92 explorer check engine light and poor gas mileage

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

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

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

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.

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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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.

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: