Explorer driving me crazy

[relgro]

I just bought my Explorer a little over 3 weeks ago..2002 XLS 4.0 with 203k miles on it. I have another of the exact same model that I've had since 2009(193k miles), but it's been sitting in my yard for over a year because it needs a new transmission(would be the 2nd rebuild/replace on that one). I just bought the new one because the entire vehicle cost me only a little more than what the transmission would've cost for my old one, it's cosmetically in better shape and this new one just had the transmission replaced in January of this year with a 3 year warranty. Not even 1k miles on this new tranny yet. And I figure I can just part out my old one for this new one if I need to.

The new explorer has a bit of a rough idle but it drove smooth and like I said, it's got a new tranny. 2nd day after purchase of course check engine light comes on, but it's driving fine and I'm not really worried. I always planned to have some regular maintenance items completed asap, just to give the new purchase a little TLC. First on the list was oil change, etc so that weekend I took it into valvoline and they did an oil change, rear differential fluid change, and the 3-part fuel system cleaning. They said it looked like I may have a small vacuum leak that was causing the rough idle, but otherwise it was good and after servicing it still ran good aside from the previously mentioned rough idle.

So next up on my pre-planned maintenance was getting a tune up..new plugs and wires, plus now I also want them to look for a vacuum leak. So I call my usual mechanic and he's swamped, can't get to me for a while and I was ready to get it done. So I googled another mechanic...this is where I made my mistake, I shoulda just waited on my known and trusted mechanic. Found this company that looked like they had good reviews and ended up taking it in to them. I went to drop it off and when I got there I found their shop was housed within one of those big storage facilities where anyone can rent whatever size storage unit they need. They had taken off early for the day, it was only 3pm in the afternoon when I dropped it off.

Around noon the next day, I finally get a call from them apologizing that they are just now calling as they were late getting in that morning(leaving early and coming in late???). They did the tune-up and replaced a vacuum hose, but that I still have rough idle and two cylinders misfiring(I'm pretty positive he said the 1st and 2nd cylinder) and also that they were pulling a transmission solenoid code from the check engine light. I explain the transmission was just replaced in January and it's under warranty so we move on from that. He says he'll look into the misfiring cylinders, but wants to know if he can go on and get paid for the work completed so far. He says he knows it's weird asking for payment now over the phone prior to pick up but we're a small business blah blah blah. $382 for just plugs and wires which I'm pretty sure is a rip off. Feel like I've paid only $200-$250 in the past...

So I pay it over the phone, and then he suggests I replace the intake manifold, the ignition coil, and all 6 fuel injectors without even looking at any of that stuff. Keep in mind, I'm not knowledgeable enough on motors or know exactly what a misfire feels like to have said, "wait a minute, my engine was NOT misfiring when I brought it to you!"

So a few minutes later he calls back with a price for his suggested solution to the misfires...$1100, but he'll need $900 up front for the parts. I say no thanks, I can't afford that right now.

After I get off work, I go to pick it up. Once again, there's no one at the "shop" and its only 4:30pm. They left my key in the same place I left it for them. So I start driving home, hit 35-40 mph and the car starts jerking/shaking badly, driving like ****. Wtf I'm thinking, I was expecting it to still be driving smooth like it was before, so this must be the misfiring cylinders. It most certainly was NOT doing this before their "tune-up". So I call them first thing the next morning and say that my car was not driving like that before I dropped it off to them. They reply that they did not take it on a test drive before performing any of the work, so they have no way of knowing whether the cylinders were misfiring prior to the tune up or not, and there's nothing they can do aside from what they already suggested to fix the issue...BS!!!

I have no idea what these guys did, but they definitely screwed me, and they clearly have cash flow issues as a business. Expensive lesson learned ugh.

My normal mechanic tried to go by the house to look at it, but of course I missed his call and he couldn't find anything really wrong while he was there. Only tested the engine in the driveway and didn't actually drive it and could only get it to misfire once from cylinder 4 but couldn't get it to repeat itself. No misfires from cylinders 1 and 2 as the other guys said. He reset the lights and went on to his next gig..when I spoke to him later I explained the whole situation in more detail and he told me to just drive it til the light comes back on and let him know so he can see what code's coming back after reset. Laughed his ass off at the other mechanics solution and quote as well.

Here's exactly what it's doing: when I hit 35-50 mph and try to maintain a speed in that range with my foot lightly on the gas and rpms around 1000, it jerks/shakes badly. If I step on the gas and rev it up it seems like I can power through and it stops, and if I take my foot off the gas it stops..it does it only when I'm lightly on the gas trying to maintain a speed in that range. I borrowed my friends code reader when the light came back on over the weekend, the only code I'm pulling is P0760 which is shift solenoid C malfunction. Should it be sending codes for misfires or not? I took it to the transmission place today since it's under warranty and they called back and said that they can't do anything with it until I get the engine misfires fixed. I was hoping in going to them before calling my normal mechanic back that all the issues could be stemming from this code and a transmission issue since it seems like the misfires happen in correlation with a gear change when those rpms drop down low. But no they said, my engine is definitely misfiring and it's not a transmission issue.

Does this sound like anything to anybody? So annoying. Like what car starts acting up only AFTER a tune-up? Btw, the wires are hooked into the coil pack in the correct sequence, already checked for that.

Thanks for any replies.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

I just bought my Explorer a little over 3 weeks ago..2002 XLS 4.0 with 203k miles on it. I have another of the exact same model that I've had since 2009(193k miles), but it's been sitting in my yard for over a year because it needs a new transmission(would be the 2nd rebuild/replace on that one). I just bought the new one because the entire vehicle cost me only a little more than what the transmission would've cost for my old one, it's cosmetically in better shape and this new one just had the transmission replaced in January of this year with a 3 year warranty. Not even 1k miles on this new tranny yet. And I figure I can just part out my old one for this new one if I need to.

The new explorer has a bit of a rough idle but it drove smooth and like I said, it's got a new tranny. 2nd day after purchase of course check engine light comes on, but it's driving fine and I'm not really worried. I always planned to have some regular maintenance items completed asap, just to give the new purchase a little TLC. First on the list was oil change, etc so that weekend I took it into valvoline and they did an oil change, rear differential fluid change, and the 3-part fuel system cleaning. They said it looked like I may have a small vacuum leak that was causing the rough idle, but otherwise it was good and after servicing it still ran good aside from the previously mentioned rough idle.

So next up on my pre-planned maintenance was getting a tune up..new plugs and wires, plus now I also want them to look for a vacuum leak. So I call my usual mechanic and he's swamped, can't get to me for a while and I was ready to get it done. So I googled another mechanic...this is where I made my mistake, I shoulda just waited on my known and trusted mechanic. Found this company that looked like they had good reviews and ended up taking it in to them. I went to drop it off and when I got there I found their shop was housed within one of those big storage facilities where anyone can rent whatever size storage unit they need. They had taken off early for the day, it was only 3pm in the afternoon when I dropped it off.

Around noon the next day, I finally get a call from them apologizing that they are just now calling as they were late getting in that morning(leaving early and coming in late???). They did the tune-up and replaced a vacuum hose, but that I still have rough idle and two cylinders misfiring(I'm pretty positive he said the 1st and 2nd cylinder) and also that they were pulling a transmission solenoid code from the check engine light. I explain the transmission was just replaced in January and it's under warranty so we move on from that. He says he'll look into the misfiring cylinders, but wants to know if he can go on and get paid for the work completed so far. He says he knows it's weird asking for payment now over the phone prior to pick up but we're a small business blah blah blah. $382 for just plugs and wires which I'm pretty sure is a rip off. Feel like I've paid only $200-$250 in the past...

So I pay it over the phone, and then he suggests I replace the intake manifold, the ignition coil, and all 6 fuel injectors without even looking at any of that stuff. Keep in mind, I'm not knowledgeable enough on motors or know exactly what a misfire feels like to have said, "wait a minute, my engine was NOT misfiring when I brought it to you!"

So a few minutes later he calls back with a price for his suggested solution to the misfires...$1100, but he'll need $900 up front for the parts. I say no thanks, I can't afford that right now.

After I get off work, I go to pick it up. Once again, there's no one at the "shop" and its only 4:30pm. They left my key in the same place I left it for them. So I start driving home, hit 35-40 mph and the car starts jerking/shaking badly, driving like ****. Wtf I'm thinking, I was expecting it to still be driving smooth like it was before, so this must be the misfiring cylinders. It most certainly was NOT doing this before their "tune-up". So I call them first thing the next morning and say that my car was not driving like that before I dropped it off to them. They reply that they did not take it on a test drive before performing any of the work, so they have no way of knowing whether the cylinders were misfiring prior to the tune up or not, and there's nothing they can do aside from what they already suggested to fix the issue...BS!!!

I have no idea what these guys did, but they definitely screwed me, and they clearly have cash flow issues as a business. Expensive lesson learned ugh.

My normal mechanic tried to go by the house to look at it, but of course I missed his call and he couldn't find anything really wrong while he was there. Only tested the engine in the driveway and didn't actually drive it and could only get it to misfire once from cylinder 4 but couldn't get it to repeat itself. No misfires from cylinders 1 and 2 as the other guys said. He reset the lights and went on to his next gig..when I spoke to him later I explained the whole situation in more detail and he told me to just drive it til the light comes back on and let him know so he can see what code's coming back after reset. Laughed his ass off at the other mechanics solution and quote as well.

Here's exactly what it's doing: when I hit 35-50 mph and try to maintain a speed in that range with my foot lightly on the gas and rpms around 1000, it jerks/shakes badly. If I step on the gas and rev it up it seems like I can power through and it stops, and if I take my foot off the gas it stops..it does it only when I'm lightly on the gas trying to maintain a speed in that range. I borrowed my friends code reader when the light came back on over the weekend, the only code I'm pulling is P0760 which is shift solenoid C malfunction. Should it be sending codes for misfires or not? I took it to the transmission place today since it's under warranty and they called back and said that they can't do anything with it until I get the engine misfires fixed. I was hoping in going to them before calling my normal mechanic back that all the issues could be stemming from this code and a transmission issue since it seems like the misfires happen in correlation with a gear change when those rpms drop down low. But no they said, my engine is definitely misfiring and it's not a transmission issue.

Does this sound like anything to anybody? So annoying. Like what car starts acting up only AFTER a tune-up? Btw, the wires are hooked into the coil pack in the correct sequence, already checked for that.

Thanks for any replies.

if it was an older trans id suggest flush, sounds like a trans thing like the TC unloxkijg or the like to me.could aslo be something like bad coil geound as well. i know on 5.0 2gs they were known to misfire on okd plugs and wires that would exhibit itself at low rpm seeming like a shudder. but that doesnt explain why its after a tuneup

 

[CallMeSyd]

Transmission problems usually don't cause jerking and usually get worse if you apply more throttle. Your issue actually sounds more in the throttle position sensor or mass air flow sensor category (if it's not consistently throwing codes for misfires). You could get random misfires from arcing plug wires, but the computer will record them and throw a code. If the jerking is from misfires, you should get a code for them. A single cylinder misfire is not going to cause noticeable jerking. It would take more than that. If you do get consistent codes for misfires, then you need to fix them first, before you can move on to further diagnosing any issues. A transmission problem will not cause misfires. The engine drives the transmission, not the other way around. If you are having misfires, it is due to an engine related issue. Also, I'm not sure where you are from, but I only charge $40 plus parts for plugs and wires alone. $120 labor for full tune up including all filters. Give or take depending on the vehicle. Never take your vehicle to a mechanic that does not provide you with a quote for full cost in black and white, on paper, before any work is done. Also, having your phone to record any conversation between you is your right. And if the price or diagnosis seems off, get a second opinion.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

i wasnt saying thw trans would cause the misfire, i was saying that at low
rpm mid theottle high speed, they can cause something like that. just stating all the posibilities imo. that said i do agegee could be a tps or maf as well.but it is odd that it happens after tuneup

 

[DintDobbs]

I'm gonna second @CallMeSyd on this one, as well as the fact that ANY misfire should throw an engine code immediately (done it myself, not on an Explorer). I once needed a coil pack on my '99 Sport replaced before I had my own scanner, but a random mechanic checked my codes and immediately identified the coil pack as the issue. Long story there, but he sold me an extra coil pack he had from a buddy's Ranger on the roadside, and it's still working 5 years later. Point being, engine problems will be identified by engine codes - even if the codes are errant (like defective sensors causing false codes), there will still be codes. The onboard computer (PCM) storing these codes will always trigger the CEL. Good on you for checking the plug wires on the coil pack though, on suspicion of misfire.

Now I have to question, if you've got a transmission code but no engine codes stored, why wouldn't the transmission shop do its part of the job? You go to get your transmission warrantied and they refuse because of fairy tales of a totally-unrelated-to-transmission-work "misfire" that the OBDII hasn't even identified? Why do they think there's a "misfire" if there is no code stored for it? Do you deal with sketchy garages on the regular? (Yes, I understand that the garage that installed the allegedly-new transmission was selected by the previous owner of the vehicle, not by you.)

You said your trusted mechanic managed to cause a misfire on Cyl 4, and you said he "reset the lights" afterward. Do I understand that you mean he cleared the stored engine codes? And which codes were those? Did the misfire that he caused throw a code and turn the CEL on? If so, then you know for next time that any misfire will cause the CEL to come on immediately. Any time anybody tells you you have any engine code, ask nicely, beg, demand, order, and/or threaten him to not clear it, immediately go to the nearest auto parts store, and borrow their scanner and check the codes yourself to verify that the guy whose word you just took for it wasn't pulling one over on you. AutoZone, Advance, and O'Reilly all let you borrow their scanners for free, at least here on the east coast.

The thing is that in order for a "passive" code to be stored, the problem must be manifested consistently over the course of two drive cycles (cold start, city, highway, cooldown). Once the codes are reset, it may take a while for the issue to resurface because the PCM has been reverted to non-compensation parameters, and has to identify the issues again, and start to compensate for them. This can affect things from minor to major, depending on what the PCM has identified as the problem, and whether its compensation is helping to solve the problem, or its compensation for a non-existent condition is causing an additional problem. It might seem like I'm going on and on here, but I'm trying to help you to understand how these things work, so you won't be kicked around by fake "mechanics" who try to steal your hard-earned paychecks.

You can never know what the "bad" mechanics tampered with, that could have caused the new problems. Alternatively, if it's true that they didn't tamper with anything, then you might take it to heart that a good once-over by a trusted mechanic would be a good start before you buy a car. Whose word did you take for the transmission being new, and under warranty? Service records? Transaction receipts? Perhaps a lawsuit might be in your interest.

Always always always, get a second opinion.

P. S. An actually good mechanic should be familiar enough with the codes and their causes to understand the associated problems, and the possible anti-problems caused by malfunctioning sensors. Also, "Google" reviews (and all other reviews) can be easily tampered with, by the business owners just going on the review web sites, and slapping some random names on 5-star reviews. Occasionally these reviews can be accompanied by words like "friendly" or "great" or "trustworthy", to fix ideas in the minds of helpless folks who aren't aware of these ploys. Not taking a jab at you, but seriously, you've got to be aware of this stuff. The world really is out to get you, buddy. Make it difficult for 'em.

 

[CallMeSyd]

i wasnt saying thw trans would cause the misfire, i was saying that at low
rpm mid theottle high speed, they can cause something like that. just stating all the posibilities imo. that said i do agegee could be a tps or maf as well.but it is odd that it happens after tuneup

I was only responding to op. And yeah odd things happen all the time. I've been working on cars for a long time and I still get a surprise here and there. Some funny, some far from it. But either way, any misfires, for any reason, should throw a code. There's no telling what these people did to this guy's vehicle man. I have seen some horrible, sick **** done by "mechanics" to screw people. I'm so glad I work on my own stuff. I haven't sent a vehicle to a shop in over 14 years, except once when I was out of state and my wife's car needed to be fixed but I wasn't coming home for another week or so.

 

[CallMeSyd]

I think every person should get a code reader of some type. That's the number one thing to have, even if you don't work on your vehicle, you can at least get the codes and look them up on Google or something. They are making some really nice Bluetooth scanners that just plug in and allow you to pull up the codes on your phone. Little thing about half the size of a bar of soap.

 

[relgro]

Thanks for the replies guys. See some of my responses below in bold...

I'm gonna second @CallMeSyd on this one, as well as the fact that ANY misfire should throw an engine code immediately (done it myself, not on an Explorer). I've seen zero misfire codes so far since the light came back on Friday night(came back on after the mechanic "reset the light" or whatever one does to turn the CEL back off). Since the light came back on, the only code I've pulled with the reader I have is P0760 shift solenoid C malfunction. The light came on Friday night so I didn't drive the truck the rest of the weekend, but I did drive it to work Monday, then to the transmission place, and then back home today. Still pulling just the one code. Should I be driving the vehicle with the reader hooked up at the same time while it is actively "misfiring"? If that's the case, I have not done that. I just assumed that any code thrown will be stored until it is read and/or cleared. I've only taken a reading while parked in my driveway, not while actually driving it while the the misfiring is happening. Again, because I assume any code thrown is automatically stored. Please confirm...once needed a coil pack on my '99 Sport replaced before I had my own scanner, but a random mechanic checked my codes and immediately identified the coil pack as the issue. Long story there, but he sold me an extra coil pack he had from a buddy's Ranger on the roadside, and it's still working 5 years later. Point being, engine problems will be identified by engine codes - even if the codes are errant (like defective sensors causing false codes), there will still be codes. The onboard computer (PCM) storing these codes will always trigger the CEL. Good on you for checking the plug wires on the coil pack though, on suspicion of misfire.

Now I have to question, if you've got a transmission code but no engine codes stored, why wouldn't the transmission shop do its part of the job? They told me that "when an engine is chugging that badly, sometimes it will throw a transmission code while there's really nothing wrong with the transmission...essentially a mistake code. Get the engine sorted out and then we'll be happy to address the P0760 code if it's still necessary". You go to get your transmission warrantied and they refuse because of fairy tales of a totally-unrelated-to-transmission-work "misfire" that the OBDII hasn't even identified? Why do they think there's a "misfire" if there is no code stored for it? Because the very first thing they did was take it on a test drive and felt the misfires for themselves. That or maybe my whole assumption on code readers from above is incorrect and they in fact took it on a test drive with a reader hooked up at the same time and saw the codes in real time. Do you deal with sketchy garages on the regular? (Yes, I understand that the garage that installed the allegedly-new transmission was selected by the previous owner of the vehicle, not by you.) The garage that did the transmission is pretty reputable, I mean transmissions are literally the only thing they do and any transmission they rebuild or replace comes with a 3 year warranty.

You said your trusted mechanic managed to cause a misfire on Cyl 4, and you said he "reset the lights" afterward. Do I understand that you mean he cleared the stored engine codes? He turned the light back off, whatever that entails. And which codes were those? I'm not sure. Did the misfire that he caused throw a code and turn the CEL on? I'm not sure. If so, then you know for next time that any misfire will cause the CEL to come on immediately. Any time anybody tells you you have any engine code, ask nicely, beg, demand, order, and/or threaten him to not clear it, immediately go to the nearest auto parts store, and borrow their scanner and check the codes yourself to verify that the guy whose word you just took for it wasn't pulling one over on you. AutoZone, Advance, and O'Reilly all let you borrow their scanners for free, at least here on the east coast. Yea I know to follow-up or get a second opinion, that's why I didn't let the first scammers that originally did the tune-up continue on with any more work. Well that coupled with the price they quoted and things smelt fishy by that point.

The thing is that in order for a "passive" code to be stored, the problem must be manifested consistently over the course of two drive cycles (cold start, city, highway, cooldown). Once the codes are reset, it may take a while for the issue to resurface because the PCM has been reverted to non-compensation parameters, and has to identify the issues again, and start to compensate for them. This can affect things from minor to major, depending on what the PCM has identified as the problem, and whether its compensation is helping to solve the problem, or its compensation for a non-existent condition is causing an additional problem. It might seem like I'm going on and on here, but I'm trying to help you to understand how these things work, so you won't be kicked around by fake "mechanics" who try to steal your hard-earned paychecks. I really appreciate it! As I said I really know nothing about motors, never been into cars much. My skills are woodworking/carpentry.

You can never know what the "bad" mechanics tampered with, that could have caused the new problems. Alternatively, if it's true that they didn't tamper with anything, then you might take it to heart that a good once-over by a trusted mechanic would be a good start before you buy a car. Whose word did you take for the transmission being new, and under warranty? Service records? Transaction receipts? I have all the paperwork for the warranty and receipts. Again, they indicated they'd be happy to fix the issue once the engine was fixed..IF it was still necessary. Perhaps a lawsuit might be in your interest.

Always always always, get a second opinion.

P. S. An actually good mechanic should be familiar enough with the codes and their causes to understand the associated problems, and the possible anti-problems caused by malfunctioning sensors. Also, "Google" reviews (and all other reviews) can be easily tampered with, by the business owners just going on the review web sites, and slapping some random names on 5-star reviews. Occasionally these reviews can be accompanied by words like "friendly" or "great" or "trustworthy", to fix ideas in the minds of helpless folks who aren't aware of these ploys. Not taking a jab at you, but seriously, you've got to be aware of this stuff. The world really is out to get you, buddy. Make it difficult for 'em. Trust me I know I screwed up.. I also somehow got it in my head that they'd been in business for over 10 years which I took as a good sign, but I got that mixed up with another company I left a message for who never returned my call. Didn't realize this until after the deed was done I went back on Google to verify and turns out they've only been in business 2 years...They very clearly have cash flow issues, they work out of a storage unit, and they leave early and come in late...Yep I f'd up and didn't gather enough intel. I should've just waited on the guy I've always used in the past, whose sister was a long-time co-worker with my Mom and then again with my wife for 2 years. So we know the family. I'm gonna try to get in touch with him again tomorrow, but dude stays slammed with business.

 

[CallMeSyd]

Thanks for the replies guys. See some of my responses below in bold...

Ok. So, the codes will store automatically. You do not need to actively monitor them to detect a misfire. If there are no codes for misfire, then you don't have a misfire. It is something else. Without being there to experience your symptoms in person, it is hard to diagnose your exact problem. I can give you some ideas, but most issues with your vehicle will log a code. So finding the problem means considering what could cause the issue, without throwing a code. As far as the transmission, it is highly unlikely that your engine running badly would result in a transmission fault code. However, it is typical that the transmission repair service wants you to solve your engine issues before they will consider honoring any warranty agreement because, unfortunately, legally, if you can't prove that it isn't an engine related issue, then you can't prove that it's a transmission issue, code or no code. However, if you can get a licensed mechanic to certify that your engine is in good running condition, then you should be able to have the transmission repair service take a look at it. Your best bet is to have your mechanic look at your vehicle, determine the issue, and fix it, so that you can proceed with having your transmission fixed. Now, I can not say with 100 percent certainty that the transmission is not causing the jerking or chugging that you are experiencing. However, in 18 years of working on cars, I will say that it is highly unlikely. But like I mentioned before, there's always surprises and always something new. If it only does it in the same gear every time, it's a possibility that it's the trans. You should try manually shifting into each gear and driving to see if it does it for sure in the same gear every time, or if it is the same in every gear. But if you can't figure it out, just take it to a trusted mechanic. A good mechanic should be willing to test drive it and check the gears as I mentioned for free and tell you immediately if it's the engine or transmission. Wishing you the best.

 

[CallMeSyd]

To be honest with you. I think they lied to you about the misfires from the beginning. And if your engine idles decently and you can rev your engine slowly and quickly while in park without any sputtering. You should be good to go to the transmission shop and have them fix your trans. If you can rev your engine while in park with no sputter and it doesn't die, and it doesn't show any codes for misfire, then your engine is fine. Just tell them that it doesn't have any misfire now and that they can scan for codes themselves if they need proof. If they continue to refuse, you might need to contact the authorities. If that's the case, have them contact your mechanic. I'm sure he will confirm that this is accurate, and that the only code is a trans code, assuring them that if there was a misfire, it would log a code for it.

 

[CallMeSyd]

Just explain to them that there never was any misfire, and that some crap mechanic was lying to you. The proof is in the codes... or lack of codes rather.

 

[DintDobbs]

@CallMeSyd offers sound advice. Unless somebody tampered with your OBD wiring, no engine problem should ever throw a transmission code. Why the transmission shop would suggest that is somewhat concerning. Do definitely have one of your trusted mechanics drive it and confirm smooth operation; no problem revving in "Neutral" doesn't mean no problem revving under engine load, so lugging or jerking or the like could be an engine problem yet. The thing is that if the PCM is constantly being reset before two drive cycles are being completed (codes cleared or battery unplugged), there could be codes that haven't been stored because the PCM keeps restarting the diagnostic process. I forgot to mention that earlier. It's also relevant that not every engine warm-up will count as a drive cycle, either - somebody who works in the town they live in might never complete the "Highway" part of the cycle, so no "passive" codes would show themselves.

Also, as @CallMeSyd said, any misfire should trigger a code immediately; it won't wait until it happens again to store the code. To clarify, any time an engine DTC (Diagnostic Trouble Code) is stored, the CEL will come on. "Passive" is just a term I made up, to explain how some codes are not stored until the condition is replicated, whereas other codes (such as a misfire, or overheat, or expected damage to the catalytic converter) will trigger the CEL immediately, and often it will blink on and off during these "instant" codes (did that to my Sport once).

Most scanners don't show active data, but some advanced models do. But that function isn't needed for reading DTC's - you wouldn't be able to read a DTC until it is stored, and that would trigger the CEL. So, no worries there.

On some vehicles, transmission codes can trigger the CEL, as in your case. The US standard OBD-II (second generation On-Board Diagnostics) is very sophisticated, and even with malfunctioning sensors on old or damaged vehicles, the codes will always direct you to the general vicinity of the problem.

Trust me, I know the drill on the good guys always being backed up... But the answer's in the question, there - nobody is taking their cars anywhere else for a reason. This is probably what we can expect from here onward, in a post-CoViD-19 economy. People lost their reason to work, with the fat unemployment checks... But we still have to keep our cars running, so it's wait or play risky.

 

[DintDobbs]

(Disregard this post.)

 

[relgro]

Although this is the only article I can find with this symptom listed in relation to the P0760 code, I find this interesting:

P0760 Shift Solenoid C Malfunction

As suggested, my plan now is to take it in to the transmission place's own suggested mechanic..one who I've verified as reliable by a third party(my boss's father has taken his vehicle to this guy for years and years, as they were classmates in high school), and have him verify that the vehicle is not misfiring, i.e. give the engine a clean bill of health.

Again, really appreciate the responses @CallMeSyd and @DintDobbs

 

[CallMeSyd]

Although this is the only article I can find with this symptom listed in relation to the P0760 code, I find this interesting:

View attachment 432959

P0760 Shift Solenoid C Malfunction

As suggested, my plan now is to take it in to the transmission place's own suggested mechanic..one who I've verified as reliable by a third party(my boss's father has taken his vehicle to this guy for years and years, as they were classmates in high school), and have him verify that the vehicle is not misfiring, i.e. give the engine a clean bill of health.

Again, really appreciate the responses @CallMeSyd and @DintDobbs

Sounds good. I wish you the best of luck. Please let us know what happens, I'd really like to know the outcome.

 

[DintDobbs]

@relgro This sounds like the best course of action. It's always interesting to find others' experiences with similar problems, to see what could be related.

Hope you can get that sorted out quickly and painlessly from here! It might be a good idea to keep that article on hand, as well as possibly searching for code P0760 here on EF, to show the mechanic what other people have said about the code on their Explorers specifically, in case he asks. If he doesn't ask, probably better to not stir the soup.

Keep those Explorers explorin', these trucks can be a handful some times, but they're a lot easier to deal with than the newer high-tech cars, for sure.

Regards!

 

[relgro]

Just wanted to give you guys an update...I didn't end up taking it in to the new mechanic until yesterday and thankfully he was able to get the engine fixed and running smooth again today. Turns out it was as simple as one of the plugs was all cracked, they said it either was tightened too tight or maybe a ratchet hit it or something..so they replaced the plug and the coil pack and the exploder is running good again.

Regarding the fact that I never saw any misfire codes, they said that's typical of a basic reader like I have, but their more specialized reader was able to pick it up and take them straight to the source immediately. Does that sound right? Meh, who cares, it's running good again.

They didn't clear the shift solenoid code so the CEL was still on when I got it back. I went on and cleared it as I'm curious if the code is still gonna come back or not.

The mechanic said the transmission is fine, even after he witnessed intermittent rapid flashing of the O/D light and saw the shift solenoid code. Two things are interesting there for the conspiracy minded..The first being that he was the mechanic that the transmission place recommended.. the second being that he said the transmission was fine given the O/D light and the code. But.....In his defense, I'm not sure if he was aware or not that transmission is essentially brand new and still under warranty. Maybe that didn't get translated from the woman I first spoke with there in the office..Maybe if he knew that fact he would've said "hell, might as well go have them take a look if it's free..." Yea, that's probably the more likely story...not the one where he's in the pocket of the transmission people and pushing false narratives for them lol. Plus it's their warranty, not his.

Anyhoo, now that the engine is sorted I can move on to other objectives with this new vehicle..like taking the nice alloy rims from my old explorer and replacing the crappy cheap ones on this new explorer. And a paint job.. Need to find some kinda paint job for a good price badly. Previous owner used flat black spray paint on the roof and hood and bumpers and it's peeling bad and looks like ****. I mean it's just a work truck, but I'd still like it to look a little better than it does currently.

And bearings. Oh yea I got a question...about 8 months before the transmission finally gave out on my old explorer, I put money into replacing all four wheel bearings, the front and rear sway bars, and both front upper ball joints. That explorer has sat in my yard almost 2 years now, but those parts only had 8 months of use on them..think I should pull all that stuff out and transfer it to the new explorer, or not worth it? I will say it drives as smooth as you would expect a 2002 explorer to drive(not very), but when making left turns the front right tire knocks and creaks and it damn near feels as if the wheel is just about to fall completely off...what's that from? Like motors, I know nothing about suspensions or whatever.

Thanks again!

 

[DintDobbs]

@relgro Good that you got that figured out, definitely clear the codes and see if/when they come back. If they don't come back, good! Still strange that a misfire code wouldn't be identified by your scanner, and that a misfire could occur without setting a code... No idea, there.

Absolutely switch all that stuff over to the new Explorer. If your wheel is flopping around and making weird noises, it's probably about to fall off. While you're under there, see if the lower ball joints need replaced too. If swapping over the new upper ball joints and bearings doesn't fix it, replace the lower ball joints too and consider replacing the hubs (I replaced hubs and bearings together on my 2nd gen), and then get an alignment.

If you crawl underneath the vehicle, you'll notice the two sets of ball joints, one pair on each side, and then in front of those, there will be two small sticks that move when you turn the steering wheel. The ones that move are the tie rods. I replaced upper and lower ball joints, bearings, hubs, and tie rod ends all at once to save labor (since they tore all that apart to do the Superlift, replacing everything they took off with new was basically free). If you can do it all yourself, it's probably worth the time to save the money.

 

[relgro]

@relgro Good that you got that figured out, definitely clear the codes and see if/when they come back. If they don't come back, good! Still strange that a misfire code wouldn't be identified by your scanner, and that a misfire could occur without setting a code... No idea, there.

Absolutely switch all that stuff over to the new Explorer. If your wheel is flopping around and making weird noises, it's probably about to fall off. While you're under there, see if the lower ball joints need replaced too. If swapping over the new upper ball joints and bearings doesn't fix it, replace the lower ball joints too and consider replacing the hubs (I replaced hubs and bearings together on my 2nd gen), and then get an alignment.

If you crawl underneath the vehicle, you'll notice the two sets of ball joints, one pair on each side, and then in front of those, there will be two small sticks that move when you turn the steering wheel. The ones that move are the tie rods. I replaced upper and lower ball joints, bearings, hubs, and tie rod ends all at once to save labor (since they tore all that apart to do the Superlift, replacing everything they took off with new was basically free). If you can do it all yourself, it's probably worth the time to save the money.

Awesome, really appreciate it. I failed to mention that on the old explorer didn't only have the bearings changed, but it was the hubs as well so I have those.

I'll end up just looking up videos on YouTube, but I'm curious as to what tools I'll need to do all this stuff. I have all kinds of woodworking tools so I have no problem adding mechanical stuff to my collection but within reason. I'm planning to get an impact wrench, need a 30mm socket, a torque wrench...do I need a ball joint press or is that part already done on the old explorer and all I'm doing is transferring the entire control arm? Probably a dumb question.

Will this job potentially fix my abs light? Isn't there a wire hooked to each of the hubs that connects to the sensor or something?

 

[relgro]

Btw, definitely will be attempting to do my own plugs and wires in the future...this tune up just cost me $800 and lots of stress!