HELP: Horrible Misfire(???) at idle and when accelerating

[DragSpeed]

I went offroading earlier tonight, just playing in some muddy ruts, nothing too hardcore. Any way when I was finished and driving back to my dorm my Explorer started to missfire (I think) like crazy whenever i was on the gas and the idle is rediculously rough when sitting at a stoplight. Whenever I would put it in neutral and rev it or get on it with the windows down i can hear a popping sound coming out the the exhaust.

Does this sound like a misfire, and if so what do you think caused it and how can i fix it? Any help will be appreciated.

TIA

BTW, I am 2 hours away from home at school and all I have are my tools and a parking lot to work on it in.

EDIT: It is a '95 Eddie Bauer with the 4.0 and 4WD

 

[DragSpeed]

BTW, I searched and didn't find anything that sounded quite like my problem.

 

[Skibum1989]

Do you have a check engine light? or access to a code reader/scanner?

How deep in the mud/water were you?

 

[DragSpeed]

There is no CEL and the best I could do with a code reader is take a trip up to Autozone. The mud was only 6''-10'' deep

 

[DragSpeed]

bump, i need to get this fixed before friday because i have to drive 200 miles back home from school.

 

[lifeguard379]

is your air filterclean? vacume leak?

 

[DragSpeed]

I havent had time to look at it yet. I am going to work on it in the parking lot all day tomorrow. I will check the air filter and look for a vacum leak then but I am trying to get all the info I can on possibilities so I can do it all at once instead of going to look at my car, and then driving back to the dorm to hop online and see what to do.

 

[lifeguard379]

look at the mass air flow senser to it might be derty

 

[DragSpeed]

I'll be doing that too, thanks for the help.

 

[DragSpeed]

Ok, I've got it down to either the plugs, coil, or fuel filter.

 

[Skibum1989]

A failing fuel filter would be a slow and gradual loss of power, not a sudden misfire. Try plugs/wires first, look for loose connections.