Mic Blade
New Member
- Joined
- April 28, 2023
- Messages
- 1
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Taos, New Mexico
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2007 Explorer Eddie Bauer
I have a 2007 Explorer, Eddie Bauer, V-8, only 62,700 miles. I experience intermittent engine stalling from a standstill and occasionally, while at driving speed. Coming to a full stop and then accelerating, the engine stumbles, with no or little power. The car does move forward, but without accelerating. (Pressing the accelerator on and off, eventually, the engine performs.) The precursor to this problem is a very slight hesitation when accelerating from a stop. It is a spilt second pause, before RPM takes hold. It would be unnoticeable to someone without some mechanical understanding. (like my wife) When I detect this small thing, I know that I will be having the stalling experience eventually. It stalls, then it drives okay. The next day it stalls, and the engine light comes on, for example. Side note, gas milage drops from around 15-16 to 12 during the stalling phase. Exhaust smells “rich” to me.
The green wrench light is the first warning light to signal that the computer is recognizing a problem, but it comes on much later after the stall syndrome. My mechanic is Ford Certified, using a Ford OBS scanner, he detects no OBS code for the drivetrain warning light. After turning off the engine, the wrench light does not reappear. Symptoms may continue, off and on. Meaning the car seems to run normally but unexpectedly when at a stop, the hesitation and stalling can happen. Scary in the middle of an intersection.
Eventually, the “check engine” light comes on after 30-130 miles of driving. It is a P1336 code. The mechanic has run a complete diagnostics on the code, over 20 possibilities all check as working. (Cam sensors, etc.) They all check out within specification. He did find a broken connector to one cam sensor on the driver’s side and replaced it. He says many of the connectors are brittle, as if subjected to excessive heat. Without a direct indication of the problem, he is not one to replace parts, guessing at the problem. He is stymied, but thinks it is electrical, perhaps even a module within the computer or somewhere with the wire harness. Possibly several issues connected.
After my last visit with the mechanic, the car ran “normal” for about 80 miles of driving. Check engine light was cleared. I live in a mountain town. The mechanic asked me to drive the car over the weekend. Driving back home on a mostly downhill grade, the green wrench light came on. The car was still running fine before the light and then all the way back home. The next day I decided to drive the same mountain road to see if I could duplicate the green light, coasting under compression most the way. The wrench light did not come on. However, I stopped in town to gas up the car and when I started the engine, the wrench light appeared. I don’t know if coasting is a clue. I cannot duplicate the problem at will. It happens on its own, out of the blue. The next time I drove the car, the green wrench light was off, but later when driving, the “check engine” light came on and it is still on. Once the “check engine" light is on, I never see the green wrench drive train light come on again.
Yesterday, I started the car cold. I usually let the vehicle idle down after a cold start. Shortly after starting, I noticed rough running with the engine and a noticeable vibration. It let it continue to warm up, I did not touch the accelerator, and the engine settled into what seemed to be the normal running speed, as the RPM was around 1,200. After the engine dropped down to about 700-750 rpm, I lightly pressed the accelerator to rev the engine. Instead of revving, the RPM dropped below 500, like the “wind was taken from the sail.” I can almost say that I heard a whump, vacuum like sound, sucking air. The engine did not die, although I thought it was going to. I immediately let my foot off the accelerator, and the RPM recovered. I duplicated the fault a couple of times, but after that, when I feathered the accelerator, the engine picked right up, revving up to 2,500 RPM and settled back at 700. The car seemed to run “normally”. However, during the drive to town, it had the slight hesitation at takeoff and also stalled a couple of times, similar to the cold start idle describe here. When I say stalled, I do not mean to stop running, the car just failed to accelerate with the peddle pushed.
I live in a small town. The closest Ford Dealer is 75 miles away. I drive an F-150 and an Edge. I have been with the mechanic for ten years, and I am very satisfied. He is recognized in the community.
I know this is a needle in a haystack. I am hoping my issue sounds familiar to someone with previous experience with the issue. Thank you for reading my long story.
The green wrench light is the first warning light to signal that the computer is recognizing a problem, but it comes on much later after the stall syndrome. My mechanic is Ford Certified, using a Ford OBS scanner, he detects no OBS code for the drivetrain warning light. After turning off the engine, the wrench light does not reappear. Symptoms may continue, off and on. Meaning the car seems to run normally but unexpectedly when at a stop, the hesitation and stalling can happen. Scary in the middle of an intersection.
Eventually, the “check engine” light comes on after 30-130 miles of driving. It is a P1336 code. The mechanic has run a complete diagnostics on the code, over 20 possibilities all check as working. (Cam sensors, etc.) They all check out within specification. He did find a broken connector to one cam sensor on the driver’s side and replaced it. He says many of the connectors are brittle, as if subjected to excessive heat. Without a direct indication of the problem, he is not one to replace parts, guessing at the problem. He is stymied, but thinks it is electrical, perhaps even a module within the computer or somewhere with the wire harness. Possibly several issues connected.
After my last visit with the mechanic, the car ran “normal” for about 80 miles of driving. Check engine light was cleared. I live in a mountain town. The mechanic asked me to drive the car over the weekend. Driving back home on a mostly downhill grade, the green wrench light came on. The car was still running fine before the light and then all the way back home. The next day I decided to drive the same mountain road to see if I could duplicate the green light, coasting under compression most the way. The wrench light did not come on. However, I stopped in town to gas up the car and when I started the engine, the wrench light appeared. I don’t know if coasting is a clue. I cannot duplicate the problem at will. It happens on its own, out of the blue. The next time I drove the car, the green wrench light was off, but later when driving, the “check engine” light came on and it is still on. Once the “check engine" light is on, I never see the green wrench drive train light come on again.
Yesterday, I started the car cold. I usually let the vehicle idle down after a cold start. Shortly after starting, I noticed rough running with the engine and a noticeable vibration. It let it continue to warm up, I did not touch the accelerator, and the engine settled into what seemed to be the normal running speed, as the RPM was around 1,200. After the engine dropped down to about 700-750 rpm, I lightly pressed the accelerator to rev the engine. Instead of revving, the RPM dropped below 500, like the “wind was taken from the sail.” I can almost say that I heard a whump, vacuum like sound, sucking air. The engine did not die, although I thought it was going to. I immediately let my foot off the accelerator, and the RPM recovered. I duplicated the fault a couple of times, but after that, when I feathered the accelerator, the engine picked right up, revving up to 2,500 RPM and settled back at 700. The car seemed to run “normally”. However, during the drive to town, it had the slight hesitation at takeoff and also stalled a couple of times, similar to the cold start idle describe here. When I say stalled, I do not mean to stop running, the car just failed to accelerate with the peddle pushed.
I live in a small town. The closest Ford Dealer is 75 miles away. I drive an F-150 and an Edge. I have been with the mechanic for ten years, and I am very satisfied. He is recognized in the community.
I know this is a needle in a haystack. I am hoping my issue sounds familiar to someone with previous experience with the issue. Thank you for reading my long story.
