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

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


"Dedge" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> 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
>

Better quit driving and get it fixed. Next thing is the excess carbon
being created will plug the catalyst.

On Wed, 05 Jan 2005 14:39:17 GMT, "Jim Warman"
> wrote:

>Codes... you need to have the trouble codes read... without them, everything
>is a wild guess.
>
>
>"Dedge" > wrote in message
roups.com...
>> 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
>>
>

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


"Dedge" > wrote in message
oups.com...
| 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
|

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.




"Dedge" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> 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
>

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

"Jim Warman" > wrote in message
news:kZ1Dd.33339$nN6.9123@edtnps84...
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| "Dedge" > wrote in message
| oups.com...
| > 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
| >
|
|

Oh, c'mon now, John..... there was some kind of error message..... something
about an illegal abortion..... I ran a couple of software cracks and
"pictures of me and my girlfriend",,, ran that three times and never did see
the porn 8^(..... Now, by hard drive, you do mean the TV thing, right? I
have a 286 with Pentuiuiunumum 3. I have 3 gig RAM (I couldn't get 32 pin so
I trimmed off some bigger stuff - and who said you needed a PCI slot for a
PCI card?).

The consumer is always right... he told me so....


"John Riggs" > wrote in message
...
> Geez, now you are sounding like me.....
> A technician can never win, you know that.
>
> "Jim Warman" > wrote in message
> news:kZ1Dd.33339$nN6.9123@edtnps84...
> | 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.
> |
> |
> |
> |
> | "Dedge" > wrote in message
> | oups.com...
> | > 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
> | >
> |
> |
>
>

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.

"Dedge" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> 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
>

Exactly

"Jim Warman" > wrote in message
news:6V2Dd.33358$nN6.28814@edtnps84...
| Oh, c'mon now, John..... there was some kind of error message.....
something
| about an illegal abortion..... I ran a couple of software cracks and
| "pictures of me and my girlfriend",,, ran that three times and never did
see
| the porn 8^(..... Now, by hard drive, you do mean the TV thing, right? I
| have a 286 with Pentuiuiunumum 3. I have 3 gig RAM (I couldn't get 32 pin
so
| I trimmed off some bigger stuff - and who said you needed a PCI slot for a
| PCI card?).
|
| The consumer is always right... he told me so....
|
|
| "John Riggs" > wrote in message
| ...
| > Geez, now you are sounding like me.....
| > A technician can never win, you know that.
| >
| > "Jim Warman" > wrote in message
| > news:kZ1Dd.33339$nN6.9123@edtnps84...
| > | 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.
| > |
| > |
| > |
| > |
| > | "Dedge" > wrote in message
| > | oups.com...
| > | > 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
| > | >
| > |
| > |
| >
| >
|
|