Limted 94 Loses power when going Up hill!

[granorense]

Hi every body, this is my first post here. I have been reading posts in this forum for quite a long time now.

I have a Ford Explorer Limited 1994 in Costa Rica, which has a problem. To get to my town there, we have to go up on this hill of about 3 miles on a gravel road. When we are about half way up, the car loses power and we have to take the foot off the accelerator. The engine doesn't stall, it just loses power. We can make it we go very slowly, and the problem only happens on this particular hill.

Our mechanic says that by reading the computer codes, he assumes that the problem is the fuel pump which I will bring with me in two weeks.

Any advice will be appreciated.
Thank you.

 

[duckdog27]

I had a similar problem with my 94 XLT. When going up a hill my speed would decrease no matter how hard I pressed on the accelerator. Found out it was the fuel modulator/sender was burning itself out. They had to drop the tank and install a new sender, but that was definitely the problem.

 

[granorense]

Thanks Duckdog27, that is exactly what is happening to these car. I will make sure I bring that part with me as well.

 

[MrShorty]

What code(s) did your mechanic pull? There aren't too many EEC-IV codes directly related to the fuel pump, and none of them, by themselves, can point to a bad fuel pump. If he's only going off of a code, then there needs to be further diagnosis before he can state that the fuel pump is failing.

 

[granorense]

I will try to call my brother in Costa Rica this weekend. He is the one talking th the mechanic.

 

[duckdog27]

My check engine light remained on all the time when the engine was warm. When the dealership pulled the codes (which exact ones I don't know) but they were related to incorrect fuel to air ratio. Makes sense if the pump progressively dies out and cannot provide enough fuel pressure to the rails.

 

[granorense]

I talked to my brother and he actually says that the mechanic tested the pump and looks like its pressure is low. That's why he thinks that the pump is bad, and that all the codes from the computer seem to be correct which indicates that the computer itself is not part of the problem.

Now, a friend here at work thinks that it coule be that the catalystic converters are pluged up and need to be replace.

Thank you guys for your help, I really appreciate it.

 

[MrShorty]

While a plugged converter could explain your symptoms, we have identified a known bad parameter (fuel pressure). Assuming the mechanic has diagnosed it completely, a bad fuel pump can cause a low pressure condition. A few other things can, too, such as a leak (including the fuel pressure regulator, which is somewhat common), a plugged fuel line (including a dirty fuel filter), a stuck open injector, a bad fuel pressure regulator, and other things that aren't coming to me immediately. but, if it's been diagnosed correctly, a bad fuel pump could explain what you are getting.

 

[granorense]

MrShorty, thank you so much for your wonderful help. Here is a list of items that I will be taking with me in two weeks when I am going to Costa Rica.

1. PCV Valve (mechanic request)
2.Idle Air Control Motor (low gears don't engage when going down a hill, mechanic thinks that these part is reponsible for that behavior)
3.Catalytic converter (to be safe since it culd be part of the problem)
4.Fuel pressure regulator (Like MrShorty says, it could be part of the problem as well)
5.Fuel Filter
6.And of course the electric fuel pump.

 

[Chew_12]

I drive up to Flagstaff all the time up huge hills and I do lose speed, but I figured it was because the hills were too steep for the engine to handle. I can still go about 62 (with 33" tires) up the hills which are a couple thousand feet high.

 

[urbanistic]

Are you in overdrive?

 

[XGRUNT]

I live in the sierra's and my 93 definately has a problem with hills. If i'm on a hill, sometimes I can hardly get it to take off and especially on the back roads (which are usually hillier ,hillyer what the heck, you know what I'm sayin') I just assumed it was a lack of power in general but, it does seem that it should be better than it is...

 

[urbanistic]

Sounds like a possible transmission problem. Do you feel the gear drop to 2nd?