Lack of power in the morning?

[tgreene92]

check vacuum lines, i had a similar issue, found a cracked line, fixed it and the issue went away. the problem came back a month later and that was because my IAC came loose, tightened and fixed it. make sure its not your IAC, if the problem persists check vacuum lines. also if you can listen for any whistling, or something that sounds like air sucking somehwere besides the intake, may help you locate the root of the issue.

 

[Afboy143]

Thanks for the replies guys, and forgive my noobness in my following response, but I guess that is how you learn!

Ranger7ltr- I have a fuel pressure gauge from Harbor Freight, but I don't have a vacuum gauge. I will say that I replaced the gas tank, fuel filter, fuel pump, and installed reflowed injectors. I hope it isn't the fuel pressure that is bad. I have a new IAC on order. I will have it today. (Cheaper on amazon.com to get a Motorcraft IAC overnighted then buy an offbrand in retail stores). How can I find a potential leak in the intake tract? I did take apart and redo the entire upper intake, but the problem occurred before all this.

Swetrid/SDR- A lot of people say the intake gaskets. This sounds weird to me because if I am correct, it's the round rubber-like gaskets for the lower and upper intakes correct? The reason I ask is when I replaced the upper intake gaskets, the stock ones were still new feeling and rubber like. Below is the gaskets I am thinking of, yes? I replaced the upper intake gaskets when I did the fuel injectors. Do I need to replace the lower as well? Also, this temperature sensor is interesting. Never thought of this. What was the cost?

Joe Doe- NOW you might be on to something. I will say this because last week my truck sat for 5 straight days due to I was car pooling instead. When I started her up after this, she stuttered and sputtered like no one's business. She was shooting a lot of white smoke out the tail pipe too. I thought I wouldn't get her to go anywhere but after a good, FULL 2 minutes, she leaned out and drove good. And you're describing exactly what is happening. How do I fix a cracked head? Sounds a bit scary. Misfire codes? Not sure- which ones are these? I have a CEL, but I have a feeling it's because I don't have post-cat o2 sensors in (I removed them but had a tune that shut them off. I recently detuned due to gas prices. I am installing them this weekend with simulators. I have to weld in o2 bungs for them). I will say my truck has been detuned before, and it never idled funny so this can't be the problem. I have a code puller at home. I'll pull codes tonight. I always ignored my CEL because of the detune and absence of post-cat sensors.

Bowling91- My EGR valve is brand new. I too though this was the case.
This is it, correct?

Tgreen92- how did you find a vacuum leak? How do I look under the engine for this? I have a new IAC coming today, and I am praying this is the problem, but after Joe Doe's syptom and diagnosis, I am scared

 

[joe doe]

in the above picture you are showing the upper plenum orings .replacing those gets rid of lean codes .like bank 1 and 2 lean .a common problem on higher mileage engines .
i had to replace mine as well to get rid of bank 1-2 lean codes .

best i can tell you about a possible cracked head is to first see if your losing antifreeze(radiator always low??)
see if you have a misfire code ,if you do it will tell you what cylinder is misfiring .

pull the plug in that cylinder and look for a cracked insulator on the firing tip ..
like this

Shot at 2010-07-13

if you see a plug that looks similar its very possible you have a head crack .
replacing the plug will get you going again .i been driving mine this way for months and will continue until its too bad to do it anymore .

another way to tell is to pull all the plugs on 1 side .keep them inline with the cylinder you pulled them from or label them .
now compare the 3 .if one looks washed clean compared to the others then thats your suspect cylinder.

antifreeze in the cylinder washes the plug clean ,it will also crack the insulator on the firing pin as shown above .

mines not that bad .it will stumble for maybe 30 seconds then clear up and run fine .sometimes i can smell the antifreeze .

i found out the hard way after i had all the gaskets on the engine changed .i was leaking antifreeze from the sides of the heads ,had all the head gaskets redone,the intake gaskets,upper plenum gaskets,timing cover gaskets ,all of em.

come to find out i was still losing antifreeze.

then the misfire codes started in cylinder 4,thats the plug you see above .
after much research i came to realize i have a cracked head .its actually pretty common for the explorer .

i just been changing out that plug whenever it starts misfiring again .and topping off the antifreeze every 2 weeks .

i just paid 500.00 in labor ...300.00 in ford gaskets to get all the work done by my mechanic ,only to find out after the fact i have a cracked head .

i asked if they looked at the heads while they were off and they said they did .you cant always see it by eye .that why they magnuflux heads .to see the cracks.

good luck and report back your findings and i will try to help you .

i been driving explorers for near 15 years now so i been there done that with alot of thier issues.
good luck.

 

[Afboy143]

Joe Doe- very good post sir. Thank you. I have a feeling this is going to help a lot of people

Few questions:

1) When the insulator is cracked like that, does it foul the spark plug and cause it to not fire the cylinder it’s fouling?
2) How does coolant burn off? If I am correct, it’s half water. I guess if you throw a bunch of fuel in it, it burns out
3) Say I find the cylinder that is leaking coolant, how do I fix this? Do I need to replace the block or what happens?
4) Is there a certain plug that can better withstand this than others? (Brand, core type? Bosch? Autlite? Platinum? Copper? Does it matter?)
5) Which plug on which side is that picture of? That’s the first plug I am going to check on my motor to see if it’s fouling
6) When you replace a plug, how long on average does it last before you need to replace again?

I will admit I haven’t checked my coolant levels, but I will. I will also report if I am low, and how low. I replaced the entire cooling system about 6 months ago, so we will see what happens (New radiator, thermostat, hoses, and water pump).

 

[joe doe]

1) When the insulator is cracked like that, does it foul the spark plug and cause it to not fire the cylinder it’s fouling?
2) How does coolant burn off? If I am correct, it’s half water. I guess if you throw a bunch of fuel in it, it burns out
3) Say I find the cylinder that is leaking coolant, how do I fix this? Do I need to replace the block or what happens?
4) Is there a certain plug that can better withstand this than others? (Brand, core type? Bosch? Autlite? Platinum? Copper? Does it matter?)
5) Which plug on which side is that picture of? That’s the first plug I am going to check on my motor to see if it’s fouling
6) When you replace a plug, how long on average does it last before you need to replace again?

1-the plug will still fire but the spark is hitting the body of the plug and not at the tip where it should be .when it does this you will feel the misfire the whole time your driving .you will feel a shake too. its time to change the plug.

2-it just burns off,but during those first few seconds its not firing at capacity,thats why you get a shaky start.once its expelled from the cylnider the engine smooths out .
until the next time.
if your doing alot of running around it may not shake during startup .but once the truck is down for some time it will probably do it again.

3-you need to replace the heads.both of em.if you replace just one get a known good used one.if your buying new ones then both must be done or you will have a unbalanced engine so to speak.

4-i dont buy the platnums anymore i dont think they are all that .but since its gonna kill the plug i just buy whatever is cheap .i think i got autolites last time.

5-you need to check the codes to find out if you have a misfire and what cylinder it is .mines number 4 (drivers side front_but you cant go by that .a head can crack on any side between any given cylinder .best to just check the codes.

6- depends on how much driving you do .and how bad a crack you got .could be a month,a couple months ect,....i been getting about 2 months .

now dont go getting all worked up just yet .do your homework.check the things i have mentioned .
see if your in fact losing antifreeze,thats a good place to start .if your losing antifreeze and theres no sign of it leaking out the motor then theres a good chance your burning it .

if your burning it keep an eye on your oil too. you can keep limping it along with plug changes as long as its not getting in your oil.

mines been fine.

something else you can try

with a full radiator,open the cap(cold engine only we dont want to burn you)
and start the engine.let it run...if the antifreeze starts coming up and pushing out the hole that means compression is getting into the water jacket.
another sign of a crack somewhere .

hey, i learned most this stuff right here on the forum (and of course thru trial and error and alot of reading)so cudos to the great members here who have helped me !

 

[Afboy143]

Very good post Joe. Thank you sir. I will check the truck when I get home and I will also try your test with the cap off and cold. That actually makes perfect sense. I am hoping I don’t see what you describe. I will also pull codes when I get home as well and post them. Thanks again and I will post my findings!!!

 

[joe doe]

i replaced my radiator,hoses,stat too,and the waterpump.i done it all chasing down this antifreeze leak .my heads were leaking too on the outside.
i done a ton of work to this 4.0 ohv .

only to find out in the end that i,m still losing antifreeze.

i didnt do the work just because....it all startd when i noticed my antifreeze was always low .

the rad looked wet on one side so i started with that and the lower hose.

i was still losing

i started looking around the block with a flashlight and noticed the green trails on both sides so i knew what was coming .head gaskets.

so 500.00 in labor 300.00 in ford gaskets and head bolts later it was done .

i thought that was the end of it .

the waterpump let go soon after that (seen the trial from the weep hole)so i had that done too.

i was still losing coolant...wtf eh?

started looking around some more ....found another trail at the timing cover ....oh man i,m so fed up by now.

so i do the timing gears,the tensioner,the guide,and of course the timing cover gasket.that should finally be it right?

well so i thought.it was soon after i started getting the misfire.i guess once i buttoned up all the leaks there was enough pressure in the system to get the leak to migrate thru a head crack and thats when the misfires started.

so after dumping well over a thousand dollars into the engine i still have a cracked head .which will cost me another 500.00 in labor and about 500.00 for some heads of ebay and a bolt kit .

so i been just changing the plug and limping it along .

then a month ago i lost reverse in the trans ......i,m so screwed.

i found a low mile used trans for 350.00 and my mechanic will install it for 200.00 probably.

the last year been hell with this truck but i have it 8 years and put 100,000 miles or more on it in that time with little more than oil,brakes,tires, so its been a good run .
at 145,000 time has caught up with it .
i bought a car and she been sitting until i get the trans done .i still drive it when it snows (still goes forward)but other than that we take the car now .

good luck and report back what you find .hopefully you fare better than i did..lol

 

[Afboy143]

Wow sounds like you had a lot of fun with your truck! I have been babying my truck, but once the trans goes I may just scrap her. I have 2 coolers and a oil filter on the trans and so far, so good *knock on wood*

Don’t you just love older cars?

 

[joe doe]

well i,m trying to keep it on the road .the body is great on it and replacing it with new is not an option right now .i like having the 4 wheel drive suv around .i been driving explorers for so long i just gotta have one around .
i think i can get over 200k out the engine so its worth fixing for me right now .

but the next big breakdown just might change my mind .

good luck ..i,m going to relax now ,my typing finger is tired..lol

 

[96eb96]

this is great info here. At this point, considering we are talking about 12+yo cars, some bars stop leak tablets may be a good idea. Just follow directions. Ford actually suggests it now in their service guidelines for new cars when you change coolant. Believe me, I was the last person to use it but it solved some pretty bad leaks on other cars for years now.

 

[BOWLING91]

i was talking about the ect. in the beginning i thought it was my idle air to but i tested it on another explorer and it was fine. once my explorer warmed up it was fine and would run perfect.

 

[Afboy143]

OK- So I replaced the IAC with a genuine Motorcraft one with new gasket- no dice. Truck didn't stall this morning when first started up, but it started sputtering at a stop light, then stalled out while I started going. Truck died and I had to pull into a gas station. Restarted- got to work. Pulled codes when I got to work. Here is what I got

P0141
P0161
P0171
P0174

P0141:Oxygen O2 Sensor Circuit Low Voltage (Bank 2, Sensor 2)
This code means that the heated circuit in the oxygen sensor on bank 1 decreases time needed to enter closed loop. As the O2 heater reaches operating temperature, the oxygen sensor responds by switching according to oxygen content of the exhaust surrounding it. The ECM tracks how long it takes for the oxygen sensor to begin switching. It the ECM determines (based on coolant temp) that too much time elapsed before the oxygen sensor began operating properly, it will set P0141

P0161:Oxygen O2 Sensor Circuit Low Voltage (Bank 2, Sensor 2)
It basically means the PCM detected either an excessive current draw, or an open or short in the circuit powering the oxygen sensor's heater circuit. This is in reference to the Heated Oxygen Sensor (2) located rear of catalytic converter (Bank 2).


P0171:System Too Lean (Bank 1)
Basically this means that an oxygen sensor in bank 1 detected a lean condition (too much oxygen in the exhaust). On V6/V8/V10 engines, Bank 1 is the side of the engine that has cylinder #1.

Note: This DTC is very similar to P0174, and in fact your vehicle may show both codes at the same time.

P0174:System Too Lean (Bank 2)
Basically this means that an oxygen sensor in bank 2 detected a lean condition (too much oxygen in the exhaust). On V6/V8/V10 engines, Bank 2 is generally the side of the engine that doesn't have cylinder #1.

Note: This DTC is very similar to P0171, and in fact your vehicle may show both codes at the same time.

THOUGHTS: Website said a dirty or faulty MAF would cause 0171 or 0174. It also said a vacuum leak could be present downstream of the MAF. Can a MAF go bad? I can clean it, but I am good about this. I only use MAF cleaner BTW. What else could cause a lean condition? Thoughts? Truck stalling at stop lights is pretty unsafe and I am growing concerned.

How would one test that a MAF is faulty versus just dirty?

 

[Afboy143]

i was talking about the ect. in the beginning i thought it was my idle air to but i tested it on another explorer and it was fine. once my explorer warmed up it was fine and would run perfect.

Where exactly is this ECT located?

 

[joe doe]

have you ever replaced these??

if not then thats what you need to do to get rid of the bank 1-2 lean codes.
the 02 sensor is number 2 which is after the cat converter.

 

[Afboy143]

have you ever replaced these??

if not then thats what you need to do to get rid of the bank 1-2 lean codes.
the 02 sensor is number 2 which is after the cat converter.

I replaced the upper intake gaskets, but not the lower. I did the upper intake gaskets when I replaced the fuel injectors with reflowed. To replace injectors, I had to remove the upper intake. Do I need to tear the intake apart again and replace the lower intake manifold as well? Could not having post-cat O2 sensors cause a lean code? I am welding in bungs for post cat sensors today and installing them with simulators (I have a custom offroad Y pipe). I was reading the lean codes usually come from a faulty or dirty MAF sensor?

 

[joe doe]

you are confusing me when you say upper intake gaskets.

these are upper plenum orings(the plenum is the big plastic air intake that your throttle body is bolted to.)

have you in fact replaced these orings??its a common failure that creates those bank 1-2 lean codes .

heres what happens. in the morning these orings are cold ,they have shrank enough to allow air to bypass them .hence another reason you get a bad cold start.

once these orings warm up they swell a bit and start to seal .(you will run better now)

new orings will eliminate the cold morning shrinkage .

i wouldnt bother with the MAF .your throwing money at the wrong things .

let me know if you have done these orings

 

[Afboy143]

Okay, here is what I have. I guess my terminology is wrong. Let me know

Here is a picture of what I am talking about. This is the part that I had to remove to get to the injectors. Yes, the throttle body connects to this, so this is called the plenum? ( I was calling it the upper intake. Was I wrong?).
Look at the new nice and shiny IAC, o0o0o0o

Ok, so when I removed this, there were two gaskets. These gaskets were the ones pointed out below

These gaskets sealed the plenum with the part shown below. According to Rock Auto, it’s called the lower intake?

Now, where this “lower intake” connects to the motor, I am assuming that’s where the other 6 gaskets are located that are shown in the picture. I am assuming I need to replace these as well? They came in the kit, but I didn’t replace them.

 

[joe doe]

yes ,you are correct ,you need to replace the 6 orings on the bottom of that intake there......its generally called the plenum when its one piece as in my ohv engine .my bad .

yes..replace those on the bottom.thats where the problem lies.thats what i had to replace on my motor when i threw those codes .its not your MAF .

now we are getting somewhere..lol.

ps- i did not know your upper was 2 pieces.mine is 1 solid piece.

 

[joe doe]

being you have no pre cat 02 sensors .start there .install those .then erase the codes .
if those lean codes come back .replace those orings.

 

[Afboy143]

Ah yes, the SOHC has to pieces. So these gaskets are the culprits. Figures those would be it. Now I need to tear it down, for a third time, to replace those. GRRRR (I had to tear it down twice because when I did the injectors originally there was a leaky at one of the seals to the fuel rail.) So, hopefully those codes will clear and my idle will improve. When you had this problem, did yours do what mine did? Stalling? Bad idle? Loss of power?

When I replace these, do I need to put in any type of goo, or just simply take out old and replace with new?

For everyone following, I have to wait until this weekend to do this. I will clear codes, replace the gaskets, and see if the lean codes still come up. I will post my results Saturday night/Sunday morning.