Whats my problem??

[Beegle]

My '91 Explorer is having trouble starting, and when it does start it idles very low and when I try to give it gas it stalls out. I really can't figure out whats wrong. I don't think its an electrical problem; to me it seems like its hardly getting any gas. I changed the fuel filter but that made no difference, and none of my injectors are leaking. However, after I bought it last November I found that it burns oil. I took the intake hose off yesterday and found a lot of oil lying in it and inside the throttle body. Obviously, I have a horrible leak inside the engine, but could this be the cause for it not wanting to start and stay running? What else could be my problem?

 

[Jason_25]

Check for vacuum leaks. Make sure no lines or caps have popped off the vacuum "T". If they're ok, might wanna try the propane method around the intake. Have you pulled the codes? What happens when you try to start it while pressing the accelerator to the floor?

 

[Beegle]

pushing the accelerator to the floor does nothing; I couldn't find any leaks; I did get the codes, here's what I got: "lean signal on oxygen sensor" (i doubt that's it) and "ignition system problems" but i don't think it has to do w/ that because that wouldn't make it stall, right? Could it maybe be my fuel press. regulator? How would I check that?

 

[lonestar]

I would suspect FPR or pump.

Do a fuel pressure check. You need a guage or rent one from Autozone, they may even check it for you, it only takes about 1 min. Just screw the guage on the valve on the fuel rail and walla.

 

[MrShorty]

When the O2 sensor on my BII was bad, one of the symptoms was a "hesitation" on acceleration. Never actually stalled, but it was sure irritating. If you have a lean O2 sensor code (KOER or continuous memory?), I would investigate it. May not completely resolve the issue, but it could be contributing.
Along those lines, one of the first tests for a lean O2 sensor code in the manuals is a fuel pressure test. Obtain a fuel pressure gauge/tester kit, attach to Schrader valve on fuel rail, and go through the flow chart that's available in most any decent manual.

 

[Beegle]

Well, after trying about all of the above and finding nothing wrong after almost two weeks of frustration, I did what I hate to do most and I had it towed to a mechanic (it doesn't start at all now). He said it is getting no compression in one of the cylinders, which is most likely because of the timing chain skipping, or their could be something wrong with a valve. I absolutely do not have the time to work on it myself or I would. Please, does anyone have some advice before I shell out several hundred dollars just to have the timing chain checked out?