Desperate for a solution

[Explorador82]

Hello! First of all introduce myself, my name is Martin and I thank you in advance for the opportunity to improve my vehicle with the knowledge they acquire reading your forum. Not sure if I can do this kind of questions in this section ..... If not apologize. I am writing about a problem with my vehicle (FORD EXPLORER XLT 4.0 1998) I've been dragging over a year, because in SPAIN PEOPLE ARE AFRAID to get their hands on these vehicles and not learn anything. I bought it because here are really cheap (€ 3,000 / 120,000 km) and I really like it, because after trying SUVs European / Japanese none like Him convinces me. Forgive for my English first, as there are many technical things that I will not be able to explain well.

OK HERE WE GO .... Basically what it does when cold (I think much more pronounced when day is cold) is a roll of revolutions, when I turn it on one morning in winter revolutions get up to 3000 and down to less than 500 for a few minutes. If sped up and when I release the throttle down to 0 and off. The vehicle spends much fuel and nobody finds THE PROBLEM. I took him a workshop SUVs and the diagnosis says lean and some other things. He tells me that maybe one tiny hole in a tube ... I don´t know .... I'm confused ... IAT ? IAC ? TPS ? I would be most grateful as I am thinking of getting rid VEHICLE since I can not enjoy it because of consumption obviously do not know if this is because ... SPEND ABOUT 20 LITRES per 100 km away, all in a smooth driving NORMAL TRAVEL. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE. SINCERELY .... THANKS

P.D. 1 --- Sorry that I forgot .... ONCE I RETURN TO HEAT THE REVOLUTIONS ON AND STILL REMAIN IN 500 and the vehicle is really stable. Running hot and did not notice anything strange ... actually doing very, very well (except for consumption)

P.D. 2 ----- Another important will comment IS THAT IF I DECIDE TO TAKE UP WITH UNSTABLE VEHICLE IN THAT STATE (UP) the vehicle brakes very badly, and accelerates without depressing the pedal (almost I have an accident)

P.D. 3 ----- egr valve annulled (this is good?)

P.D. 4 ----- I´M DESPERATE

THANK YOU AGAIN

 

[2000StreetRod]

leaking intake gaskets

Welcome to the forum!
It sounds like you have leaking intake manifold gaskets. If you have the SOHC V6 this thread may help: Starting my 00M12 Installation

 

[Chikar]

EGR valve annulled? Do you mean removed or disconnected? Both are NOT good.

Did the shop connect a code reader to the Explorer? Can you tell us what trouble codes they found? How do they know diagnosis is lean?

 

[Explorador82]

Thank you very much for the quick response. A good guide, I am not a car mechanic, do you think I can do?

1. As the EGR is blocked, but inside the motor connected
2. I just went back to the shop to connect the machine and diagnosis codes are:

P0401 - Insufficient EGR flow detected
P0171 - System too lean (Bank 1)
P0174 - System too lean (bank 2)
P1729 - 4x4L switch failure

The technician says it can be very expensive ..... about 600 to 700 € (like $ 900)
As for the last error code, just say the 4x4 works well, I mean connecting

MUCHAS GRACIAS

 

[Explorador82]

Just one question, are these faults can cause high consumption?. Or this is the actual consumption?

If over 20 liters of fuel, making regular trips of 10 km. , Stop the car an hour (for example) and back out another 10 kilometers to another site, the tank does not last more than 100 km.

Not sure if that helps solve the problem ... but if the car parked uphill needle marks the fuel rises, however, if the vehicle parked downhill, the lower needle completely.

 

[SoNic67]

P0171 and P0174 are caused by leaking intake manifold gaskets.
Maybe you can look around on how to replace those yourself, and save those Euros...
P0401 - EGR blocked will cause the idle to be bad. Possible to be fixed in the same time you get the intake manifold out, to replace the gaskets. A little more difficult thou.

 

[Chikar]

About your fuel consumption, it is far, far too high. Repairing the EGR and finding the cause of the P0171 and P0174 lean codes will definitely make the Explorer drive better and improve fuel economy.

Your fuel gauge is fine. It's normal for it to give different readings if parked on a slope because the fuel moves to one or another end of the fuel tank.

Replacing the intake manifold gaskets is not difficult, even for a non-mechanic. There are many posts in this forum describing how it's done. It just takes time. I changed them on my 99 Explorer 4.0L OHV in a few hours. After replacing the gaskets my codes went away.

You sound determined to fix your Explorer and I'm sure you can do it.