'93 X, Stock, plugged up exhaust?

[Nedwreck]

Hi,

The ex's X is giving fits.. and I got a full plate (little time to troubleshoot).

Intermittently acts like the Cats or muffler are plugged up. But it's not consistent, so that throws me.

Bone stock, MAF was cleaned a couple months ago, looks like factory stock exhaust (!), 173k miles.. ticks some but not real bad.

I drove it a bit ago, and heavy on the gas it got boggy.. let up and it comes back.

Drove it again 15 mins after, and it was fine. Ran better than mine!

Pulled a 186 code out, but it was a prior event. KOEO was 111 (fine).

Checked maf, vac lines, etc.. before I drove it. life looked good.

Suggestions, before I have to pull pipe and all that junk?

THANKS GUYS!!!
-john

 

[unclemeat]

Plugged fuel filter? Pump? (fuel pressure)

Broken spark plug or wire?

 

[Nedwreck]

Plugged fuel filter? Pump? (fuel pressure)

Broken spark plug or wire?

Plugs/wires recently done. Double checked looked good. didnt pull plugs.
checked that already sorry didnt mention it. No wires burns, no misfires.. just gets boggy when it acts up.. boggy like no-go over 2500 rpm in any gear, foot on the gas hard. Like a potato in the exhaust pipe. (yea I checked for that!) but it's not all the time - comes and goes.

Fuel pump not that old either (one year?). no undue noise or other symptoms that way. not sure about filter. might do that as preventative maintenance either way. I like well maintained vehicles. they might not be pretty though. heh

she just drove it 50 miles since posting.. no problems.

get the feeling a internal muffler tube might be loose (or something in there) occasionally blocking the pipe.

she just came back and borrowed mine.. *Grumble*.. will go out maybe slap a muffler while it's here or anything else I can think of. Would rather it be peachy-good when she picks it up. Cover all the bases! heh

 

[Nedwreck]

Help!

Alright folks...

She drives it and says problem is going uphill or interstate (under a good load).
I drive it and after 3/4 throttle to WOT it stumbles out, bogs down.. let up and it picks up and goes. This is just up and down my side road I live on.

Installed muffler.. no change but sounds good!
Fixed Cat's .. no change. little more pep, but same problem.

New fuel pump.. LOTS more pep, but original problem still exists.
... Old pump was factory!

New Fuel Filter.. no change.

Air filter.. no change.

I have a parts truck that ran GREAT before it got crunched in the read end.
From the parts truck I used:

MAF sensor.. no change.

Fuel Pressure regulator.. no change.

TPS.. no change.

KOEO test.. no faults or codes.

KOER test.. no faults or codes. (well I got a BOO, but I never pressed the brake pedal. heh oh I did the WOT part too!)

I'm out of ideas. This truck will keep coming around until it's fixed. Who's got some love for a fella?

 

[Tbars4]

...The odb-1 does not store prior codes but it keeps codes in memory of faults that are happening...These codes are intermittent failures that have not totally failed to throw a CEL...

...After clearing a code, it may take 50-100 miles of driving with "X" amount of starts for it to register again...

...I would start with the code you did receive,

186 (M) =Injector pulse width longer than expected or Mass Air Flow (MAF) lower than expected - Fuel control

...Mr. shorty has a test for this somewhere but it looks to me like it is in deed your MAF or it's connections..

 

[Tbars4]

...This link will give you plenty to read...
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2264511&postcount=6

 

[Nedwreck]

Thanks Tbars...

Will check out this info.

I had noticed on one start where I'd failed to connect the MAF, and it didn't wanna give up that code at first. It did eventually.

Had an older Taurus once, it was quick to give up codes.. went back once through like 25 events once! Apparently the Explorer's aren't as swift like the EEC Taurus was.

 

[xfactormissing]

Stumbling Explorer

In November last year my 2000 explorer was doing the same as yours, it turned out that the fuel filter was full of grit and the tank had about 2 inches of grit in the bottom. Tank out, cleaned and fitted new pump with integral filter, problem solved. It has just started again and after investigating the smell of fuel from the back end have discovered that the fuel filler return pipe, which allows rapid release of air from the top of the tank when filling, is rotted out and has been allowing water and grit to enter the fuel tank. It is another design flaw, the pipes run just where all the spray and mud from the back wheel land, so they get covered in mud and dont dry out. It may not be your problem but worth a look.

 

[Nedwreck]

BTW folks... truck is running good. dunno what the final straw was... disconnected the battery and wiggled jiggled checked all over.. gave it back to her and no complaints!

hate not knowing exactly what fixed it.. but hey I'll NOT complain!!

 

[chance942]

Cool man hope it stays that way.

How much did you get for the cats?