2011 Cranks and Clunks

[remvalenzuela]

Hi All,

I joined this forum today, hoping to get some troubleshooting suggestions from the smart folks here... here's my issue... (sorry for the length)...

Was getting sluggish / studdering performance on my 2011 Explorer Limited has 3.5L engine. Recently, engine light came on, had to keep driving home, about 300 miles, but engine light went back off. The next day, wife takes it out and CEL comes on again, but this time, engine is sputtering bad. Wife drives it back to the house. When i get to it after work, i pull codes P0305 and P0303. Which are for misfire on 3 & 5. And noticed that the car doesn't start anymore, it cranks a couple times then clunks. So, since we just reached 100k miles, i figure, its either ignition coil, spark plugs or PCValve.

Today, I replaced all of the Coils, spark plugs and, the PCValve. But when i went to start it after replacing them, same happens...cranks a couple times, then clunks to a stop. But this time i notice, that when it does that the dash graphics appear to reset. If i push the start button again, it immediately clunks and dash resets. If i wait a min or so and try again, it will crank a couple times and then clunk/reset. However about 10% of the time it will crank a while and do a really rough start and die eventually.

I pulled codes again, but Torque says they are historical codes: P0305/P0304 and P0300.

Im at a loss, but I fear its a PCM issue? Any thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[thefranchise713]

If you're losing the display, it sounds like the battery is drained--probably from all the cranking. Charge the battery and try again?

Won't help your misfire repair, mind you, but does seem like an unrelated issue.

 

[remvalenzuela]

Did that, battery was showing 12.7 when i tried it and still connected to charger. Showed 11.9 V when disconnected from charger.

 

[peterk9]

Welcome to the Forum.

Peter

 

[remvalenzuela]

Welcome to the Forum.

Peter

Thank you!

 

[remvalenzuela]

Tried again today, had measured 13.1 volts on the battery after having it on the charger.. cranked it, it turned a couple times and clunked again, then pressed the start button again, and acted like the battery was going bad.... click click click click, and the dash flashing each time. No new codes.

 

[peterk9]

Starter issue??

 

[remvalenzuela]

Starting to think so... anyone know where the starter is on the 3.5L engine? I can't seem to find a diagram or video with this model/year.

Want to pull it and get it and the battery tested.

 

[peterk9]

I haven't found anything so far on the Internet but starting to think you have to crawl under the vehicle to get at it.

 

[reserved50]

dead cell in battery etc, not charging

Did that, battery was showing 12.7 when i tried it and still connected to charger. Showed 11.9 V when disconnected from charger.

 

[remvalenzuela]

Found the starter. OMG, what a pain in the a$$.

I actually followed many of the directions on this youtube video for a 2011 Fusion with a 3.5L engine (same-ish as mine), most of the process was the same, but some differences.



Going now to have the battery and starter tested.

 

[blwnsmoke]

There have been many people who have had their battery tested only to pass yet still be bad. Im going with bad battery.

Have you tried jump starting it to see if it will start?

 

[remvalenzuela]

This morning, tried to start it again as i mentioned before.... after asking about the starter earlier in this thread, we opened it up, and found #5 was flooded to the max, to the point we siphoned it out. We also tried to siphon any other cylinders which might be flooded, but seems that #5 might have been the only one that bad. Waited a few hours while we found and removed the starter, to let fumes air out a while and tried to soak up as much fuel as we could.

When we went to AdvanceAuto. Where the battery came from.... they tested and the guy said it was bad..... it was still under warranty so got an even exchange.

The starter failed as well, we watched them test it and while it spun, the gear never popped out like it should to grab the flywheel, they tested it 3 times. None in stock, so we took it to AutoZone... this time it passed their test and it popped out but there was some hesitation in the spindle... i bought a new (referb) one. Put it all in and now it cranks, still doesn't start.

Doesn't even seem to try to catch when cranking. So thinking I'm not getting ANY spark, or things are still flooded..... how do you fix flooded?

 

[blwnsmoke]

Bad injector stuck open? If so, I would think it would run but you would get a really bad fuel smell out the exhaust due to all the raw unburnt fuel.

Hmm, no expert here so cant offer much.

 

[reserved50]

remove all the plugs and blow the plugs out and cylinders for a few minutes each with compressed air. Original issue might be bad injector, if a cylinder is flooded you can bend parts really quickly when cranking.

 

[remvalenzuela]

Quick update... still have issues.

Car sat for a week till i could work on it again. Took fuel pump fuse out and cranked the motor a few times. Put the fuse back in and it started... took a minute and was running really rough, but it started. White smoke out the tail pipe and smelled like gas.

Check engine light was off, then flashed, then went off again, but still ran really rough. Threw the P0305 code again but didn't show it until after i turned off the engine.

Checked the #5 spark plug, has soot on it wiped it off, but still not starting. Next thought is to change the injector. I have it, but need to get some steps on how to do it.

 

[gen5jive]

Quick update... still have issues.

Car sat for a week till i could work on it again. Took fuel pump fuse out and cranked the motor a few times. Put the fuse back in and it started... took a minute and was running really rough, but it started. White smoke out the tail pipe and smelled like gas.

Check engine light was off, then flashed, then went off again, but still ran really rough. Threw the P0305 code again but didn't show it until after i turned off the engine.

Checked the #5 spark plug, has soot on it wiped it off, but still not starting. Next thought is to change the injector. I have it, but need to get some steps on how to do it.

This is my exact problem....what was the solution?????

 

[peterk9]

Welcome to the Forum.
The member you quoted was last seen here on December 15, 2018 so I doubt you will get a reply. However, perhaps another member seeing this will be able to help.

Peter

 

[gen5jive]

Welcome to the Forum.
The member you quoted was last seen here on December 15, 2018 so I doubt you will get a reply. However, perhaps another member seeing this will be able to help.

Peter

THanks! trying to find a thread with similar symptoms but its not going very well... any ideas?

 

[peterk9]

THanks! trying to find a thread with similar symptoms but its not going very well... any ideas?

I know there are some threads on "cranks but won't start" but your issue sounds like there is more involved.

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