92 XLT 4x4 No Acceloration, Bad MPG, and disapearing coolant 11/6/05

[Mhayes86]

I Just moved to Flagstaff from Phoenix, I had noticed before i left that my excess coolant resevior was dry and had been noticing a slight loss in power when maintaining Highway speeds over hills. Upon arrival in Flagstaff my car was driving fine and continued to do so for the first 2 days. Than it sat for 2 days and when I turned it on and drove up the drive way it started to choke as if it werent getting enough gas. I let it warm up and it improved but when i started driving I noticed that there was a delay before acceleration after I hit the gas. The car runs rough except when going between 35 and 45 mph. I had trouble getting the car over 55. I tried fuel injector cleaner and it started to help and as soon as i refiled my gas tank the problems came right back. I recently put premium gas in an almost emty tank and it dramaticly reduced the problem. I still get horrible gas millage and my coolant is still disapearing. I was told it is a clogged Catalytic converter thats been causing my engine to work harder. If i keep driving it am i going to blow a head gasket? Im not familiar with the explorer i have only been driving it for a month now. Any advice you guys can give me would help alot as its currently sitting in my driveway and i have no idea what to do with it.

 

[jimbo74]

if coolant is disappearing its either already running the engine way too hot and its boiling away or the head gasket is already blown and cuasing the coolant to be burned off.....

 

[Chew_12]

Hey Another Flagstaff PERSON!!!!!! Yea!!!!!! Well something I notice in Flagstaff since it is a high elevation it will take the car a little longer to excelerate because of the lack of oxygen. But you should be able to go over 55. Try resetting your computer(unplug the battery for 10 min). See if that does anything

 

[TSTONE]

Do a search on intake retorque - its common for 1st gens to have leaky intakes but depending on the severity it may not effect you. My 93 leaked from 95-Present and I never addressed it other than topping off the coolant every other gas up and it still ran great when I sold it last week with 96K. As for the acceleration if your o2 sensors are bad and the o2 is thin it could be cutting your performance down pretty bad.

 

[elkhunter]

It sounds like a head gasket or cracked head to me. If you drive it until it is good and warm with the coolant level where it belongs, shut it off and let it set for a day. Crank it over a few times and pull the plugs to see if any are wet. If so and the wet part is sweet it is the gasket or head. Don't swallow, spit it out after the test!

 

[Mhayes86]

Well i moved my car today and i noticed a green patch of snow under the radiator and another small one further back towards the firewall. So now i know my coolant is leaking. Does this mean that my heads are ok?

 

[goobenet]

In my reent experience, that doesn't mean anything. I was being told head gaskets on mine too... Guess what it ended up being... THE DAMN HOSE CLAMP BY THE T-STAT. Ford used these craptastic hose clamps that lose their tension after 10 or so years. The coolant would leak out when it was cold, and follow the hoses down around the engine giving me puddles in various places (including the passenger side tire). It's inevitable that a head gasket will be needed, it's a head gasket, but i've managed to prolong it just by a $.70 clamp.

Try simple things first. Then start worrying about heads and gaskets. Believe me, they're not an easy task on these vehicles. (According to some labor books, it's cheaper to pull the motor out of the truck to do head gaksets... May as well do quite a bit more if this is the case)

 

[urbanistic]

I had a fluid retention problem... noticable after a few weeks of driving... another top-off. I replaced my radiator, 2 heater lines, and the 2 tubes to the block. Used new clamps everywhere... no leak since. I found several spots with fluid leakage... firewall... radiator support bracket.... oh yeah, replaced the waterneck and thermostat at the same time, too. I had some leakage there at the neck.

 

[MAXIMIS1]

you mentioned at end of post that someone has allready told you your converter is restricted? if this is true then ding dong this will indefinatly 100% positive cause a very powerless powerplant in any combustion eng. also if that is the case replace the muffler, bits of converter can lodge in muffler causing it to be restricted also. and lastly check your air filter and replace fuel filter, alot of debris becomes dislodged within filter during the climb up that grade. more fuel flowing threw it then ever befor in city type driving , resulting in a very plugged filter.

 

[dogfriend]

It sounds like a head gasket or cracked head to me. If you drive it until it is good and warm with the coolant level where it belongs, shut it off and let it set for a day. Crank it over a few times and pull the plugs to see if any are wet. If so and the wet part is sweet it is the gasket or head. Don't swallow, spit it out after the test!

Just from reading the title to this thread I was thinking blown head gasket. I think elkhunter is very astute.

I would perform a compression test or a cylinder leak down test as the next step to diagnose.

 

[ActionJackson]

or even simpler do a pressure test on the cooling system. this will also help find a leak in the area(s) if there is no problem with the head gasket. much quicker that doing a leak down test. start with the pressuer check on the cooling system then move to the leakdown test if there is a loss of pressure on the cooling system with no external leaks detected form hoses, radiator, ect...