Dudeth
Member
- Joined
- September 6, 2015
- Messages
- 14
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Dallas, TX
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2001 Ford Explorer Sport
Yesterday my lady's 2001 Explorer Sport with a 4.0 SOHC was running like a top and then suddenly after sitting parked for a couple hours it would crank but not start. After letting it sit for an hour or so it cranked and seemed to run ok. She drove a mile or so and it died at a stop light. It wouldn't start for a few minutes and then finally started but in limp mode. The engine was shaking and barely able to idle so she pulled into a parking spot and I came and checked it out and we had to have it towed home. This problem is just out of the blue suddenly with no warning.
Today I was able to get it to start but it shook really badly and was running like it possibly wasn't getting the right air/fuel mixture. There is no check engine light on. At one point today I realized that once it started and was idling horribly and shaking I could press the gas pedal just slightly and hold it there and the rpms would slowly go up and then the engine would smooth out. If I slowly gave it gas I could get the engine up to 3000 rpms and then it would hesitate and drop the rpms back down to 2500. If I try to rev the engine quickly it acts like the engine is flooding or starving and chokes and stalls.
It has 111k miles on it. She has only owned it for 6 months but it has ran flawlessly to this point, other than one random time that it just died at a stop light shortly after she got it.
I'm not familiar with these 4.0L SOHC engines and I'm not really sure where to start. The coolant was low, maybe 1/2 - 2/3 full in the radiator but she said that it did not overheat and she pays attention to her temperature gauge because she's had overheating issues in other vehicles in the past. This coolant has to be going somewhere. Hopefully it's not an intake or head gasket issue. We have not noticed any leaks and the oil was just changed last week and there is no coolant in the oil. The engine doesn't smoke at all either.
Maybe I need to buy a OBD scanner and check the air/fuel mixtures? I recently ordered a cheap ODBII bluetooth dongle for my android phone but the piece of junk only worked once so I have to order a different one. My girlfriend has to work in 2 days and I need to get this figured out ASAP.
Any help is much appreciated.
Today I was able to get it to start but it shook really badly and was running like it possibly wasn't getting the right air/fuel mixture. There is no check engine light on. At one point today I realized that once it started and was idling horribly and shaking I could press the gas pedal just slightly and hold it there and the rpms would slowly go up and then the engine would smooth out. If I slowly gave it gas I could get the engine up to 3000 rpms and then it would hesitate and drop the rpms back down to 2500. If I try to rev the engine quickly it acts like the engine is flooding or starving and chokes and stalls.
It has 111k miles on it. She has only owned it for 6 months but it has ran flawlessly to this point, other than one random time that it just died at a stop light shortly after she got it.
I'm not familiar with these 4.0L SOHC engines and I'm not really sure where to start. The coolant was low, maybe 1/2 - 2/3 full in the radiator but she said that it did not overheat and she pays attention to her temperature gauge because she's had overheating issues in other vehicles in the past. This coolant has to be going somewhere. Hopefully it's not an intake or head gasket issue. We have not noticed any leaks and the oil was just changed last week and there is no coolant in the oil. The engine doesn't smoke at all either.
Maybe I need to buy a OBD scanner and check the air/fuel mixtures? I recently ordered a cheap ODBII bluetooth dongle for my android phone but the piece of junk only worked once so I have to order a different one. My girlfriend has to work in 2 days and I need to get this figured out ASAP.
Any help is much appreciated.
