More problems for me...HELP!!

[HerkyJerky]

I recently had some work done on the "wagon" (98 Explorer Sport). Replaced the serpentine belt (for the second time in 6 weeks...wrong size the first time). New altenator & brakes). All was good in my Explorer world...for a week! Day after Turkey Day...no heat. This morning...no idle (engine starts up and then cuts right off). I coaxed it to the train station as it was too late to get a cab (luckily the one stop light was green when I approached it). So will have to coax it home tonight (provided it starts).

So...I guess the idling problem is the more pressing, what's going on?

The "no heat" situation...is there a fuse I don't know about, or is it something deeper.

Let me know what you know....Thanks

 

[daffy]

On the idle problem, if you hold the gas pedal down a little, does it stay running?

If so, check the IAC valve, many write-ups on here.

As for the heat, does the fan blow at any speed? If the fan works OK, search for 'blend door' and hope that's not it

 

[ZBlackBeast]

^^^^*2

 

[HerkyJerky]

Well...I ended up going to a shop and having them look at it, but now I'm puzzled. Apparently they said the TVG2 Idle Air Control Motor was shot (but under the labor section they listed the work as remove and replace IAC Valve).

So I'm now asking, is there such a thing as an Idle Air Control Motor in a 1998Ford Explorer Sport 4.0L SOHC? Or was I sold a sack of doo-doo.

Whatever it is they did it also took care of my heating problem (or lack thereof)...and in the nick of time too, as its getting pretty chilly in the NE USA.

Any feedback is welcomed (I've searched a few parts sites and haven't seen anything that suggests this "motor" exists).

 

[ZBlackBeast]

To my knowledge, there is NO motor besides the valve itself. Its just a wire run into the PCM. They sold you on a bunch of crap IMHO. I could be wrong, wont be the first time. But i think you need to look and see if they really replaced the IAC. Here is your IAC, if you take off your splash sheild, i believe its an 8mm Socket, youll see it bright as day. See if it looks new.

 

[Turdle]

Whoa!
They fixed you right up--
the Idle Air Control valve is also listed as an IAC motor--as that is what it really is.

It is a linear motion motor--like a loudspeaker would be. It moves the valve back and forth--

Just an FYI

Here is how to clean it--most of the time this will fix the problems-

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84220&highlight=IAC+valve

 

[ZBlackBeast]

Ha, yea, JT, this is one of the things im good at. IAC. i had that problem. and i had a pix, i figured, why not throw it up there!

 

[Turdle]

You might stick it into the IAC cleaning thread?

 

[HerkyJerky]

It IS a motor or it isn't...you guys got me all befuddled here (like I wasn't to begin with).

I'll take a look when I get home this evening to see if anything new looking in the vicinity of the IAC valve per the pic (thanks for that!), and I'll let you know.

The other thing is, would the IAC's operation or non-operation affect the heat in the car? I noticed the heat not working about a day or two before the idle problem.

 

[Turdle]

it is both a valve, and a motor--the motor opens the valve-get it?

I'm thinking the idle wasn't high enough to effectively pump coolant through the heater core-or maybe the vacuum wasn't sufficient enough to open the coolant bypass valve while the idle speed was low.

 

[ThePhoenix]

HOW MUCH DID THEY CHARGE YOU? if you dont mind me asking

 

[HerkyJerky]

Well, as I think I've been rolled (to a degree), I kind of do mind telling you how much they got me for. Lets just say I figured that on the part, they hit me for an almost 50% mark up and that was on the most expensive one I could find on the net (that is the IAC valve itself). Again, this is all dependent on what I see when I get home...who knows, they may have just cleaned it as was suggested in other threads.

I did get other work done, but this, parts wise, was the most expensive (I'll be short a good few beers this coming weekend that's for sure!)

GRRRrrrrrrr:fire:

 

[daffy]

honestly, 50% parts markup is not at all unheard of.

Some shops do 75-200% depending on the part price...

Typically at a dealer it's an $85 part, plus .5 hr labor (price dependant on region)

 

[ThePhoenix]

midas was charging $180 for an o2 sensor I could buy myself for $60...so you figure they got it for around $30-40. One hell of a markup

 

[ZBlackBeast]

Yea its expensive, and i appalogize for not being specific enough, but looks like JT got to it before me!!

 

[HerkyJerky]

Hey Daffy, I hear you on the marrk up...it's just that when you know you could've got it cheaper, it kind of burns, you know. They tapped me for a half hour labor, so that part was right (they made it up on something more routine though). note to self...consult forum early, and DO IT YOURSELF!! (of course it's cold out and I'm an apartment dweller, no garage, so this wagon probably would've sat until spring waiting on me to do work on it...LOL.
Thanks everyone for your input though, I really do appreciate it.

Cheers!

 

[ZBlackBeast]

Yea, its always good to consult an outside source that you can trust before going to a shop. They wont screw you over if you know what your talking about. Being a teenager, they tried to pull that on me, well, to bad i talked to these guys before, saved me ALOT of money.