Need to know if this is normal?

[pony4896]

I finaly got tired of trying to figure out my explorers issue, (please read other post), and i took it into a local mechanic. I just moved here so i have no idea which mechanic is a good one. Its been in this mechanic shop now since Monday. Its now Thursday and i figured since i hadnt heard a word from them, that i woud call to see if maybe they had diagnosed the problem yet. I called and he said he cant see an issue with it. That it wasnt doing anything wrong that he could see. Now this tells me that he either hasnt actualy even looked at my Explorer yet, or he is completely incompitant. As soon as you start the Explorer there is an immediate issue with the idle fluctuating wildly and the RPM gauge jumping around from 600-1100 RPM's. The mechanic said that he cant get it to pull any codes??? Then he was like well i got it to pull an O2 sensor code but thats all.. B.S., then he was trying to say that he hadnt actualy driven it, so he hadnt got the check engine light to come on yet. I told him he has to drive it for around 5-10 minutes before it comes on.. Now if you read my other posts you will see that my Explorer is obviously haveing some issues. Is this Mechanic for real??? Should i take it somewere else? Or should i just leave it there? I kind of dont trust him now. I told him that the Explorer is my only vehicle and that time was an issue, that i was getting a ride to work everyday. This sucks. What should i do?:roll:

 

[boggs1227]

i to have had and still have to a certain extent a run away idle problem ...i had a iac failure and dpfe problem at the same time but now i seem to still have a issue but NO way near what i had so i went to look again for the problem ...finally got to my tps sensor ( which i replaced when i bought the truck and was throwing a code ) ...i had replaced the wire harness for the sensor but i got pulling on the unit one day when it was acting up ( spuratic idle sittuation ) so pulled and grabed hold of the tps sensor and i could control the idle to a certain extent but it was not throwing any codes then i took the sensor off and worked the potentometer inside and re-installed it and guess what no more problem fora month !

the tps sensor i got was from auto zone and by the way all the dpfe units i got when i had code 327 problems where from auto zone ( btw every one of them failed ...new out of the box) ...so i'm guessing that even tho it has not thrown a code telling me the tps is bad i'm betting that there is a bad spot on the contacts and makes the computer increase the idle sharply then back to normal ( like the old time radios that had the volume knob that was scratchy ...you could always fix it by turning the volume up all the way and back down alot of times till the corrosion was knocked off the contacts kinda of the same problem here )

so i'll be looking into buying a motorcraft tps sensor here soon because the sensors at auto zone are really crap imho ...stick with motorcraft sensors ...can't go wrong .

but as always check out everything in the fuel management systems like iac,egr (and sub-systems), ect sensor ,air charge sensor. tps etc .....

btw ...dump the grease monkey .....you got the ef forum to help ya out

 

[N3LRX]

I would take it somewhere else. If there are obvious problems at idle it's obvious he has not even turned the key yet. Take it somewhere else and see what they say. Show them the erratic idling and any other issues when you drop it off so they have a better idea what to look for once they get to it.

Sounds like this guy can't be bothered but I guess that's better than giving you a massive quote and robbing you blind on the repair. Just take it elsewhere and see what they say.

Right off the bat it sounds like you've got a intake manifold leak that may cause the up and down idle. Try this little trick yourself. Take some carb cleaner or ether and spray all around the manifold and the vacuum lines. If you get a change in idle speed (either bogging down or revving up) make note of the area where you are spraying spray it again, if you get the same result that's where your leak is.

 

[boggs1227]

good idea as well but i had a loose lower intake ( half the bolts were finger loose) but i had a ping ...so after i tightened them back up no more ping but would nota intake leak like this produce a ping of somesort ?

 

[tgreene92]

explorer issues

i had very similar issues with my explorer and for some reason it seems that every mechanic i take my explorer to the seem to avoid it(possibly because of some of their odd setups and weird parts) i would take it to another mechanic to start off. when it comes to the rpm fluctuations i had almost the exact same. i took it to a mechanic and he replaced the oxygen sensor, idle air control and flushed and replaced all fluids. this fixed it for a solid month or so then the issue came back but at much lower rpm's and much less intense so i didnt worrry about it. a week later my timing chain went and my explorer spent a whole month in the shop. like i said id go to a different mechanic and see what he has to say just make sure if he the rpm fluctuation is fixed and then comes back at any amount to not let it go cuz it could cost you more on another issue than to simple take it back and have him troubleshoot any other problems.

 

[pony4896]

Update: I went and got it back from the mechanic shop. They litteraly did nothing. It sat under there tree in the parkinglot and got tons of tree sap all over the paint, well and alot of bird poo. Must have just sat there all week... The guy did absolutly nothing. He didnt even apologize, no explanation as to why he kept it all week and didnt do a thing. Just handed me my key and walked away. What a jerk. Anyway i dont have all the tools nessesary to diagnose every sensor and track down the issue by myself, so its off to find that one mechanic that everyone in towns using. The honest one??

 

[Currency]

I have this same issue but not as bad. I believe my issue is my mass airflow sensor. So far I've been told to pull it out and clean it with carburetor cleaner and pull the codes from the CEL.

Hope this helps.

 

[boggs1227]

don't use regular carb cleaner ..use crc brand mass air flow cleaner
part # 05110 ...in a grey spray can .



pony.... i hate to say it but you let him off to easy ...i would had followed him back into the office in front of customers and got some answers then ...just me , but good luck and hope you find someone with half a brain that gives a crap . on a side note i had my father pull his 26 ft motor home into a shop yesturday to get a tune up ( which i told him i would do for free ...go figure ) guess how much they want to charge him for it ?? ( 460 big block witha c-4 transmission ) ...ready ?..... $ 500 ! at that point i was sitting in the chair in the office ...when i heard that i got up and left the shop ........ i got a feeling that this adventure for my father is going to cost him a nice big shiny penny ........

 

[YBCold]

sounds like a TPS issue, also clean or check your IAC valve and your MAF sensor too.

im still trying to fix this problem on mine except it the rpm will "runaway" when i shift into park after driving

 

[doonze]

Hey Pony,
Finally got my How To up with pics about pulling the CEL codes.... clink in the link in my sig, it now leads to my post! Hope it helps!!!

 

[KobeJ05]

I finaly got tired of trying to figure out my explorers issue, (please read other post), and i took it into a local mechanic. I just moved here so i have no idea which mechanic is a good one. Its been in this mechanic shop now since Monday. Its now Thursday and i figured since i hadnt heard a word from them, that i woud call to see if maybe they had diagnosed the problem yet. I called and he said he cant see an issue with it. That it wasnt doing anything wrong that he could see. Now this tells me that he either hasnt actualy even looked at my Explorer yet, or he is completely incompitant. As soon as you start the Explorer there is an immediate issue with the idle fluctuating wildly and the RPM gauge jumping around from 600-1100 RPM's. The mechanic said that he cant get it to pull any codes??? Then he was like well i got it to pull an O2 sensor code but thats all.. B.S., then he was trying to say that he hadnt actualy driven it, so he hadnt got the check engine light to come on yet. I told him he has to drive it for around 5-10 minutes before it comes on.. Now if you read my other posts you will see that my Explorer is obviously haveing some issues. Is this Mechanic for real??? Should i take it somewere else? Or should i just leave it there? I kind of dont trust him now. I told him that the Explorer is my only vehicle and that time was an issue, that i was getting a ride to work everyday. This sucks. What should i do?:roll:

heh i hate when they dont call back cause it happened to me today. i told him yesterday if anything call me up and let me know he said ok. i called him all day today no answer. i should of went down there today cause they said they closed at 8pm well i just got there at 6pm i know i know i should of went earlier but still he should returned my phone call i even left 2 messages. i dont like to be ignored. i called him on his cell to cause thats what he gave me too im so pissed . sorry had to let it out.

 

[pony4896]

UPDATE: Well i did some research on the net for local mechanics. Ive been looking at various sites that people can actualy post there personal experiences with Local mechanics. "I also posted my own personal bad experience with that mechanic that wasted my time", Not to mention i found out that his business is a BBB Member, "Better Business Beuro", I also reported my experience to them and it will go on his public recored. Anyways, im having a difficult time finding a mechanic that will do what i say. All i ask is that they test each individual sensor to see if it is within the proper spec's. They all say that they cannot do that because there diagnostic code readers dont go back to the year 1992 but only to 1996. I keep telling them that they could just kind of oldschool it and hook up an multimeter, and they say sorry cant help me. One even said the only way he could help me out was to just start throwing parts at it till somthing works!! I told the guy, "chit man" icould do that myself! Im at a lose here. Im starting to think that my Explorer purchase was a horrible decision based on the fact that noone wants to work on them, and theyre quarky issues. I dont know people. Just what do i do now?

 

[pony4896]

Wow doonze.. What a wonderful difference those pics make!!!! I understand everything now. Thanks a million. Awsome awsome awsome!

 

[pony4896]

Thanks so much Doonze. This is a big help to alot of people. Here is what is happening when i do the test, key on engine off. I get a slight half second bleep of the check engine light, then a pause, then three bleeps, then slight pause, then three more bleeps and a LONG pause, then a single bleep, then a 6 second or so pause, then i get three bleeps,pause, and three bleeps.... Thats all.... I tried to search for this code, but im still not sure what it means?? Here it is in a different form: -/---/---/long pause/-/long pause/---/--- and thats it no more after that.

 

[pony4896]

Koer test

hmmm, did the KOER test. All that it keeps saying is code 73, which from my understanding means "User Error", somthing to do with the full-on throttle phase not initiating correctly at the final part of the test? Ive done the test 5 times, and each time i push the gas pedal all the way down, which is reving the engine to around 5-thousand RPM's and im quickly letting off, like was suggested... This is the only code, and its repeating itself twise to me. Im not sure how i could be doing anything wrong? Also with the KOEO test, all im pulling is 111, and 111, than another 111, 111??? Im guessing this is saying that there is no reported problem? Engine is FINE?

 

[doonze]

Thanks so much Doonze. This is a big help to alot of people. Here is what is happening when i do the test, key on engine off. I get a slight half second bleep of the check engine light, then a pause, then three bleeps, then slight pause, then three more bleeps and a LONG pause, then a single bleep, then a 6 second or so pause, then i get three bleeps,pause, and three bleeps.... Thats all.... I tried to search for this code, but im still not sure what it means?? Here it is in a different form: -/---/---/long pause/-/long pause/---/--- and thats it no more after that.

I'm guessing maybe it's the 2 digit code... 33, or EGR not responding???

I'm a little fuzzy about the 2 vs. 3 digit codes....

about your other problem, if your now getting the 111 code, that means all clear! The 73 code could be that maybe your doing it in the wrong place?? IDK, i've never gotten all the way through a KOER test myself, haven't needed too yet, it will give the codes if there are any even if you fail some of the steps.....

 

[pony4896]

Doonze, I initialy thought that the code could mean 33 as well, or EGR, but come to find out 1992 4.0 didnt come with EGR. Also 73 on KOER means User Error, not mashing gas pedal down far enough on wide open throttle test at end of KOER. But its weird cause i did the test like five or six times, always mashing the gas down completely, WIDE OPEN THROTTLE GOOSE TEST. So i dont know??

 

[deamon3]

When my explorer does the thing you described "RPM gauge jumping around from 600-1100 RPM's" , it's because the blower is on. If I turn the blower off it stops , maybe you just gotta turns yours off?