2013 Ford Explorer Idle issues

[kaela45]

Hello

So I have a 2013 Explorer XLT 3.5L 2WD and sometimes when I am in park I have a cyclical RPM drop and at least once the car has completely died when it dropped. I have a check engine light for a P0430 code bank 2 Catalytic converter. This part has been replaced twice but I still get the same code and the issues have continued to occur. I have also replaced the throttle body and spark plugs. Before I changed the cat for the second time I took it to Ford Castle Rock for diagnostics and they still told me the cat was bad. I have a video but it won't let me upload it to this post.

 

[J_C]

Is there any chance that this only happens when the vehicle wants to cycle the A/C compressor on? I mean it could drop, then the A/C compressor is not on because the RPM drop was sensed so the compressor was disengaged?

There is a TSB # TSB 15-0149 (PDF attached below) which only applies to 2013-2015 3.5L Ti-VCT (naturally aspirated, not EcoBoost) engine equipped vehicles. I did observe this happening to my '14 (the idle issue but not your P0430 code) but only on a particular tank of gas which it ran fine other than the drop during idle (and parked) when the A/C was called upon, but it hasn't happened again since then, so I never took it in to get the TSB's prescribed PCM programming done.

There's also a youtube video which does a good job showing that occurring, again just the idle issue, not the P0430 code, IIRC:


There is a small chance that you have a bad O2 sensor on that bank, but that would typically generate an O2 sensor code too, and I assume you only have the one code since it is the only one mentioned. After having already replaced the cat once, I would be wondering if you have misfires or oil leakage into that bank and it is either burning up (in case of fuel) or fouling out (in case of oil) the cat. I would not just replace the cat again before finding the cause, but I would ask the shop (or seller if it was DIY) if the one you already bought, has a lifetime warranty.

You could put a video on youtube or vimeo, etc, some hosting site and link to it in your post.

 

[kaela45]

Is there any chance that this only happens when the vehicle wants to cycle the A/C compressor on? I mean it could drop, then the A/C compressor is not on because the RPM drop was sensed so the compressor was disengaged?

There is a TSB # TSB 15-0149 which only applies to 2013-2015 3.5L Ti-VCT (naturally aspirated, not EcoBoost) engine equipped vehicles. I did observe this happening to my '14 (the idle issue but not your P0430 code) but only on a particular tank of gas which it ran fine other than the drop during idle (and parked) when the A/C was called upon, but it hasn't happened again since then, so I never took it in to get the TSB's prescribed PCM programming done.

There's also a youtube video which does a good job showing that occurring, again just the idle issue, not the P0430 code, IIRC:


There is a small chance that you have a bad O2 sensor on that bank, but that would typically generate an O2 sensor code too, and I assume you only have the one code since it is the only one mentioned. After having already replaced the cat once, I would be wondering if you have misfires or oil leakage into that bank and it is either burning up (in case of fuel) or fouling out (in case of oil) the cat. I would not just replace the cat again before finding the cause, but I would ask the shop (or seller if it was DIY) if the one you already bought, has a lifetime warranty.

You could put a video on youtube or vimeo, etc, some hosting site and link to it in your post.

So that was what I talked to the service center about. They said there weren't any misfires and told me it was specifically the cat which was covered under warranty so it wasnt a huge deal. I did replace both O2 sensors on that cat the first time around. I don't think the cat was bad or if it was I got a bad one because the code never went off. I had it reset and it came back on. I'm going to go ahead and replace the mass air flow sensor. I am going to look into the AC compressor as well but it will do it even with the AC off and it does it several times. It doesn't just drop once

 

[TXScott]

Hello

So I have a 2013 Explorer XLT 3.5L 2WD and sometimes when I am in park I have a cyclical RPM drop and at least once the car has completely died when it dropped. I have a check engine light for a P0430 code bank 2 Catalytic converter. This part has been replaced twice but I still get the same code and the issues have continued to occur. I have also replaced the throttle body and spark plugs. Before I changed the cat for the second time I took it to Ford Castle Rock for diagnostics and they still told me the cat was bad. I have a video but it won't let me upload it to this post.

I would check the (far, far cheaper) O2 sensor before buying a new cat. If you replaced the spark plugs, make sure the gasket on the air plenum is properly seated in the groove and you torque the bolts for the plenum down to spec and in the correct order.

 

[kaela45]

I would check the (far, far cheaper) O2 sensor before buying a new cat. If you replaced the spark plugs, make sure the gasket on the air plenum is properly seated in the groove and you torque the bolts for the plenum down to spec and in the correct order.

I've already done the O2 sensors and replaced the cat.

 

[J_C]

If it were the MAF sensor, you should see that as out of bounds long term fuel trim on a scan tool capable of live data, same as if you had a plenum or other (umetered) vac leak. Certainly it would be good to have a scan tool providing data when it does the low idle and stall. I'd also look at the O2 reading which should be cycling regularly, or there might be a wiring fault to a sensor since they were already replaced.

There is a 2014 workshop manual linked below in my sig, you might find some troubleshooting steps in it, but I doubt that it would mention the TSB issue that I mentioned previously, because the manual was written before that issue was known, unless the manual had a revision update to include that information.

When mine was doing the low idle due to trying to cycle the compressor on, it repeated that every 5 seconds or so, maybe a dozen or more times, then just stopped and idled normally. Granted I was in a drive thru line and had it both in and out of park and inched forward 20ft every few minutes. It mostly if not entirely happened in park. The compressor was eventually cycling on, I didn't see it with eyes under the hood but after several minutes waiting in the drive-thru line, was still blowing cold air out the vents. That was almost a year ago, and I've repeated same scenario at same drive-thru and hasn't happened again.

 

[peterk9]

I've already done the O2 sensors and replaced the cat.

Welcome to the Forum.

Peter