Strange Idle problem any ideas?

[beast]

Ok, gotta a quick question. When I idle with the air on (a/c, defroster) the RPMs dip to about 400, the lights dim, and the power gauge drops from about 16V to 10V. As soon as I start moving again it jumps back up to normal. If I shift it into park and rev the engine, it goes back to normal for about 10 seconds and then dips again. You can feel the engine sort of die when it does it too. Occasionally it will jump back up on its own without me touching the gas, and you can feel the engine jolt forward, but it always falls again. The car drives fine, and idles perfectly when the air is not on. I recently installed a new BBK TB and ifab.net intake. Could this be the IAC? Thanks.

 

[axionplaya]

Hey man, I've had the same problem happen to me not too long ago with my 1996 Explorer--- have you tried checking your truck for a possible misfire with wiring connections and the spark plug perhaps? Might not be an engine problem per se... however you'll want to run the OBDII with a mechanic and check for a misfire in particular

 

[beast]

No I havent checked for anything yet, but i guess i can start there, did you get yours fixed, what was wrong with it?

 

[axionplaya]

Actually, I did get it fixed right away... this is the second time in my Explorer's lifetime that this has happened. The first time it happened was a year ago. I experienced the idling problem was shortly after my "check engine" light appeared. I actually did not bother to fix the problem because other than the idling problem, my car drove perfectly normal. It was in January of this year when my car actually broke down... continuously for 3 straight months. The effect of me not fixing the misfire/idling problem = $1700 in major repairs to the catalytic converter, wiring, spark plugs, and somewhat major engine bay work. The second time I got idling problems was actually a few weeks ago, and it also came in after the check engine light came on. I immediately got the problem fixed. The cost was a mere $130 at my local mom-and-pop mechanic---as compared to $1700 through neglecence a year ago. Take the car not necessarily to a major ford dealership for a repair, but you will want to take it to a handy-dandy mechanic though. However, I'm not too familiar with what the result might be with an "older" Explorer...

Roy
1996 Ford Explorer XLT
Control Trac 4WD
4.0L SOHC V6
Flowmaster
K&N Filter

 

[axionplaya]

check for possible misfire with the engine and wiring... unknown, but possible deadly and costly culprit

 

[beast]

how do I check for misfires?

 

[beast]

Alright so I took it to Shucks today and had them run their free electrical test today which tests the battery, starter, and alternator. They tell me the battery needs to be replaced. The thing is like 7 years old so it wouldn't surprise me. Tonight I finally got and put in my Pro-M 70mm MAF and new, clean conical filter. The problem seems to be solved as far as the RPMs jumping around and the car almost dying, but the battery gauge still jumps around quite a bit so maybe I will replace it and see.