't recommend doing this for long, but pull out an o2 sensor before the cat and start it, see if the problem goes away a little. it could also be a problem with the timing chain, maybe the chain is loose, or one of the pullies, or gears that the chain runs on is broke. the problem is most likely mechanical. most techs now a days think that these cars are just run by sensors. there are still mechanical pieces to look at....let us know the outcome

 

[chris wttnr]

have fun with that promblem had the seem problem with ford taurus a few years back. In the end ended up just begin to the junk yard....

 

[EBawd1998]

hello ! thanks for helping me! i really love this forum ! people are really great !
ford was waiting for the cranckshaft sensor but .. not get it today (mañana here in mexico = i don't know when !! )now they have taken the sensor off so i can't perform any test ! But we have spoked with the ford mecanist about this possibility (for the catalyseur and exhaust blocked ! ) it was exploreted but it's not the problem (in their opinon not mine! because i think ford is turning around the pot ! their are not mecanist, they are computer code reader's!) Timing chain ? not sure about that?! timing chain problem may do noise and irregular revolution and may the pistons could eat the valves ?i am wrong ?
this motor, on the iddle ,is turning very very well ! like a new! It's really sad to say but you are right when you said it is is not only the computer runnning the car there is lot of mecanic part! my ford dealer don't now that ! they beleive in the computer infos! Could a short cut ( or short circuit? sorry i don't know the exact term in english !)drive to fakes trouble shooting codes ?
it is the fith time they plug it on the computer on every one time they found a different problems ! but until now i am walking! (all of you excuse me for my bad english , i try to do my best ! particular thanks to glacier911 for is very very fast reply !and understanding ! i will let you know the development of that for sure!
thank again and have a good day !

 

[EBawd1998]

do you mind you never found the trouble or the cost to fix it was more than the value of the car ? tell me more ! your message was short my friend! i beleive that : every thingthings can be fix if you know what is the problem and how does it work ! but i may be wrong! may be my car is a lemon ????? one thing is sure the owner before me never took care of it ! but it has only 55000 miles ! (their previous owner was the owner of a ford dealer shop !)

 

[PTBishop]

maybe the computer is bad itself.....ask them that, if the computer is bad it will through a whole bunch of false codes

 

[Brian_B]

Has anyone actually checked the timing? On my old ranger the distributor turned (got loose somehow). It would start and idle fine. It seemed to rev ok in neutral, but in gear it would barely pull itself. It would not go over about 2500 RPM with the pedal on the floor.


Just a thought.

 

[EBawd1998]

hello Brian B ! with your description , it is the same thing that i am experiencing ! on the v8 there is no possibilities of timing adjustment (no moving part) . it's computer controlled system with a sensor . ford have received the crankshaft sensor this afternoom! i am waiting for the result at 4 h00 pm ! i wish it works! i will give more news later !
thank you !

 

[Brian_B]

Oh ok. I didn't know it was done with a sensor on them. I am not used to the newer stuff at all. Hope thats what the problem is and you get it going.

 

[EBawd1998]

ok ! the crankshat sensor has been change today but same problem ! ford found again a new problem and now they say the central unit is the problem, i have to wait to monday to know more ! bad luck !

 

[everythintech]

also check your mass air flow sensor

 

[EBawd1998]

hello every body ! here are some news of my truck ! first , the problem's still here!
here is what they done : checked all the wiring one by one , and all sensors , all were ok excepted the oxigen sensor (short circuit ) but it is fixed now .
computer is ok
crankshaft sensor is ok (they changed it for nothing !)

the truck has been now more than two weeks and half in ford shop but it is not fix ! this last friday they call me and said the problem is probably the distribution and the timing chain and they need to open it ( that mind to pull out the motor of the frame ) . I told them :how come the motor is turning so well on the iddle , and did not make any noise if the distribution has a problem ? on the reverse it is working well !
the mecanist told me the problem is due to the short circuit it has had affected the distribution and the timing chain . it seem very strange to me ! is that possible a short circuit affects the distribution and the timing chain ? for me it is hard to beleive!
what is your opinion ? (particular question for PTBishop who was talking about timing chain shouldn't i heard any noise or irregular iddle if i had a timing chain problem ? )

i have a question: A little bit before the trouble began , i checked the loose in the transmission shaft going from the transfert case to the front differential ,turning it from left and right with my hand . could i created the problem doing that ? (it's a AWD system )

thank for your help !

 

[floydr007]

Sorry if someone mentioned this already, as I just kind of glanced over a lot of it, but has anyone checked your fuel pressure? This sounds like it could be a fuel pump on its last legs. Good luck, though!

 

[PTBishop]

if it is a timing chain it may not make noise, it would however probably not idle right. there was a subaru in my shop, it idled rough, and would not go over 10 MPH with a struggle. when we tore down the front of the engine, we found the crank pully was barely hanging on. also they need to test the functionality of the computer itself. if that thing wants to put up a fight it will. that controls your whole engine. they are a ford dealership. they should know this stuff. and they better not be charging you for this stuff they are putting on. they sound like they are code readers. they see a code and replace the part. ask them if they have put another PCM in its place to test. these guys sound like they need to go back to school

 

[EBawd1998]

hello ! thank you very much for your help . I would like to present all my excuse to Brian B and a particular thank you ! . i was wrong went i said that there is no moving part to set the timing! there is a cmp (OR CPM in english?) this gives indications to the computer for the position of the crankshaft (and may be the cam shaft ? ) and yes brian B you got it ! the problem was problably that! looking in the haynes manual i have found that part was setted as a 6 cylinders !( there is an arrow on the top of this part ) for the 6 cylinders , the arrow is turned 60 degrees rigth if you are from the front of the car and the 8 cylinders it is turned straigth in front from of the car ! that gives a bad infos to the computer resulting an incorrect alimentation of gasoline . there is two possibily , this parts have been moving with the time or it was not done well by a stupid mecanist , but in the second case i have a doubt because it was working well for 3000 miles . Now ford is checking at the distribution to see if it is not domaged , they may need to see the valves too i have loose compression on one cylinder dop down from 160 to 110 since the last it was taken ( 2 month before!) may i have burn a valve ? i wish the car will be ready for the next i will tell your more as soon as i can ! and i fully agree with you PTBishop they are code reader! not mecanist! i spoke with them to deal the price , i am not going to paid for the crankshaft sensor and for the time they passed to changed it , but they want me to pay for the time they have been looking for to fix a short circuit (10 hours more around 5 to 7 hours to check the distibution system )

 

[EBawd1998]

hello every body ! no ! my car is not fix yet! Now they are changing the timing chain and gears ! the original part of ford is sold 320 $ but i found a similar part from jobber for 50$ that is a big difference of price! the parts are similar excepted one thing on the camshaft gear: the notch were the oil is passing by . On the original parts the notch is 30 degrees left from the timing mark , on this i have found the notch it is 30 degree at the right of the timing mark . Is it going to change something?
does this notch have an other fonction that keeping the cam shaft oily? thank for your help !

 

[EBawd1998]

fixed but ....

helo every body ! Sorry for this long delay ! i was abroad for some week without acces to internet . here is the end of the story of my truck
problem was : cmp has turned (untide bolt) (gave a bad timing for gas injection ) ford change it for a new one and the timing chain was a bit slack (changed the 2 sprockets and the chain ) they charge me 10 hours


oxigen sensor wire was in short circuit ( i knew it and i had said to ford about that but they charge me 5 hours to check all the wire one by one )

total of the bil : 961 $ and 2 month of delay until i get the cars fixed .

but 50 miles after the oil became coffe milk color and was smelling gas.

i think i have found the problem through the ford explorer forum (gas regulator and may be manifold gasket dead )

The fact is that ford mecanist is not really wise and said it is water ! he doesn't know that the mix between water and oil is not homogeneous !

As PTBi said he shoud back to school!
THank you all for all the help given, thanks to ford explorer forum for the very precious infos compilated ! it is for me the best place on the net to get infos about ford explorer !