94 XLT rough running engine/tranny issue

[bdever24]

Newbie to the forum. Had my 94 XLT 4x4 since '01. Maintained pretty much everything that's come up. The money has been adding up big time over the past year or so. Maybe time to find a new one? The old girl has 270K kms.
Here's the problem; very rough idle, it's sputtering and knocking when I'm driving both on level ground and up hill. When I accelerate moderately it sputters, sometimes I think it's going to die, but when I put my foot down it revs up just fine and accelerates ok.
I just had the fuel filter replaced with an oil change. It actually got worse after that. This has been going on for one week and it seems to be at it's worst (for the past couple days) and not getting any worse now. But it's a little scary.
I replaced my MAF sensor about 1.5 yrs ago. When that went the "check engine" light came on. This feels different (rougher shaking) but sounds similar. I pulled the conx to the IAC and the revs fell but came back up. I was told by a mechanic that if the revs fell and come back up it's not the IAC.

I've also been having problems with the tranny. In cool weather, when I start going in the morning, any kind of incline, I don't move. I rev the motor sometimes two or three times, and the tranny engages and away I go. It's an automatic. Once things warm up, no other signs of problems.

I am the second least mechanically inclined person in the world. I have yet to meet the person who is less mechanically inclined than me.
I'll probably end up taking it to a mechanic at some point, but I'd like to have some ideas to help narrow it down before I do that. Maybe if it's something small I can attempt it myself.
Thanks for any help.

 

[mikeinri]

For the sputtering, it could be any number of things, including fuel pressure regulator, spark plugs or wires, coil pack, intake gasket, cracked head... With your level of experience, it's fairly cheap to replace the plugs and wires and if that doesn't correct it, take it to a shop for a real diagnosis.

For the tranny, you should post this question in the tranny section of this forum. While you're at it, use the search tool and search this site, there are a couple of things you can probably do yourself to fix this, including tranny modulator (if you're losing fluid and not seeing it on the ground) or 1st gear solenoid seals (o-rings/d-rings).

Welcome to the site!

Mike

 

[bdever24]

Update on the sputtering

So how about this. I book an app't at a friend's shop, but I can't get it in for five days. Later that same day, leaving work, starts up, sputters a couple times, then runs like a top for the 15 min drive home (up hill for most of the trip). So three days have passed and the vehicle is purring like a kitten, running fine, no signs of the five days of sputtering. So perhaps I had a bad tank of gas? That would be the first time I've ever experienced that and I've done LOTS of driving. I'm still going to pull the plugs and have a look at them tomorrow just to be sure they are alright. I'm taking it for a longer drive on the highway tomorrow so we'll see.
Has anyone else had a "bad tank of gas" that cause sputtering and a loss of power?

 

[mikeinri]

Yes, if the gas had water in it, it could definitely cause sputtering problems.

I once put 40 gallons of (bad) gas into my old RV, it ran like Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang, wouldn't go over 45 mph (on a flat interstate), and was backfiring so badly that it was scaring other drivers off the road. As soon as I finally burned through that tank of gas, it went back to running normally.

Dry Gas is supposed to help this problem, but at the time it happened to me, I made a bad assumption that the problem was the age of the engine (1978).

Mike

 

[Calvynandhobbs]

I had a Ranger with the 2.9 that took a bad tank of gas, but completely stalled it only 50 yards from the gas station. A guy from the garage across the street came out and siphoned mostly dirt and water from my tank. The gas station was closed immediately and they found that one of their fuel tanks had a big hole and was sucking dirt in. They ended up having to dig the entire station up and replace the tanks. The gas station insurance paid for the repairs to my Ranger. That was the only time I've gotten bad gas that I've known of and it was really bad.

Roger

 

[walterd140]

Yep, that sounds like what happened to wife's first van. Bad gas made it run hot & slow. I too changed the filther when it first happened. You might think of doing the filther again.

Also, if it was bad gas, switch to a higher grade your next fill up, run that down. Then back to regular with dry-gas in it. Then do a filther. Then regular gas no dry-gas. That should get all the crap out of the system.

Walter

 

[mikeinri]

EXCELLENT point, definitely change the filter after you suspect you've had bad gas.

 

[Gadget X]

Also, I haven't heard anyone address your tranny problem yet. I would think that at the very least you will need to pull the valve body and clean/inspect it and maybe put some sort of shift improver kit in it. (available through most major auto parts stores) Also check the low/reverse servo while you're down there. Could also be the pump going bad. How long since your last tranny fluid and filter change?

 

[mikeinri]

??? I'll say it again, go to the tranny section of this forum, find Glacier...

 

[bdever24]

Update

So I thought things were going fine, after replacing the plugs everything ran great. About two wks ago the engine started acting up again, sputtering intermittently. So I followed the info on cleaning the MAF. Just did it today. Disconnected the neg. battery cable afterwards for 10 mins. and fired it back up. Ran great, no signs of any problems. Went for a drive for about 15 mins., stoppped, turned it off and did a couple of errands.
Then... started it up again and right back to the sputtering. Uphill on the highway it was underpowered unless I really put my foot in it.
I got home and left it running and poked my head underneath as I could hear something funny from the exhaust system. It's sputtering from that spot on the passenger side, just below the rear door. I don't know the part but it's got a rusted out area.
I've got two pics of it but I don't know how to upload the pics. I tried but it's asking for a url.

 

[bdever24]

Update

Took it to a garage that I trust. He plugged it in and told me it was the plug wires. So I went and replaced them, NGK wires. Took it back, five minutes later the mechanic said it's running fine. Everything under the hood is in excellent shape.
I just wanted to say thanks to all of you on this forum. Your posts are very usefull and the pics and descriptions are sweet. I'm starting to lose the fear of all things mechanical. LOL.
Keep up the good work y'all.

 

[mawrazen]

The tranny issue could be a Bad Transmission Modulator valve. Also check your vacuum lines, if they seem moist its ATF fluid. Also check your all of you vacuum lines for good connections as well as your ATF fluid level.

 

[mikeinri]

It's amazing how wires and plugs seem to go at the same time. I don't change plugs without changing the wires anymore, got burned once by trying to be cheap...