'95 Ford Explorer XLT shut down problems

[Denonu]

Hi, thanks for checking out my post. I have been having trouble with my vehicle recently. Not a car person but I am looking to get more info about the problems its been giving me. I searched around but no one seemed to have my exact issues/problems.

My car has been shutting down on occasion recently and have repaired a few things but its still shutting down.

Problem: My car starts and runs fine but sometimes I will stop at a light it will occasionally sputter when I accelerate coming from the stop. During the sputter the dash lights dim out. Other times the engine will shut down and I will have to park and start the car again. During the start it comes right back on the first try, no problems getting it to come back.

This only seems to happen when coming off stops such as lights. Never during highway driving or while I am on putting gas to the car. Other than that I have no other issues.

Last year I had a check engine light appear. Took it to a shop and they said it was a camshaft sensor code. After doing my research this problem could be about 5 or 6 different causes. Crack sensor, Throttle Position sensor ect.

I have changed the fuel filter, spark plugs and wires, and the battery. Could a bad camshaft sensor cause the engine to shut down or should I focus my attention elsewhere. If so, where?

Thanks.

 

[gmanpaint]

Welcome to the forum!

Check for an intake manifold gasket leak.

Do you have a check engine light?

Have you checked it for codes?

 

[Denonu]

Yes I have a check engine light. After I took it to a shop they said it was a bad camshaft sensor. Haven't checked the code recently though. Don't have a scan tool/code reader myself.

 

[gmanpaint]

I read you have had a CEL a year in the past, so wasn't sure if you still had it.

OBDI Code readers can be had fairly cheap. Worth it to get one to help save $$ in the long run.

Have you been operating the vehicle for a year with the same problem and CEL on?

 

[Denonu]

When I got it checked a year ago the CEL was sometimes on and sometimes off. Usually it came on when ever it wanted to. Recently since about Jan or Feb it has stayed on constantly. But it has never shut down the engine. That started to happen around March and still continues. Not alot only maybe twice or three times a week.

 

[gmanpaint]

The intake gasket sounds a more likely problem to me. If the cam sensor went bad a year ago, I really can't see it still operating to this day. When they go bad, the engine dies and wont fire.

Unless someone else chimes in with another idea, I would check the codes again, to double check the cam sensor codes.

A bad intake gasket will show up as lean codes on one or both banks.

 

[Denonu]

Thanks will check out the intake gaskets never heard of that cause before. Haven't had any issues with the car not firing or turning over. Could the camshaft sensor still be good or maybe its working but not at 100% like it should be?

 

[Joe Dirt]

if it's a '95, you don't need a scanner to pull codes... Click the link in my signature below V

AFAIK, the cam position sensor would adversely affect it on startup more than once running, at least that's how it was on my '95 when my cam sensor was bad. I side with the intake gaskets...