Numerous Problems with my '98 X

[mweiss]

For 2+ years, my CEL has been intermittently on. I managed to get through the 2009 and 2007 emissions tests by resetting the OBD, but in Jan 2011, the emissions test station refused to test the vehicle, stating that it didn't have enough cycle time.
I recently checked the codes and they were both 'slow sensor response' codes.
My registration expires this month and they won't renew until I have the emissions compliant. I have zero income and cannot afford to take it to a garage.

The vehicle has several other problems:

Fuel pump canister bracket rotted away completely and assembly is being held in place by a piece of wood and lots of wire.

Front wheel bearing is whirring loudly.

ABS light came on in August and has been on continuously since.

Battery light on instr cluster which used to only come on if the engine RPMs was above 3000, now on continuously since October and amps gauge showing discharge. Battery has to be charged before driving now. On first start after charging, charge system behaves normally and is charging. If I rev the engine up, the battery light comes on and stays on and the amps gauge goes negative.

So two most important issues now are getting emissions passed and fixing the charging system.

Money is tight, as I only grossed $9000 last year. Having trouble paying the electric bill and haven't been able to pay the property taxes at all for the past two years. Probably a hopeless situation, but maybe someone has some creative idea for fixing these problems at low of no cost?

 

[shooked]

I have zero clue about the emissions. I would have the alternator tested, sounds like its shot. The ABS light could be connected to or a result of the hub assembly going bad. Most of the stuff you outlined could likely be found on here with a detailed fix by using the search option. Not knowing your level of mechanical inclination, I did not want to insult your intelligence by going into great detail.

Good Luck.

 

[crazymind]

For the cel try cleaning the sensor. As for the wheel bearing its sealed so the only way to fix that is to get a new one, mine was 150 for mine. The ABS could also be the sensor on top of the rear diff or as stated above the bearing that's going bad

 

[mweiss]

The number one issue is getting emissions passed, so I don't have to drive with an expired registration next month.

I have a hunch the battery problem is related to the fact that the battery is more than 8 years old. When I charge it, and then start the vehicle, the charge system works. I'm thinking internal short in the battery possibly overloading the alternator, perhaps tripping some current limiting device and causing it to stop charging when I rev the engine.

About the sensors, I don't know where these are located. I don't have a heated garage to work on it, so I'm doing all my work out in the snow and cold. There are numerous sensors on the engine, exhaust, intake, etc. "Slow response" is the error message with all of them. Is this typically a dirty sensor (dirt layer causing lag in sensor readings?)

Wheel bearing will have to wait til I find some income, as will the ABS. I heard there's a sensor on the rear diff that is sometimes worth replacing, though I see I can't reach it without putting the truck on a lift.

I've been trying to resolve this problem since January, but the truck has developed more problems during the summer and fall.

 

[bobflood]

Emissions are the priority, do that first - you can get registered w a squirrly electrical system. What exactly are the codes you are getting? Get them read and post the numbers (e.g P0173, etc) - that will point to the particular sensors involved. Then we can help more.

Cheapest place for another alternator is JY; not as good as getting a reman from a parts store, but might be better than what you have. Alternator replacement pretty easy on my 5.0; no sure about 4.0.

Good luck!

 

[mweiss]

Here are the codes I pulled:

Sensor circuit slow response
Bank 1 sensor 1)
PO133 02
PO153 (pd) 02
Sensor circuit slow response
Back 2 sensor 1
PO171(pd)system
too lean (bank 1)
PO174(pd)system
too lean (bank 2)


Agreed, emissions #1 priority, else reg expires and vehicle being over 10 years old, would need to go through whole safety inspection, meaning, temp plates, inspection fee, then new registration. Ugh..

 

[bobflood]

Which engine do you have? 4.0 V6OHV, 4.0 V6 SOHC, or 5.0 V8?

With both banks throwing lean codes, based on things I have seen on this site, I would suspect upper and lower intake manifold gaskets (especially common on SOHC). I have never done these myself, but it seems a pretty common DIY job and lots of threads about it on this forum.

Good luck.

 

[mweiss]

It's the 4.0 OHV. I hope it's not gaskets, because that's a lot of stuff that needs to be removed. I don't have a heated garage to work in, either.

 

[yavapaires]

It's the 4.0 OHV. I hope it's not gaskets, because that's a lot of stuff that needs to be removed. I don't have a heated garage to work in, either.

Believe me, it looks a lot more complicated than it is. The hardest thing to work with is the EGR tube. It DOES NOT have to be removed from the exhaust manifold. I have had mine off twice by slightly bending it. Just have to coax it a bit when putting the upper manifold back on. Also, you might get lucky and just tighten the upper manifold nuts (6)

 

[mweiss]

Is there an online procedure instruction list that I can find out what sequence to take things apart? I don't own a service manual for this truck.
I hope that tightening the bolts would do the trick. I'll take a look if the weather is decent enough tomorrow and see what I can access.

 

[drdoom]

You should at least pick up a Haynes manual, like 20 bucks, and although not perfect, for the price it will save you a lot of time & money.

 

[mweiss]

Will check the local Auto Zone and see if they have one..

I tried tightening some 1/2" bolts that were on top of the (seemed like plastic) intake manifold which has the throttle body and all that other stuff attached to it. Looking down past that, I could only see one 3/8" bolt down on the engine itself. Don't know if that's a head bolt or part of the intake manifold. I've only worked on 1973 and earlier vehicles.. this is the first 'modern' vehicle I have owned, and it's very much alien to me. No carb and tons of hoses, wires, sensors and gadgets all over the engine!

 

[yavapaires]

Will check the local Auto Zone and see if they have one..

I tried tightening some 1/2" bolts that were on top of the (seemed like plastic) intake manifold which has the throttle body and all that other stuff attached to it. Looking down past that, I could only see one 3/8" bolt down on the engine itself. Don't know if that's a head bolt or part of the intake manifold. I've only worked on 1973 and earlier vehicles.. this is the first 'modern' vehicle I have owned, and it's very much alien to me. No carb and tons of hoses, wires, sensors and gadgets all over the engine!

I know what you mean, very intimidating at first, I thought the same thing. Take a few pictures before you begin. After you get everything off, you will see how simple it really is. Just a PIA because everything is so compact, especially for older hands. Get yourself a Haynes manual off e-bay or Amazon. However the one for our Explorers leaves a lot to be desired IMO, but it is better than nothing, and you can get one for around $10.00 instead of the $25.00 at the parts house. Go slow, pay attention, and have fun (?)

 

[mweiss]

I'll do the best I can, as long as the weather holds out.. I'm working out in the driveway.

I just replaced a broken battery terminal, and the system is completely reset. Need to drive it for a while and see if the CEL comes on again or not. If a couple days pass and no CEL, I'm taking it back to the emissions station for a retest. Hopefully things go smoothly this time.

 

[mweiss]

Ugh.. the CEL came on after 13 miles driving.. tightening the bolts didn't help evidently.
Wife is talking about borrowing against her 401K to pay for repairs. I suppose that's the way to go. Trying to work on it in the rain is not working out too well.

 

[Erik727]

I'd have to say that you have let the vehicle get beyond the low or no cost options...By the sound of it,,it's not going to be long before it leaves you stranded. Especially with it getting colder..
If that bearing that is whirring loudly breaks,it's not going to be pretty.If 2WD,.Can and will ruin your spindle..That can get costly ,as opposed to spending $30 bucks on bearings and seals for 2wd..If 4WD you will need a new hub.
Get the codes read on your ABS , you can try to pull and clean the sensors,,the culprit is usually the rear sensor in the differential. One bolt and a plug.I bought mine from Ford for $36.
I'm not as familiar with the explorer as i am with F250 diesel,,but an alternator /battery ,charging issue will shut down the ABS system..Fix your charging sys and that may take care of your ABS.
As already said ,the 171 and 174 lean codes are most likely intake gaskets,,They wont fix themselves..A gasket set is relatively cheap..Around $30 for an OHV .. The slow to respond o2 sensors codes may stay off long enough to pass if other issues ( lean Codes ) are fixed.
being strapped for cash means having to do the work yourself,,as all this stuff at a shop will cost big money...See if you can rent a storage for a month and do the work in there ..May not be heated,but it is out of the elements. As also stated .a Haynes or Chiltons manual is a good buy..Also, there is Alldatadiy.com.. A one yr subscription for your vehicle will run you around $16 bucks..
But ,90% of the info you need ,is right here on this forum..including pics

I'm betting for at most $400,and a bunch of your time,all your issues could be fixed,,And that includes ,a new battery and alternator if needed..
Good luck to you,,i hope you get it going before it leaves you stranded .

 

[mweiss]

The repair shop called today and said the intake manifold gaskets were leaking. Cost to replace both: $473.12. The alternator is confirmed dead as I suspected. Apparently there are two gaskets on the top of the engine. Not a small job, apparently.

 

[Erik727]

That's robbery..I haven't done an OHV,but have done SOHC,,2-3 hrs for someone who never has done it before...There are video's on this site and how to's with pics,,Even if you have to buy a tool or two and a Haynes manual ,,you can do the intake gaskets ( there is an upper and lower) for under $75.00. You'll feel alot better when it's done..Instead of paying 500 .
Like i said before , for under 400 ,you can fix everything yourself,,with a new batt and lifetime warrantied alt from Autozone /oreilly ,advance,,etc

 

[shooked]

Not only as Erik727 said, but you get the zen of accomplishing this yourself, and you know exactly what was done. There are not a lot of mechanics I trust, but I do trust my own work. You use to work on engines, and honestly once you move the cpu and emissions crap off the top, its still just an engine. It will look familiar to you once the stuff is removed. I work on the ground, out in the cold, matter of fact, 4 hours yesterday changing the dang shocks on my Ex, dark and 32 degrees when I was finished. But, I know it was done, and I know it was done right.

Keep us posted, Good luck.

shooked<///><

 

[mweiss]

Since my frostbite some 15 years ago, my hands basicly stop working and feeling any sensation when the temp gets below 50°F. I used to work in cold weather on my vehicles, but that was some 30-40 years ago. Probably part of the reason my hands are basicly useless during the winter months now.

Got the vehicle back this afternoon.. $503. Well, labor rates in CT are $180/hr last time I checked. I know, I ought to have my head examined for hiring ANYONE who charges an hourly rate more than I earn). Anyway, I drive the vehicle out of the service station (one which I have used for the past 16 years and which has been generally honest, reliable and charged less than the larger dealerships) and one mile up the road, the Check Engine light comes on. So I catch up to my wife in the other vehicle and honk my horn at the next traffic light, do a Chinese fire drill, tell her we need to go back & why, and then make U turns. So now it's back at the garage.

Remember, I had use money my wife borrowed from her 401K (money we were going to use to make a payment on our property taxes) for this. Needless to say, I feel like I flushed my money down the toilet. Damned emissions laws.. aside from the alternator and whirring bearing noise, the vehicle ran fine.

So now they're going to find out what the new code is.. my guess it will be some sensor that's sluggish and probably need to replace. But Thanksgiving is upon us, I still have to get through emissions, the state of CT has to receive the results and then I have to send in my renewal. It's too close to the wire now.. no time for backyard mechanics.