Shop says my explorer is finished, is this true?!

[jstang209]

I have a 2010 explorer XLT 4.0, it has about 140k miles on, always has ran very well. I am the 2nd owner and purchased it about 5 years ago with 70k miles. Never had a single issue with it, I kept the oil changed and treated her well. 2 weeks ago I got a check engine light, I pulled the code and it was a misfire cylinder 1, so I changed all the spark plugs cleared the code and drove for a while, it came back on, then I changed the wires cleared the code and drove it, light came back on, I changed the coil pack, cleared the codes and drove it, light came back on, this was still the misfire cylinder 1 code btw. My next idea was to change the fuel injector. So I attempted to do it, but I went to pull off the intake and realized it was going to be quite a job, so I took it to a local repair shop and told them the issue and what I had done. They diagnosed and said yes change all the fuel injectors not just one, so I said F it might as well since the intake will be off. They did that and now they are getting a engine running lean code (I forgot the exact code), they did more diagnosis and said that the misfire clogged my cat, so now my cat is causing the code. They call the dealership and the cat for this model is discontinued and there are zero aftermarket options available (I am in Cali).. so without a new cat I'm basically screwed, the check engine light will keep coming on and I wont be able to get this thing smogged. WTF?!

 

[Fix4Dirt]

big money, but this is the first one i find from magna flow 2010 Ford Explorer Catalytic Converters | MagnaFlow

surprisingly i cant seem to find one thats CARB from walker etc

ford has discntinued the cats though

 

[zadigadabop]

In my experience, shops will often just diagnose using the code and not the actual problem.
I've had a similar issue (P0301code) and it was a crack in the spark plug. I'd also check the O2 sensor and wire to it.

 

[jstang209]

In my experience, shops will often just diagnose using the code and not the actual problem.
I've had a similar issue (P0301code) and it was a crack in the spark plug. I'd also check the O2 sensor and wire to it.

all 6 spark plugs are brand new, and I even replaced the o2 sensor :/

 

[jstang209]

big money, but this is the first one i find from magna flow 2010 Ford Explorer Catalytic Converters | MagnaFlow

surprisingly i cant seem to find one thats CARB from walker etc

ford has discntinued the cats though

I see most of those are not for sale in CA, and the others not available. The shop said they've called and checked everywhere too and cant find anything. For the most part I believe them because I'm sure they'd love to get some more money out of me if they could...fml

 

[Fix4Dirt]

I see most of those are not for sale in CA, and the others not available. The shop said they've called and checked everywhere too and cant find anything. For the most part I believe them because I'm sure they'd love to get some more money out of me if they could...fml

the magnaflow ones are CARB approved i think

 

[Josh P]

Aftermarket O2 sensors exist that allow you to resolve the restriction issue yourself.

 

[Rcflyer330]

From what I could find with magnaflow part number 5551672 autozone or summit racing may have them and that is the carb compliant number for the v6 engine.

 

[jstang209]

From what I could find with magnaflow part number 5551672 autozone or summit racing may have them and that is the carb compliant number for the v6 engine.

I’m looking at that and it says it doesn’t fit my vehicle, and 4 grand ?! Mann that’s insane

 

[Fix4Dirt]

I’m looking at that and it says it doesn’t fit my vehicle, and 4 grand ?! Mann that’s insane

is that PN the same as the one i gave you? if you click the link it should take you to a page where theres two individual cats, and one pipe w/ cats. the pipe w/ cats is discontinued, however the two individual cats still are for sale

 

[Josh P]

I’m looking at that and it says it doesn’t fit my vehicle, and 4 grand ?! Mann that’s insane

Pretty much expect $4k or more. My luck is a few weeks after I got them installed someone would cut them off to get the $80 in scrap value

 

[Josh P]

Cat only part number is 5551355 $1,528 each or 5551598 for the cats with the pipes for $2850. Looks like I was wrong, $3k

 

[zadigadabop]

That's crazy that CARB catalytic converters are that much more than EPA ones. It might be cheaper to move to a non-CARB state.

 

[BKennedy]

If you can get the non-CARB cats shipped to you in California, who is really going to crawl under there and check? I don't know of any smog guys that actually crawl under the car to check cats. I have a high flow Magna Flo cat that replaced the two OEM cats. 700R4 trans would not fit in there with two cats. It passes smog every time, but my smog guy says its grandfathered in since they are over ten years old.

 

[Josh P]

Thing is, you might pass once or twice then someone who actually is doing their job will fail the visual.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

here in LA and urban areas, less so central CA at least, they are cracking down on these things. guy looks under the rig and looks for anything that looks modified. they checkk everything, and i mean everything, for me at least... recently no shop seems to want to put their name on the line for modified rigs. or so thats what ive heard/notived when shopping around for my v8 swap. and last time it was smogged on my rig, i noticed that too. they checked every inch of that pipe... but if you wanna go that way, its easy enough to probably have it shipped to someone you know out of state then just ship it to you

 

[07EddyB]

At the end of the day - it's a 4.0 with 170K miles on it - the OP may not be familiar with the timing chain issues with these engines or the transmission issues. I encourage him to research those issues before spending thousands to fix a cat issue that could be resolved easily and cheaply in most other states.
Having said that - I would also encourage him to seek a second opinion on the issue beyond the people that did the work on it last. They were in the engine last and sometimes people are reluctant to admit that maybe they screwed something up so they immediately look for other things to blame.
Step back - take a deep breath - and reposition yourself on the issue. If I read your post correctly then you had a misfire for 2 weeks and now the shop is saying it took out your cats in that two weeks. That may be possible - but it sounds suspicious to me.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

i mean misfires can kill cats usually, but i would reccomend looking into alternatives. as of now with install and everything, youre looking at say... 3500 for this cat issue. as 07 mentioned, these are known for issues with the timing chains. there are 4 or 5 depending on if yours is 4wd or not. primary jackshaft, rear jackshaft, 2 going to valve covers, balance shaft (if 4wd) these are nylon guides and can easily fail and make a rattlign noise. if left unfixed for a long period of time, the engine can jump time and the valve hit the piston, effectively scrapping most of the motor. there are also the hydraulic tensioners, which can result in a startup rattle. to remove engine and put all new timing components in costs about 3500 again usually, maybe 4k... (here in LA) also, the 5r55s trannies do have issues, some of which may require a rebuild, another 3k. however, usually many issues are resolved with valve body parts (msotly shift flares, that kind of stuff, nothing you can do about broken bands), so lets just say 500 for a nice round number. youre already at 4.5k+the 3500 so 8k. however, you may not encounter this for many years, fsuch as for me, my primary timing guides lasted 320k miles, and the other ones are still working just fine. and same with my tranny, all its needed is fluid changes. given this risk, up to you if you wanna stay v6 or go v8, the v8s dont have timing chain issues, and the 6r80 trannies much more beefy imo. however, once the timing components are fixed and several tranny things are adressed (add a big trans cooler and change fluid often, makes a huge difference in life) , both the SOHC and5r55s are GOOD drivetrains, the SOHC bottom ends are bulletproof imo, just the timing components and maybe a few valve lash issues here and there, but they are otherwise good engines. so imo its a good better best thing, the sohc is good, the v8 is better. but also, you always have the bad luck stories with used vehicle. at least with the SOHC you know the history etc of the vehicle, vs used its a big unknown, you know how you treated it, you know how you drive, dont know how others do stuff. but just as a powetrain, the v8 is a bit better, assuming you get a good one.lots to consider, good luck!

 

[410Fortune]

I don’t think it’s your cat converter causing lean code

I think the mechanic who did the repair of the fuel injectors sucks and is clueless how to repair these engines

Your misfire code was caused by a faulty injector. To access the injectors they had to remove intake manifold.

Lean both banks means an air leak in the intake plenum.
I bet they left a hose unplugged, broke a fitting, or botched the install of the intake o rings, very simple to fix and $15 in parts

Forget the cat converter, never has a lean condition lead to the replacement of a cat converter

Never!!!

You need a different shop or diy
Seriously these guys are idiots I would run away, totaling your truck over a botched intake install… I would love to sit down with these idiots

You are smart for coming here abs asking, we know these engines

You need to get the code

 

[94Eddie]

Plus, a good mechanic would have run a pressure test on the exhaust system to verify if the cats are clogged. Or an emissions test to verify tgey are operating properly.