2000 Mountaineer 5.0 Litre Stalling when starting

[thaiphoon]

Hello,

I have a 2000 Mountaineer AWD 5.0 liter with 67k miles that has recently been rough idling and stalling when the engine is cold. After revvving the engine for a few minutes I can get it to perform correctly and if the engine is hot it works just fine. Its just if the engine sits long enough to get "cold" that I have this problem.

I've tried to do a search on these forums for this particular problem but nothign comes up. Anyone know what can be done to fix this and what it might cost ?

 

[V8BoatBuilder]

What's the condition of your "tune up" items, such as fuel filter, spark plugs, plug wires, coil packs, air filter, have you tried cleaning your MAF, and especially your IAC...yada yada?

Is your CEL on when the truck runs?

 

[Trckmagik]

One of my V-8 explorers is doing this exact thing right now.

 

[thaiphoon]

The CEL comes on when it happens but goes away eventually after I can get the engine warmed up and the problem doesn't happen until the engine gets "cold" again. Its a tad late for its 60k mile service so it might need a new fuel filter and air filter. Would that cause this problem ?

How would I clean out the MAF and IAC valve on a 2000 ?

 

[Trckmagik]

I just fixed mine. It was the gas cap. Head over to your local parts store and pick up a new cap for your 5.0 Mine cost me 10.99 plus tax.
When you install the new cap make sure you turn it till it snaps as this means it is on the filler neck correctly.
Hope this helps.

 

[thaiphoon]

Thanks, I'll give it a try !!

 

[V8BoatBuilder]

Spend the extra 5 bucks and get a locking gas cap. It's a PITA, but I know several people that have had crap dumped into their tanks.

There are numerous threads regarding cleaning the IAC (Idle Air Control) and MAF (Mass Airflow Sensor). The search function is your best friend around here.

If you can get the code read by someone, Autozone does it for free, or better yet buy your own Code Reader, that might pinpoint your problem.

 

[fiftyfeetup]

the fuel filter would cause this. so would plugs/wires. run your engine in the dark (pitch black) and look for very faint blue flashes along your wires. also listen for a hissing noise, it could be a vacuum leak. if you hear one, put a piece of pipe up to your ear and follow the hoses with the other end, youll know if you have one. your intake should hiss a little though.

 

[performancenut]

Best advice above was to start with reading a code. This may give a focused direction on what needs fixed/repaired/replaced rather than throwing new parts at the situation. Idle Air Control Valve sounds quite possible; my experience with "cleaning" the IAC is that it will fail again in the near future; thus, if you have the resources and can identify it as malfunctioning, a replacement is best. This item is not comparatively highly priced either.

Good luck