Is this normal??

[surfer1158]

Ive had my explorer for a couple 4 months now and i guess i never really noticed this until now. I get about 12 mpg and pretty poor acceleration, but i guess i just expected that from my explorer that has 160,000 miles.

So to get to the question, is it normal to hear like a whining noise from the exhaust area on the right side of the car along with some sputtering, but it is not the engine that is making the sputtering noise?And the sputtering noise seems to make it hard for the engine to idol sometimes?

 

[Turdle]

Sticky egr valve?
You might try removing it and cleaning it out real good.

 

[MrShorty]

'91 doesn't have an EGR system.

Which side is the "right" side? I would check all the vacuum lines to make sure you aren't hearing a vacuum leak.

 

[yellowcat]

I believe my x is making the same whining noise. Almost sounds like a police siren. I think it is the fuel pump. I guess its normal?

 

[91exploreron37]

Hmm what about an exhaust leak?

Yellowcat is your whining loud and coming from the front of the engine?

 

[manaen]

Yellowcat, I'm betting you have a IAC problem (Idle Air Controller)

Surfer, 12mpg is not normal in any driving condition for an explorer, unless you are racing light to light at every opportunity. Check the tune up items plugs, wires, air filter, then move to vacuum leaks, and check sensors. Run a few rounds of fuel injector cleaner, and check for leaks in the manifold gaskets and manifolds. It's tough to diagnose the problem with the limited information, If you don't have one get a manual for you rig. and get us some more info to go on.

 

[91exploreron37]

Either IAC or Idler pulley, seems like a common problem on first gens

 

[surfer1158]

hey guys sorry ive been real busy all day. But ill give u some more info to help me diagnose. I drive my explorer very easy never breaking 3000 rpm around the city, watching cars pass by me right off the light. I figured out the whining is coming from my fuel pump when it turns on. But as to the sputtering it sounds like its coming from the catyllatic convert, or i think thats what it is(on the right side of the car between the front and rear passenger doors, as if i was sitting in the car, that right). As for tune up when i first bought the car from my uncle, i did all the tune up steps. New oil, recent plugs and wires, including the distributer, ran Sea Foam through her, and installed a KKM intake. Im kind of at loss trying to figure out whats wrong with my mileage and poor performance, because my friend has a 1st gen explorer too, and he drives it hard and gets about 16 mpg.

 

[MrShorty]

I might put a vacuum gauge on the engine or a pressure gauge on the exhaust to see if the converters flows freely.

 

[surfer1158]

Could you point me in the direction of where the vacuum line is? sorry im a little new to the car scene.

 

[91exploreron37]

If that checks out good then it good be the round gasket between cat and muffler which is also right between the two doors.

 

[manaen]

Use the line that runs to your brake booster, connect the vacuum gauge to it and start the engine and note the vacuum, then rev the engine to 2500 and hold it there it should level off at close to what the idle vacuum was, if not you could have a blocked catalytic which would explain alot. It you drive like you say you've got a serious problem somewhere 12mpg in the city is not normal I get about 18 driving like you said


here is a good writeup on the test procedure...
http://www.fordf150.net/howto/diagnoseengine.php

 

[surfer1158]

if it is a blocked cat how the hell would i clean it out?

 

[wishiwerefishn]

ok its got to be your cat. just had nearly the same prob. 2 solutions replace it or if you dont need goverment emissions test any time soon the other choice is remove the cat ,ream out the honey comb center and put it back on or splice in pipe . the reduced power is caused by back up of exaust presure when the cat eventualy becomes completely blocked it will choke out the engine and your truck will only run for a few minutes when cold and then stall out . i suggest you fix it before then. to test and confirm the problem just remove the cat and drive around the block it will be loud !!! very loud but you should notice the extra power you been looking for. if this does not solve the problim check your rear brakes they may be not retracting properly this will couse drag and slugish perfomance as well
:roll:

 

[igiveup]

ok its got to be your cat. just had nearly the same prob. 2 solutions replace it or if you dont need goverment emissions test any time soon the other choice is remove the cat ,ream out the honey comb center and put it back on or splice in pipe . the reduced power is caused by back up of exaust presure when the cat eventualy becomes completely blocked it will choke out the engine and your truck will only run for a few minutes when cold and then stall out . i suggest you fix it before then. to test and confirm the problem just remove the cat and drive around the block it will be loud !!! very loud but you should notice the extra power you been looking for. if this does not solve the problim check your rear brakes they may be not retracting properly this will couse drag and slugish perfomance as well
:roll:

Well that explains whats happen to the stang.


igiveup

 

[surfer1158]

thanks fishin thats what i was thinking, i assume that im going to have to cut out my cat, or r there bolts holding it on that i can just take out?? And thank god i dont have to get emissions for a while, just got new plates and it said i dont need emissions. As to how it can get clogged? can anyone fill me in here?

 

[1harley123]

cat

my 94 had three bolts in front of the cat and two spring loaded bolts between the cat and the muffler. As for clogging , that happened to another car of mine and yes it kills power because of too much back pressure, usually the graphite inside deteriorates or plugs up from debris(small holes inside)

 

[91exploreron37]

Graphite is a catalyst but its not used in catalytic converters. Platnum and rhodium are more widely used and over time the honeycomb structure inside the cat either a. breaks apart and cloggs the flow of ehaust or b. an overly rich running engine causes the cat to get extremely hot thus melting the honeycomb structure and closing the gaps that exhaust would normally flow through.

 

[BIGB81]

Let the truck idle and feel how hot the exhaust is coming from the tail pipe, If it is unusally hot then more than likely it is the catalytic converter. Hope that helps. I have been blessed with joy of having to replace or gut about 4 of them on different cars...What a pain!!!!!!!!!!

 

[sstewart777]

Yeah, I had mine cleaned out about 3 years ago. Big improvement.