Intermittent Flasshing CEL, Temp Gauge, fluid drain, and 1/4 Cylinder Misfire

[jasencollege]

Hi,

I bought a 2006, Ford Explorer, 106k, and am having problems and I believe There is a blown head gasket.

Some details:
-Bought it and engine temp gauge would go up in red for 5 or 10 seconds, and go right back down. Also, hot air in the car doesnt work but 1/10 of the time when driving. I figured it was a thermometer which went bad.
-problem got worse, and when under heavy load (pushing gas pedal), CEL started flashing, and would cease to flash after lower RPM's and nice driving. Power also seemed lacking when under 1/2 load or driving up my mountain ( I live at 10200ft)
-Went strait to autozone, Got a cylinder 4 misfire and o2 sensor
-changed the plugs, reread engine and got a cylinder 4 AND 1 misfire and o2
radiator fluid was very low also and I added more in.
-changes wires, and coil pack and hoped it would fix it.
- drove home (9 miles), and radiator fluid was 1/3 gone ide say in the reservoir, CEL flashed way more frequent, and temp gauge went up a bunch too (before it was ever 150 miles or so, and it went off on high 5 or 8 times on the way home, just to go back to balance.
- test drove and engine seemed much better at first, and much more smoth idle, but under heavy load it hit CEL flashing again. However, power seemed better and more smooth (less lagy/unresponsiveness) Drove back to my home and its in the parking lot.

So thats where im at with this.

Im thinking I have a blown head gasket, because on the diagram shown, it shows cyclinder 1 and 4 and across from eachother. That coupled with the fluid loss and the temp gauge/faulty power.

I cant afford to take it in and have it changed (I see from 1500-3000). Ide raher do the work and hope it works, changing the engine later if need be becuase I can save for it. Ive done a lot fo work on my old cars, from brakes, calipers, valve cover gaskets, water pump, and timing belt, and other light to medium work. Ive just read the manual or applicable online postings and dived in carefully.

Where do you think i should go from here?
Is it wise to buy a radiator fluid test, or go all in with engine compresion test?
Is the guides on this forum or others about chaning the head gasket?
And does anyone else think theres another reason or easier fix to try?
Also, do you think the cold temps up here (Breckenridge CO) could have saved the engine, and only need replacing the block gasket? I hope its not the block or engine is messed up beyond repair...

Thanks a lot, I appreciate it.
Jasen

 

[V8SHO]

The main priority should be to find the cause of the coolant loss, there appears to be a very large leak somewhere, or like you said maybe the engine burning coolant. There are a couple of things you could check first, does there appear to be any coolant in the oil? Also should check the spark plugs for signs of burning coolant, look for any white deposits on the plugs and compare them with each other.

It would definitely be a good idea to do a radiator pressure test to look for leaks as the Explorers have leaking radiators as a common problem. A pressure test will indicate if the cooling system can hold pressure and also where any large leaks might be. It would not be wise to just jump right into replacing a head gasket without diagnosing first. As far as doing the work yourself, that depends if you have all of the tools and various things you need to continue on.

For the misfire, since it occurs under load/acceleration it sounds like either an ignition or fuel delivery misfire such as a spark issue or injectors, but would take more evidence to determine more precisely. It would also be wise to test compression as well to rule it in or out as a possible cause. But I would definitely focus on the overheat situation before the misfire.

Tackling a job like this definitely requires access to a lot of different tools and resources and depending on where you are at, the cost for tools and supplies can climb high. One thing you might consider doing is calling around various local shops and explain your situation and ask how much something like this could cost to diagnose. Some shops might charge $50-$100 to diagnose it depends, and you can refuse the repair and just pay the diagnosis. It would definitely cost more than $100 to gather all the tools you would need, so that is something you would also have to consider.

 

[jasencollege]

The main priority should be to find the cause of the coolant loss, there appears to be a very large leak somewhere, or like you said maybe the engine burning coolant. There are a couple of things you could check first, does there appear to be any coolant in the oil? Also should check the spark plugs for signs of burning coolant, look for any white deposits on the plugs and compare them with each other.

It would definitely be a good idea to do a radiator pressure test to look for leaks as the Explorers have leaking radiators as a common problem.

It would also be wise to test compression as well to rule it in or out as a possible cause. But I would definitely focus on the overheat situation before the misfire.

Thanks for the insight. I did not see any white deposits on the plugs hwne I changed them. Nor milky substance in the oil, just normal brown. I will look into pressure checking my radiator. I also already bought a compression tester that will come in on FRI, so Ill use that as well on the clinders and see whats up.

Do you know if the radiatior will still pressure check correctly if I have a blown gasket?

Also, I am going to try to diagnose this myself as I cant really afford to give the cash away now, but I can afford to invest in ~150 to 200 in tools if thats Possible bc I will have them for future use. Ive done this witha bunch of past projects and have quite a few tools to save for this one.

 

[V8SHO]

Pressure testing the radiator will allow you to spot any leaks within the cooling system, such as the radiator or hoses, etc. The radiator cap (or service manual) should list how many PSI of pressure you need to apply using the tester. If the gauge does not maintain a steady constant reading then there is a leak somewhere and you would have to look around the engine bay for coolant dripping.

If you do not see coolant leaking from anywhere during the test at the radiator or around the engine bay, coolant hoses or elsewhere, it is possible the heater core is leaking which is buried somewhere in the dash, you would be able to see the leak on the carpet or smell the coolant inside.

Another possibility is coolant leaking due to a bad radiator cap, look for any signs of damage or crack on the seal.

If you do all of these things and cannot find any leaks whatsoever, but still losing coolant, it is possible that coolant is being burned away in the engine. But you do not have evidence so far to say for sure, no signs on spark plugs and no oil contamination.

I also recommend searching Youtube videos on how to find coolant leaks, they can really help out.

 

[Mflueras]

You might have a blown head gasket that has not reached catastrophic levels yet. In this case a product like Blue Devil sold at your local part house will help buy you a few more miles before repair is needed.

Remember a head gasket can blow/leak so that oil gets in the cooling system, so you'll have oil in the radiator, coolant in the oil=milky oil, or iit can blow so you are burning the coolant, and then you will have rough starts, sweet smelling steam out of the tail pipe, evidence on spark plugs. There is a chemical test that detects exhaust gases in the coolant, clear sign of a blown head gasket. This is tricky to do but is the only sure way to diagnose a blown head gasket.

Good luck.

 

[jasencollege]

Hi,
Thanks for your all advice, I went ahead and diagnosed blown head gasket/possible warped heads because Im getting positive block test. Also, My Tstat caused it, as it took between 300 and 400 f in the oven to get it to POP.

I will be replacing the head gasket with FelPro quality product and bolts. I will also be replacing the TSTAT and the Water Pump while I have the bay open. I will be having a mechanical friend help for 60hr and I will be working with him.

Please advise on what else you all would change when I have the engine bay so open in pieces. I heard the timing chain lasts for the life of the car, but please advise if you think the 300$ for Coyles is worth it when it is open. Also, I was looking at the schematic for Ford Factory Service manual and it says i need a bunch of parts, pretty much this kit for the timing while im changing the head gasket. How necessary is this? Does ford just say u need it to be safe, and can you work around using these tools with some techniques? I have looked and found some people doing it wo these tools but they are from older vehicles.

Thanks a lot everyone! Im at around $340 for parts so far and tools for the project, and I am getting antsy to rip this thing apart. Below is some things I saw a man post in reccomendation to change as well but would like your expert opinion rather thn a random person. Thanks again.

I would suggest you replace the Thermostat, plugs, and any hoses. Also consider replacing the upper/lower oil pan seals, the front and rear main seals (they pop out and in very easy). You should also replace the upper/lower intake gaskets as well plus the oil pickup seals in the oil pan.