Check engine light

[alawneh]

I have 2010 explorer xlt with about 140.000mi, while i were driving yesterday the check engine light became on during low fuel level but no any other symptoms but i feel some vibration and the rpm get up an down at idle. The weather was rainy. What do you think about this issue.
Engine oil and filter were changed but i changed from 95 to 91 fuel due to move to another place.

 

[Explorer75]

I have 2010 explorer xlt with about 140.000mi, while i were driving yesterday the check engine light became on during low fuel level but no any other symptoms but i feel some vibration and the rpm get up an down at idle. The weather was rainy. What do you think about this issue.
Engine oil and filter were changed but i changed from 95 to 91 fuel due to move to another place.

First you need to have the codes read with a scanner.

 

[alawneh]

Thank you much for your response. Do you think i can drive it more or this issue is urgent.

 

[V8SHO]

Agree with Explorer75, it would be wise to check to see what codes are causing the check engine light first. Most local auto parts stores can scan your vehicle for free and tell you which codes are causing the light to turn on.

 

[alawneh]

Dear v8shq. That will understoud but my question is can i drive it more.
Also i would ask about the possible causes of this issue?
O2 sensor, spark plugs, coils, fuel filter, fuel changes, air filter ......etc are possible cause but most of them are new and changed before.

 

[steve6534]

Dear v8shq. That will understoud but my question is can i drive it more.
Also i would ask about the possible causes of this issue?
O2 sensor, spark plugs, coils, fuel filter, fuel changes, air filter ......etc are possible cause but most of them are new and changed before.

If the light isn't flashing it's generally ok to drive it. If it's flashing do not drive it more or you can cause damage.

 

[V8SHO]

Engine idle problems can have a wide variety of different causes and it is not good to guess and replace unnecessary parts. Instead it is best to first find evidence which will lead you to the problem, and that starts with scanning the vehicle for codes. Fixing the check engine light will solve the idle problem. Once we find out the codes, we have more information to find the cause and give you better guidance to solve the idle problem.

Honestly, it does not sound like a major issue, so as long as you aren't stalling in middle of traffic and feel confident driving it as is, it should be ok temporarily until you scan for codes.

 

[alawneh]

Ok guys, thank you very much indeed for your great informations, i will tell you the codes as soon as i get them.

Many thanx in advance

 

[alawneh]

furthermore, i am living now in KSA (Saudi Arabia), and here if you want to say hi to the dealer you have to charge, nothing for free. But i will try to scan for codes soon.

 

[V8SHO]

Ok I understand now, you do not have access to free check engine light scanning and have to take the vehicle to the dealership. I incorrectly assumed you were from here in US, I am sorry about that, I am sure the dealership charges a lot of money to scan the codes. Do you know if any stores there sell OBD2 scan tools to public to buy? Buying a scan tool may be cheaper than going to the dealership, there are some scan tools as low as $40 capable of reading codes. I do not know if this might be an option for you...do you know anyone that has a scan tool that can let you borrow?

Otherwise, do you know if the issue with your Explorer happens at idle only? Does the problem happen above idle, like during acceleration, or just solely at idle?

If the problem is only at idle, my guess would be that there is a vacuum leak causing unmetered air to enter the engine. Can you hear any hissing sounds around the engine, like air escaping?

Other possibilities might be low fuel pressure such as from a failing fuel pump or injector fault, but these would just be guesses without access to more data.

Hope you find an alternative than going at the dealer, let us know.

 

[alawneh]

Thank you again for your great effort dealing with my problem. In fact i think that my friend has a scan tool for ford cars and i will try with him to let me use it.
The vibration only come during idle but the light come when i start the car.a week before the light came i changed the ac check valve after i heared some hissing sound and it gone away.
I remember that i made some check on the car and the dealer told me the car need to clean the injectors, but i ignore that.

Or may be on of the coils may fault.

 

[V8SHO]

Yes it could be a spark issue such as the coils. If you can get a spark tester like in this photo, this will allow you to test for spark at each coil.

Also any OBDII scan tool can read engine codes for the Ford Explorer, anything that can plug into this port:

 

[alawneh]

Ok. Do you think that safe to travel about 600 km by this car??
Until now the car performance thae same as before, no lose of power or any bad symptoms..

 

[swshawaii]

If the light isn't flashing it's generally ok to drive it. If it's flashing do not drive it more or you can cause damage.

As mentioned, drive moderately and scan for trouble codes ASAP. Write down the DTC numbers and post them here.

If the light is blinking, engine misfire is occurring which could damage your catalytic converter.
Drive in a moderate fashion. Avoid heavy acceleration and deceleration. (Owners manual page 13)

http://www.fordservicecontent.com/Ford_Content/catalog/owner_guides/10expog2e.pdf

OBD-II Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs)
https://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2054355&postcount=2

 

[alawneh]

Update!!! I disconnected the battery for a hour and i cleaned the battery pins. After that i reconnected them and made the relearn strategy and drove it for about 16 km. Until now the check engine disappeared.

 

[V8SHO]

Disconnecting the battery cleared the code temporarily, but eventually the light will probably come back when the PCM sees the issue.

 

[Explorer75]

Update!!! I disconnected the battery for a hour and i cleaned the battery pins. After that i reconnected them and made the relearn strategy and drove it for about 16 km. Until now the check engine disappeared.

That´s usually the first step when a check engine light is present, to clear it and wait to see if it returns. But it is done after you actually know what code(s) are actually triggering. In this case you did it blindly which is ok. If the light returns you must read the code(s), further battery disconnections will lead you nowhere.

 

[alawneh]

Hi again, after 5 days the check engine light come back again, i scanned the car for codes by using my friend's scanner and i found the (P0128) code also the scanner told me that coolant temperature below thermostat regulating temperature.
To be honest, i really changed the thermostat before 2 weeks ago with new one (65 Celsius degree) because the very hot weather here and my mechanic also told me that 92 Celsius degree is suitable for USA not for KSA, but i noticed the car need a lot of time to be hot, and the temperature gauge became very low at highway.

i think i must replace the thermostat with new one as before..

what do you think ????

 

[V8SHO]

When engineers design a vehicle, they ensure it is fully capable and operational for variations in climate, air temperature, elevation and air pressure variations, etc. They choose which parts and fluid are most suitable for the vehicle and that also includes the thermostat. Essentially, it is always best to use what they determine for the vehicle.

The temperature at which the thermostat opens is very critical to the engine, because coolant temperature is one of the parameters the PCM uses for fuel trim adjustment in open loop. The original thermostat for the 2010 Explorer is 190 degrees F or 87.7 degrees C.

Changing the thermostat to 65 degree Celsius means the engine will never reach operating temperature, causing your low engine temperature and rough idle problem. If you want to fix these issues, you need to change back to the original motorcraft 190F (87.7C) thermostat.

 

[Trac Marks]

^^ agreed 100%