NoviceMechanic
New Member
- Joined
- March 4, 2025
- Messages
- 3
- Reaction score
- 1
- Location
- Maui
- City, State
- Kula, Hawaii
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2006, Explorer 4L XLT 4wd
I have a 2006 Ford Explorer 4.0 L V6, I've owned it for 5 years. Currently, it has 182K miles, I've driven it about 25-30k miles since I bought it. I don't know what was replaced before me, but the engine is clean and I've been told by mechanics that it looks like it's been taken care of. I have 182K miles. I'm not a mechanic but I'm pretty good at finding my car issues and fixing them, but this issue is stumping everyone.
Once my vehicle is at working temperature, and I've been doing a lot of stopping at stop lights etc, at idle the rpms will fluctuate from 700 to 400, engine then sputters and dies if I'm not giving it a little gas. If I give it gas to at least 1000 rpms it won't die. Every time I have to stop I have to throw it in neutral and give it gas. Otherwise, it will die. If I continue to drive around, (run errands, etc.), eventually I'll have a hard time starting it unless I keep giving it gas to keep the rpms up (makes it hard if I have to throw it into reverse and then drive, I have to be at a stop to switch gears). If I can drive it for a while without stopping, like on a highway or back roads without stop signs, the stalling seems to get better until I have to stop a lot again. However, it may be that I'm not needing to stop much and I haven't let it idle in my garage to see if it stalls. My drive home is a good 30 minutes with little to no stops to idle.
I think I hear a faint whistle when I drive going over 30-40 MPH without stopping, but it could be air passing through something that is not related to my engine. It's very faint and I can't tell where it's coming from. I either haven't let my car idle with the hood open long enough to hear it or it's just when I'm driving.
The stalling issue started 5 months ago and would be intermittent or if I let the car sit for an hour or so it would be fine. Now it's much worse. The vehicle has to sit for at least half a day to get the engine temp back to a cold start. The codes that are on: P0135, P141, P0155, P161, P0403, P403, P0443. I have had these codes on for 3 years, the stalling while idling started 5 months ago. In the past 5 months, I have replaced with mechanic #1 the EGR valve, all 4 O2 sensors, the PCV valve, intake manifold seals, and both valve cover gaskets. It worked for a while, then started the stalling while idle again, and got worse until it wouldn't start at all. I saw that my coil pack had cracked. I replaced that, but still no start. I then went to mechanic #2, and they said some wire got melted, most likely when EGR was replaced. They fixed it and it ran great for a few days, then stalling started again, and this is where I'm at. I had my AC recharged at the beginning of the 5 months, the stalling started one week after the recharge. I then took it back to mechanic #2. They checked all of my wiring and said it looked good. They checked fuse 42 and it was good. They checked all the individual components (EGR, PCV, O2 sensors) that would lead to the codes P0135, P0155, P0403, and P0443 and they are all in good working condition. They also cleaned my throttle body, I looked at it myself and it's really clean.
I think it's my IAC valve, but I have read on online forums I don't have one (I see I don't have the old pully system) and that I have to replace my entire throttle body assembly. Could this be what is causing my stalling at idle?
Mechanic #2 thinks the cause of the check engine light is an intermittently faulty ECM, but they aren't sure. They want to replace that and see if it's still stalling (throwing more money to a maybe fix). It didn't stall on them, but I'm not sure if they drove it enough for it to stall. As soon as I picked it up from them, it stalled.
ECM looks good, no corrosion, wires look good going to it. That will be expensive to fix. I live on Maui and mechanics aren't cheap and the ECM isn't cheap either. I'm saving for a new car and I only want to fix what will stop the stalling without spending over $500 to do it. My back passenger side timing chain and tensioner are very loose (mechanic #1 saw this when doing gaskets and seals), I'm driving it until that goes out or I have the money for a new car. To fix the timing chain tensioner is more than my vehicle is worth, only 2 mechanics on Maui can do it.
Other possible things it could be is MAF sensor, absolute pressure sensor, or a EVAP/vapor purge control valve circuit. A different mechanic 3.5 years ago disconnected EVAP from its mounting place and didn't put it back, the top part got melted while I was driving. I put it back on its mounting place, but never replaced it. Maybe I have a vacuum leak. I have seen YouTube videos on how to spray carb cleaner around my vacuum hoses to see if idle changes. This makes me a little nervous, I'm not experienced in this and don't want to cause a fire or anything. I'm also unsure of where all of the vacuum hoses are.
Yes, I could just keep revving my engine in neutral to keep it from stalling while idling. But my gear shifter pin that lets it go from park into gear is funky and the more I move my gear shift, the quicker the pin comes out and I have to constantly be checking that to make sure it's in place.
I have never replaced my spark plugs, the wires going from spark plugs to coil pack, or anything related to fuel pressure. I've never changed my fuel filter, fuel injectors or fuel pump.
Acceleration is no problem, I'm getting 15 MPG and I have to drive uphill for 40 minutes to get home (1000 ft elevation change). I don't think I'm getting a misfire, but I do sometimes wonder if I am.
I can't keep throwing money at it and it still stalls on me. I have a limited budget. I rely on my explorer to get me to work and everywhere, I don't have the option of public transportation or even a ride share where I live. Please help!
Once my vehicle is at working temperature, and I've been doing a lot of stopping at stop lights etc, at idle the rpms will fluctuate from 700 to 400, engine then sputters and dies if I'm not giving it a little gas. If I give it gas to at least 1000 rpms it won't die. Every time I have to stop I have to throw it in neutral and give it gas. Otherwise, it will die. If I continue to drive around, (run errands, etc.), eventually I'll have a hard time starting it unless I keep giving it gas to keep the rpms up (makes it hard if I have to throw it into reverse and then drive, I have to be at a stop to switch gears). If I can drive it for a while without stopping, like on a highway or back roads without stop signs, the stalling seems to get better until I have to stop a lot again. However, it may be that I'm not needing to stop much and I haven't let it idle in my garage to see if it stalls. My drive home is a good 30 minutes with little to no stops to idle.
I think I hear a faint whistle when I drive going over 30-40 MPH without stopping, but it could be air passing through something that is not related to my engine. It's very faint and I can't tell where it's coming from. I either haven't let my car idle with the hood open long enough to hear it or it's just when I'm driving.
The stalling issue started 5 months ago and would be intermittent or if I let the car sit for an hour or so it would be fine. Now it's much worse. The vehicle has to sit for at least half a day to get the engine temp back to a cold start. The codes that are on: P0135, P141, P0155, P161, P0403, P403, P0443. I have had these codes on for 3 years, the stalling while idling started 5 months ago. In the past 5 months, I have replaced with mechanic #1 the EGR valve, all 4 O2 sensors, the PCV valve, intake manifold seals, and both valve cover gaskets. It worked for a while, then started the stalling while idle again, and got worse until it wouldn't start at all. I saw that my coil pack had cracked. I replaced that, but still no start. I then went to mechanic #2, and they said some wire got melted, most likely when EGR was replaced. They fixed it and it ran great for a few days, then stalling started again, and this is where I'm at. I had my AC recharged at the beginning of the 5 months, the stalling started one week after the recharge. I then took it back to mechanic #2. They checked all of my wiring and said it looked good. They checked fuse 42 and it was good. They checked all the individual components (EGR, PCV, O2 sensors) that would lead to the codes P0135, P0155, P0403, and P0443 and they are all in good working condition. They also cleaned my throttle body, I looked at it myself and it's really clean.
I think it's my IAC valve, but I have read on online forums I don't have one (I see I don't have the old pully system) and that I have to replace my entire throttle body assembly. Could this be what is causing my stalling at idle?
Mechanic #2 thinks the cause of the check engine light is an intermittently faulty ECM, but they aren't sure. They want to replace that and see if it's still stalling (throwing more money to a maybe fix). It didn't stall on them, but I'm not sure if they drove it enough for it to stall. As soon as I picked it up from them, it stalled.
ECM looks good, no corrosion, wires look good going to it. That will be expensive to fix. I live on Maui and mechanics aren't cheap and the ECM isn't cheap either. I'm saving for a new car and I only want to fix what will stop the stalling without spending over $500 to do it. My back passenger side timing chain and tensioner are very loose (mechanic #1 saw this when doing gaskets and seals), I'm driving it until that goes out or I have the money for a new car. To fix the timing chain tensioner is more than my vehicle is worth, only 2 mechanics on Maui can do it.
Other possible things it could be is MAF sensor, absolute pressure sensor, or a EVAP/vapor purge control valve circuit. A different mechanic 3.5 years ago disconnected EVAP from its mounting place and didn't put it back, the top part got melted while I was driving. I put it back on its mounting place, but never replaced it. Maybe I have a vacuum leak. I have seen YouTube videos on how to spray carb cleaner around my vacuum hoses to see if idle changes. This makes me a little nervous, I'm not experienced in this and don't want to cause a fire or anything. I'm also unsure of where all of the vacuum hoses are.
Yes, I could just keep revving my engine in neutral to keep it from stalling while idling. But my gear shifter pin that lets it go from park into gear is funky and the more I move my gear shift, the quicker the pin comes out and I have to constantly be checking that to make sure it's in place.
I have never replaced my spark plugs, the wires going from spark plugs to coil pack, or anything related to fuel pressure. I've never changed my fuel filter, fuel injectors or fuel pump.
Acceleration is no problem, I'm getting 15 MPG and I have to drive uphill for 40 minutes to get home (1000 ft elevation change). I don't think I'm getting a misfire, but I do sometimes wonder if I am.
I can't keep throwing money at it and it still stalls on me. I have a limited budget. I rely on my explorer to get me to work and everywhere, I don't have the option of public transportation or even a ride share where I live. Please help!
