06 4.0 Lots of codes, erratic ignition timing, rough idle, smooth throttle

[StangsandMavs]

You guys haven't failed me yet.

My kid picked up an 06 SOHC 4.0L Eddie Bauer with 178k for a winter/ bad weather vehicle. Good price because the owner was told it needed timing chains (new engine) by a garage after putting thousands into repairing it... tires, battery, plugs, wires, numerous sensors, EGR valve, OEM cat converters... ouch.

So, my job is to get it road worthy.

I'm not totally convinced that the timing chains are the issue, but will go that route if it is. The reason I'm not convinced is because the previous owner had continued to drive the vehicle, including the 25 miles during daytime traffic to drop it off at my place. The engine jumps around a bit at idle... little bit of noise, but isn't overly noisy. He said it lacks power going up a hill, but seems to rev fine.

I cleared the codes and these returned in short order just by idling and driving around in my yard:

P0106
P0109
P0300
P0316
P2196

I hooked it up to my reader... looked at the Ignition timing and it was all over the place until I gave it some fuel. On the right side of this picture, you can see where I took the idle to 1500 RPMs.

I also took a shot of the Fuel Trims... I'm not too experienced with them, but I try to learn when I need to learn.

As I said, this forum has never let me down, to date... so I figured I'd open it up to the crowd before I started digging.

Thanks for checking it out.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

bump for op the trims seem different than mine but ill check tomorrow. im going off memory LOL

 

[94Eddie]

These two videos will help make sense of long/short term fuel trim readings and how to diagnose problems that affect them.

 

[StangsandMavs]

Appreciated.

I don't do this diagnostic stuff enough to become "good" at it. So everything involves a steep learning curve where I relearn the stuff that I had gone through years earlier. Refresher courses are always welcome.

This is one of the big reasons that I've stuck with Ford vehicles over my life. It's a lot easier to learn when they utilize the same types of systems. We do have an 04 Explorer with this same engine. I'm going to get some readings to see where these data inputs align and differ.

One of the things that I did was take the serpentine belt off to better isolate the noises. With that belt off, a "rattling" became more evident. So, unless that noise is really a detonation knock of some sort, I may be going down the timing chain path, after all.

I'm just surprised an engine could drive that long with timing chain issues or be that smooth when idle is taken up over 1,000 RPMs.

 

[StangsandMavs]

I had a chance to hook the code reader up to my (good) 04 Explorer.

Big difference in the MAP sensor readings. When running, 18 is about the reading for the 06 Explorer with something around 9.4 on the (good) 2004. The MAP sensor and EGR valve was something that was freshly replaced by the previous owner.

Both MAP sensors align with the BARO with the engine off.

While it was running, also started noticing a periodic tap like the engine was doing Morse Code for a few seconds at a time every 30 seconds or so... afraid that might be valves periodically kissing the piston(?), but wasn't able to pinpoint it...

 

[StangsandMavs]

These two videos will help make sense of long/short term fuel trim readings and how to diagnose problems that affect them.

These are great videos.

As evidenced by my first post, the LTFT show that Bank 1 is running rich with Bank 2 running relatively symmetrically lean.

Also, new codes have popped up... P0301, P0302, P303... all of the Bank 1 cylinders.

Since the engine runs much better and the data... MAP Pressure, Fuel Trims on both sides... comes closer to normal as I run the engine over Idle (1200-2200 RPMs) I'd think it could be a vacuum issue with Bank 2 before I'd guess an issue of every cylinder dumping too much fuel in Bank 1.

Unless engine timing is just selectively bad when the engine RPMs are at idle(?).

 

[StangsandMavs]

I think I have an update, here...

So, thanks to @94Eddie , I started going through some of the "Schrodinger's Box" videos. One of them is discussing the "adaptive learning tables".



After seeing this explanation, it's like you writing or typing without thinking about what you're doing. You just do it because that's what you're trained to do. So, this rationalizes, that the data that you see isn't from live organic data, but rather from trained data harvested from prior periods. Maybe this explains why the engine runs fine and the data smoothed with just a little bit of throttle?

I only have Ford Vehicles, so I took this chance to pick up an OBDLink Ex Forscan adapter.... should have gotten this years ago... I'm still learning how to use all of the software, but I did erase the existing tables. In the past when I erased the codes, they would come back in very short order.This time, I had it idling for about 15 minutes... much smoother and the data was much more consistent... and drove it around my yard (can get up to about 30MPH before I run into things)... no codes, yet.

I'm going to let it cool down and check it out later, but it might make sense if so many parts were swapped without clearing the tables (as opposed to just the codes), that maybe this was a software issue, all along.

I'm getting my hopes up, I know... anyhow, it's worth a shot and I'm grateful to get a better education on how some of these things work.

 

[StangsandMavs]

Just hooked it back up... ran it around the yard a few times and then took these...

If you see something that I should be focusing on that I missed, please let me know. Had it running for another 20 minutes or so and still no codes.

 

[StangsandMavs]

So, here's the update, 1 month later.

I got the kid situated with another Explorer that she bought before this one. It had unresolved collision damage and needed some airbag components replaced to get that road worthy. A local U Pull It salvage yard fixed us up with everything that it needed... nice looking hood, leather seats/ seat frames/ seat belts, collapsing steering column piece, header panel, good headlights, good stereo, and a collision module all for about $200.

I was shocked that these parts didn't run more.

We were going to use one of these as a donor for the other... but both were too nice for either to be parted out. So, that one is on the road and this is going to be an Emergency 4WD vehicle.

Although this Explorer ran better than when we got it by clearing all of those tables and such... it still wasn't right. So, I pulled the timing chain cover. Sure enough found the front cassette was busted up and the tensioners from the crank to the jackshaft were destroyed. Put it on TDC with the valve covers off, and made clear that the timing had, in fact, jumped.

I pulled all of the plugs and ran a scope down them... no marks on any of the piston tops... since there wasn't any evidence of a head gasket issue, I'm going to leave the heads on.

I dropped the oil pan and got all of the crud out of it.

Parts and tools are on order so I'm cleaning it up a bit today and notice this... anyone ever see this oil tube on the camshaft get broken off? The end of it was found with the junk in the oil pan... figure someone busted it off when they were fooling with the valve cover. I'd guess this wasn't very good for oil pressure.

Pics below.


9/30/22 Edit... Engine is back in. Had some issues at first with Bank 1 dumping fuel but running lean. After pulling plugs and checking the compression... all seemed good. Started it back up and it blew a bunch of smoke for about 20 seconds then ran like a champ. The fuel trims came back into line and the Bank 1 O2 sensors normalized. Maybe some of the crud that I cleared on the injectors accidentally? Not sure... but here was the screen after a few minutes. So, I think it's a success.

Thanks again to those who chimed in and steered me in the direction of fuel trims. It's been a pretty good education.

For those who are considering the Timing Chain job... some great videos are out there, now.

Few talk about price, which is pretty important to most of you who are on this website. So, hopefully this helps someone out:

I spent $120 on the OTC timing tool off of Ebay and $20 for the External Torx set from Amazon.
I put on a new standard Melling oil pump (scored one for $50, but they run $85 on Amazon.
Amazon product ASIN B000C4KIZG
Some torx bit Intake bolts snapped when I removed them, so I picked up some replacements from Amazon for $10.

Amazon product ASIN B00F34LW32
As for the Torque To Yield Bolts... I know its popular to complain about the Dealers, but be sure to price compare with them on parts... you might be surprised. These were at my house in 36 hours for $30. I already had a crank bolt, so I didn't get one of those... but they would have been cheapest from the dealer.

This vehicle had an oil cooler that was bypassed, on it... looks like the tube rusted through. We don't tow anything, so I didn't see a need to put it back on. To swap setups, I needed to buy a new oil filter insert, a (2 hose) heater valve and a piece of 5/8" length of heater hose...

The insert, again, from the dealer... $10. The 2 hose heater valve I picked up from Rock Auto...

The front seal set from Amazon for $21.

Parts from Rock Auto are below:

Of course... you'll also need an oil change and antifreeze...

 

[StangsandMavs]

Kid had been driving the 2007 Explorer (not the one with the bad timing chain) for a while. She came home with a check engine light on for a lean condition. I had forgotten to tighten the throttle body clamp and think that was the issue.

While the car was here, I decided to clean up the MAF sensor. Put it back together and it ran terribly. I thought I screwed up the sensor and tossed on a second one that I had here. Same thing.

25 codes. EGR... EVAP... O2 Sensors on both sides... holy crap.

Took me a bit, but I figured it had to be wiring... sure enough, the MAF sensor wiring was destroyed under the plastic cover. Each wire.

I fixed them... but the codes were still there. Started looking at other wiring, and found the same type of issue at the coil pack.... fixed that... but the codes were still there.

I finally realized that these may have been on the same circuit... checked the owners manual and sure enough, a 15 amp mini fuse under the hood ran all of this stuff... it was blown.

So, if you're running into a bunch of codes, pull back the wire cover and check the end of those wiring harnesses near the connector...