Cruise Control, engine almost dies

[mikec557]

I read some posts on this issue, but my situation seems a little different; almost all the posts talked about decelerating on a downhill with CC on; and at lower speed. I have a 2000 Explorer XLT (v6). Driving home from central Oregon I had the cruise control on, set at about 67mph. I'm on a slight uphill incline and the RPMs just drop away. the engine doesn't die, but I lose all power and pull to the side of the road. The engine continues to run, but as I try to give it gas it just bobbles along at about 500 RPM. I'm not sure, but it felt like the gas peddle may have been lower on the floor than usual but I may have just imagined that.

I kept the engine running and raised the hood. No sounds of a vacuum leak and no smells of gasoline. I got back in the car and same thing, give it some gas and it bobbles and the RPMS won't raise any higher than 750, and that's an effort to raise from 500.

Eventually the motor dies. I shut the key clear off, turn it back on and the engines spins to life and behaves normally. I run the Rs up and down a little and it acts like nothing is wrong. I keep the Rs at about 1500 and drop it into Drive thinking that if I could just get moving I can get back to civilization. I was worried that if I tried to just start off at the normal lower RPM the bobble and dying would start all over again. Tranny and rear wheels do there thing and I'm driving away just like nothing every happened. I drive 75 more miles home.

I always use the cruise control, always set it around a fat 65mph and I've driven this road a 100 times. I've had the car for 10 yrs and put over 100,000 miles on it (have 124,000 on it now), it has never died like this. I didn't dare experiment with the cruise control on the way home because I'd rather get home than cause it to die a second time. Not sure how long its been since I had a tune up and new plugs, maybe at 60,000? I'll have to look for my receipts. I will experiment around town tomorrow, but do you guys have any thoughts or suggestions.

Thanks in advance
Mike

 

[jplinville]

Have you pulled any codes from it yet?

 

[mikec557]

No. I don't have a code puller. But, I think Harbor Freight might sell one. How long would the code be there for me to read? I could drive another car tomorrow and go buy one. No lights on the dash ever came on since the motor never died, at least not until my umpteenth try to goose it back to life while sitting on the side of the road. When it finally died, all the normal dash lights came on, and when I immediately restarted it all the lights went out; check engine light never remained on.

Does that help?

 

[jplinville]

Somewhat. If you can drive it to Autozone or a place like that, they'll read the code for free.

 

[mikec557]

Somewhat. If you can drive it to Autozone or a place like that, they'll read the code for free.

There's one down the street from where I live. Assuming it starts and goes as normal, I'll go there first thing in the morning and post any code info they can give me.

Thanks
Mike

 

[mikec557]

Somewhat. If you can drive it to Autozone or a place like that, they'll read the code for free.

Well, code reader said there were no error codes to read. Guy at Autozone said that unless the check engine light was on, this is the likely result. At the time it finally died and when it started right after there were no lingering lights on, let alone the check engine light.

Thanks
Mike