bad problems starting..please help

[kycycles]

ok..brand new (motocraft plat) plugs and a fuel filter installed yesterday.

this morning, the truck fired right up, but idled a little rough for about the first 10 seconds then cleared up and is running fine.

i am basically back to square one. i do not have any codes right now, but if history repeats itself, i will by the end of the week, and i will probably start seeing mis-fires in the next few weeks

any thoughts..we now know that the fuel pump is testing good

 

[budwich]

get a data logger / monitor that you can watch during the start up and when things are running OK and see if there are some obvious differences in some of the parameters (eg. fuel trims, timing advancements, air input, etc).

 

[kycycles]

is that different than the freeze frame info that i get on my code reader??

 

[budwich]

freeze frame data is "frozen"... its just a snap shot and usually only taken during an event (fault). You want to monitor values as they actively change to see what is happening and how the computer is moving things in response to various conditions / sensor outputs.

 

[kycycles]

10-4 ill see if i can get my hands on one

 

[corkey]

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=362434

same symptoms,,

 

[kycycles]

nice...ill take a look at that. you are awesome

 

[kycycles]

i have no gasket at all behind my egr valve.

also, shouldn't i get some kind of response from the engine if i remove the vac line from the egr valve? it did not matter if the engine was at idle or a rev..when i removed the line nothing happened

 

[budwich]

is there any vacuum in the line???? probably not as I suspect it is a "switched line".

 

[kycycles]

i dont feel anything on that line at all. that line runs into a splitter which is fed by a line from the manifold. the line from the manifold has good vac

 

[corkey]

the line is switched so it will not do anything till the rpm's come up,,

did you get a gasket and put it in there?
they are cheap, like $3 , and if it fixes it, that pretty cheap,

 

[kycycles]

i have not gotten the gasket yet. i did not get any vac when i rev'd the truck, but i am not sure what the rpm was. i may disconnect that line and see how the truck acts when i drive.

 

[kycycles]

update. i still have not had a chance to put the egr gasket on or fill my tank and check my mpg. still no engine light. but it still takes about 10 seconds after start to run good and smooth

 

[Irishsailor]

I'm brand new to the forum ( 5 minutes) haha, I've been looking and looking for someone to say the intake manifold gasket. I had the exact same symptoms, to the tee. My problem was mainly in cold weather though and it turned out to be the upper intake manifold gasket. I too had tried all the other avenues, fuel filter/pump, EGR valve, pretty much everything mentioned in this thread. Good luck! This forum is in no way what so ever short on help!! I'd say most everyone on here knows their S&$T and collectively, the answer lies ahead somewhere.

 

[Explodr94]

When you get a code for a misfire, I generally lean in the direction of ignition. After you check your fuel pressure, listen to the injectors with a mechanics stethescope or an old vacuum hose and piece of steel or screwdriver. If it all sounds good, I would start looking at plug wire sets or coil pack. The other thing on these vehicles that causes that misfire (as I have recently learned) is vacuum leaks. But do the first two things first. Just my two cents.

 

[kycycles]

intake

i have finally decided to replace the intake gaskets. however, underneath the upper intake on the driver side, there is a big hose that plugs into the intake. part of the intake is damaged(looks melted) and there is solid crud(which appears to be melted plastic on the inside on that hose. i have pics but dont know how to post.

any thoughts??

 

[kycycles]

i am starting a new thread. i have the intake off and have all new questions

 

[keleko17]

Did you ever correct your issue? I have a similar problem. Mine started a while back, with just a rough idle at start. Now I have to crank, and crank, and then crank some more. (5-6 seconds per crank, averaging 6-10 tried before it starts.)

Bottom line when my misfire appeared to the point that I thought the vehicle wouldn't move, I took it to the mechanic. They said I had a cracked cylinder head. Coolant was leaking into the chamber and fouling out the plug. They replaced the plug and advised me it would cost $1800 to repair. I have replaced the plug every couple of months for about a year now.

Now it seems to be time sensitive. After I get it started, the longer time between the starts the harder it is to start.

I feel that there has to be a connecting issue at work. I am sure one doesn't help the other, but I feel that there is a second issue taking place.

 

[kycycles]

yes and no. my truck runs great...i am getting 21-22 mpg on the highway. my problem now is that once i turn the truck off, coolant is getting to my plugs. i resolved this by de-pressurizing my cooling system. i may have set my intake gasket wrong or i may have another problem, but i dont want to take it apart again since the truck runs so good now. i simply cut the spring on my radiator cap. now, the truck can sit all week and fire right up with no problems. if you do this, you will loose some coolant, but once it gets down to a certain level, its manageable. just be sure and keep an eye on your temp gauge. my truck has high miles, so i am simply trying to get as much work out of it as possible.

 

[keleko17]

I am in the same boat, 205,000 miles. I will keep it as long as it is running. But right now, I am struggling to get it started. I don't think cutting the cap spring will help me. I can start it, let it run until it idles smooth, then shut it off, remove the cap, and it will still have trouble starting later.

I'm going to start a new thread with hopes that someone new will join in to help me along.