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92 explorer check engine light and poor gas mileage

Hello eveyone, I am new to this group and I really hope there is someone out there who can help me. First off I have a 92 Ford Explorer with a 4 litre and 4wd. It has about 179k on the motor, but has been very well maintained, (engine and drivetrain wise, body kind of rusty but what can you do in Michigan winters). When I first got it, it was running beautifully, getting 21+ miles on the road and between 15-17 in town. Now the check engine light comes on, and it idles rough. (rpms REALLY fluctuate and sometimes when I put it in reverse to back out of the driveway it really chokes. Even when warm.) And even more alarming now, is the fact that it is only getting between 6 and 8 mpg's. Not kidding, I got 65 miles on 3/4 of a tank of gas. I talked to some people and EVERYONE said o2 sensor, so I changed that and still nothing. The check engine light still comes on, and it is still breaking the bank driving it to work.

And all of this happened pretty much all of a sudden. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Dan

Reply to
Dedge
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Codes... you need to have the trouble codes read... without them, everything is a wild guess.

Reply to
Jim Warman

Reply to
Big Shoe

Geez....sounds like me....except my mileage. Mine was a MAF sensor and a brake switch.

Reply to
John Riggs

Well I took it to the shop today and had them run a scan on it and the code that came back was 173. I don't know if this will help at all. The rough idle is a separate issue from the poor mileage too. The rough idle was the idler something motor, that is a relatively easy and cheap fix. Actually he said I might be able to get away with just cleaning it.

Gonna do some more research, but any more input is greatly appreciated. Thanks for all the help thus far everyone, I truly do appreciate it. Dan

Reply to
Dedge

I'm happy that someone can separate these issues so concisely.... 173 is a rich mixture indication which can cause a rough idle. I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that the "idler soething motor" is the IAC.... The IAC can give surge, stall, high idle, low idle and any other 'near' steady state condition, Rough idle depends on your concept of rough.

Other info required.. was this code a memory code or an engine running code..... YES - it makes a difference.

Sometimes you CAN get away with "just cleaning it".... depends on how you feel about repeat failures. I have "cleaned" many IACs, MAFs, EGRs, etc. Many of these came back to bite me before I decided on signed waivers. The big problem with signed waivers is that I never have the opportunity to display these after my cost saving attempts have become "de riguer" on the cocktail circuit.

If I cheap out for you and it works, I'm a wizard.... If I cheap out and it doesn't work, I'm a dork...... If I fix it the way I am comfortable with, you will find someone who had the cheap fix work and you will feel over charged and I will look like a dork.

Reply to
Jim Warman

Geez, now you are sounding like me..... A technician can never win, you know that.

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| > Gonna do some more research, but any more input is greatly appreciated. | > Thanks for all the help thus far everyone, I truly do appreciate it. | > Dan | >

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Reply to
John Riggs

Why bother cleaning it when you can get a new one at NAPA for $40?

This is one of the cheapest and easiest fixes you can do yourself.

Reply to
Kevin D

Hello, this happened to me very recently. If the symptons happened suddenly, then you might have the same problem I did. Basically, Fords in the 1990's (and probably still today) are VERY sensitive to air flow through the air filter. I had my oil-changed at a Walmart, and they checked the air filter as usual, problem was that they incorrectly re-installed the air filter. I drove for a few weeks with all sorts of idle/surge/stall problems. I went to a Ford dealer...they checked for codes (nothing), then they discovered the air filter. They mounted it properly, and the problem was fixed.

I know it's hard to believe, but doublecheck your air filter mounting.

Dave snipped-for-privacy@somogyi.com

Dedge wrote:

Reply to
dave

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