Car won't idle even after plugs changed

[myslyn]

Hi all!

I've not posted here in awhile 'cause our car has run fine until this week. We have a '93 Ford Explorer automatic with 200k miles that started showing the following problems this week:

1) Car would idle w/assistance but would not stay running;
2) Changed out the spark plugs w/problems 'cause of corrosion at the boot head. These plugs were changed last summer, so we're not sure what that means..
3) After the plugs were changed, it won't stay running at all. Husband starts the car, and it idles up, and then dies.

We love this car, so no comments about how it's time to send it to its rest. :
Any help is appreciated!

 

[black91EB]

check the firing order. That would be the first step, make sure you have all the wires running to the correct plugs.

 

[Blacksheep Josh]

Check/replace fuel filter.

 

[myslyn]

Check/replace fuel filter.

Does this need changing each year? We did it last year, is the only reason why I'm asking...

 

[myslyn]

check the firing order. That would be the first step, make sure you have all the wires running to the correct plugs.

Hmmm, we'll have to check that...and I'll write back to let you know.

 

[Blacksheep Josh]

Only reason I said it was because if it gets plugged, the engine gets no fuel, and will die... My buddy just had to change his, he'd start it and he could gas it up but when it'd go to idle it'd die...

Might want to do a fuel pressure test then and see what's coming up.

 

[myslyn]

Only reason I said it was because if it gets plugged, the engine gets no fuel, and will die... My buddy just had to change his, he'd start it and he could gas it up but when it'd go to idle it'd die...

Might want to do a fuel pressure test then and see what's coming up.

Will do and by the way, the hubby said we hadn't changed this since '94, so it's long over due. I'll post what happens, ok? Thank you!

 

[myslyn]

{UPDATE: Still haven't worked on the car, but someone mentioned to my husband that maybe the fuel pump went out...is that a possibility that we should consider before the fuel filter???}

 

[black91EB]

have you checked the wires yet? Since it ran before you changed those, I would start by making sure that you hooked everything back up how it was supposed to be.

 

[eXcali]

If you had some stuff on the wire boots I take it you changed the plug wires as well? It isn't hard to get the wires mixed up and plugged onto the wrong plugs. When I do mine I only change 1 wire at a time. There is also a chance the plug wires were bad from the store. And finally did he verify the gap on the new plugs? Never trust pre-gapped plugs, always verify.

As for the fuel pump, this isn't to likely, when it fails it's most often because it has siezed. When this happens it won't fire up at all. On a 1st gen you should be able to reach the top of the fuel tank with the spare dropped. Have husband get under and listen as you put the key into the "ON" position, it should kick the pump on and he will hear a whirling sound for just a second. Some aftermarket pumps are loud enuff to hear from inside the truck. If he doesn't hear anything have him Tap the top of the fuel pump with a wrench of something. If the truck starts after this you need a new pump.

 

[bigblackbronco]

if you remove the vacume line from the fuel psi regulator, is it leaking fuel?


so, if you have someone crank the engine over while another person beats on the bottom of the tank, and it starts..... get a new fuel pump. This test puts power to the fuel pump while at the same time jarring it, and may break a siezed pump loose.

I'm only offering this as a stand-in to a fuel psi test because most people don't have a fuel psi gauge set.

another way would be to put on your safety glasses, uncap the test port, cycle the key a few times, and press the schrader valve down, but be careful.... if you have good psi you're gonna get sprayed with fuel.....

 

[flipside]

i have a 2001 had the same problem it would start but wont hold idle unless i press throttle the problem with it was my IAC valve idle air control valve witch is located on the intake manifold these things tends to get stuck what i did was take it off and cleaned it with break cleaner then it the it started with no problems i think your model has it on the side of the upper intake manifold?

 

[techieman33]

It's to early to speculate until we know that the firing order is right, hell maybe one of the new plugs is bad, we just had a bad one when we put the headers on Celly's explorer.

 

[flipside]

feul is flowing theirs spark but wont hold idle if its the spark plug it would hold the idle but it would missfire if theres no pressure in the feul line it would not start at all it needs a certin amount of pressure to inject the feul in to the cylinder to cause compretion air feul mixture on injected is determind on how much air flow is beeing sucked in to the engine thats were the mass air flow censor comes in but the throttle body stays closed so there is a bypass hose thats runs before the throttle body thats leeds to the IAC valve that controls the idle before u open or step on the throttle ? hope this helps

 

[myslyn]

feul is flowing theirs spark but wont hold idle if its the spark plug it would hold the idle but it would missfire if theres no pressure in the feul line it would not start at all it needs a certin amount of pressure to inject the feul in to the cylinder to cause compretion air feul mixture on injected is determind on how much air flow is beeing sucked in to the engine thats were the mass air flow censor comes in but the throttle body stays closed so there is a bypass hose thats runs before the throttle body thats leeds to the IAC valve that controls the idle before u open or step on the throttle ? hope this helps

Thanks for that information, Flipside. I wished I had checked back here sooner to read your notes. We still have time...she's waiting in the yard till next year.

It's to early to speculate until we know that the firing order is right, hell maybe one of the new plugs is bad, we just had a bad one when we put the headers on Celly's explorer.

You're right, Techieman33, and I can tell you that we know they are in the right firing order, but we won't be able to truly "prove" that one of them is or is not bad until it's running again. And God knows, we're not gonna work on it now that the weather is getting colder.

i have a 2001 had the same problem it would start but wont hold idle unless i press throttle the problem with it was my IAC valve idle air control valve witch is located on the intake manifold these things tends to get stuck what i did was take it off and cleaned it with break cleaner then it the it started with no problems i think your model has it on the side of the upper intake manifold?

You're right, Flipside. It is there and I can honestly say that if we had no backup truck, our "new" '01 Explorer with less miles and issues, we'd been more resilient in finishing this job.

But I've got to tell you guys, we went out there and started to change out the fuel line filter and we used the guide from the forum but we were not able to get the plastic fuel line release tool, so my husband used the metal one. Well, all I can say out of that is...the old fuel filter is still there, the fuel line is now damaged because my husband got real pissed at it and I don't think we're gonna look at it until next year some time. :frustrate It's amazing how a few years will change the nature of a reasonably simple task to something so irritating that you don't want to look at it!

So, I'll hold on to your notes, we thank you for all of them because I will be back here with more questions as long as we have our truck. If nothing else, we've got a great car to learn on!