Hey everyone,

Did a tune up not too long ago, changed coil pack, new exhaust. It runs good but keeps throwing a random misfire pretty often. When im in town at a light it starts pulsing pretty hard, i gotta keep on the brake, the lights pulse with it going from dim to normal. Sometimes it just won't start but I found a trick for that, if I peg the throttle to the floor and let it turn over for a while it will fire up. My main problem is it seems like its missing alot of power. When i come to a hill, 30mph up it and it won't go any faster. I took about a 1/4 inch of slack out of the throttle cable, that helped with the kickdown a little bit but that's about it. Not sure what I should be getting on gas milage but I get about 13-14 mpg on the highway. Leaks oil. My friend has a Snap-On Solus Pro code reader, I got to figure out how to use it though, not sure how helpful it will be.

Any ideas or where can i start???

 

You can try to see if there are any codes in there, but what you need to see is what we refer to as live data stream. Things like TPS, Short term fuel trim and long term fuel trim at idle and 2500 RPM. EGR function, coolant temp, and possibly a misfire code. Let us know what you find.

 

Thanks,

Ok, will do when I get the chance. Well I know it's not the TPS because I just replaced that not long ago. The MAF sensor I wasn't sure about so I sprayed that with some rubbing alcohol to clean it. I remember when I got the new TPS I got excited and went ahead and tried to install it in the parking lot but the screws were so tight on there I said forget it till I get home and get it. But I got down the road and the explorer was running bad, remembered that I forgot to plug the sensor back in! For whatever reason that day I was checking over the fuses and found a blown HO2 fuse, I imagine that it was from the TPS being unhooked, replaced it, haven't checked fuses again since.

I've been small talkin with other people, a couple people have said it could be a plugged catalytic converter causing the loss of power.

 

There are several ways to diagnose a plugged catalytic converter. Measuring back pressure would be one.
you could also try a catalytic converter cleaning using lacquer thinner (not paint thinner!)


by the way i don't like to use anything else but dedicated MAF sensor cleaner on the MAF sensor. rubbing alcohol is only so many % methanol. The rest is water of dubious quality.

 

Ok, Haven't done anything yet. The guy I know that has the code reader was behind me going over the mountain one day and he said hey I know what your problem is its your cat. converter I can smell it big time.

Today couldn't get over 30mph trying to get up this big hill and when i got to the top I caught a wiff of that heat smell. This is a pretty common deal for me.

The thing is though is it has two cat.s and one of them is angled I think. I would hate to punch out those cats and have that not even be the problem, I would like to cut them out and weld a piece of pipe in, test drive it for a couple of days untill the new cats come in. But we will see.

Why would it not throw a code though? The only code that comes up for it is a random misfire. Is it just because the O2 sensors are compensating for it?

 

All the data below is just while it was idling. Some numbers fluctuated a lot during the live stream such as SFTrim going into negative numbers (-9 to about 0 back and forth) during idle, and of course the RPM.


Pending Codes
P0300 – Random Misfire


Test: KOER
** Engine Running Codes – Fix Second **
P1127 HO2S Downstream Sensors not Tested


Snap shot of Live Data Streams:

[O2 Sensors]


HO2S11(mA)__________________512
HO2S12(mA)__________________852
HO2S21(mA)__________________473
HO2S22(mA)__________________906
HTR11_______________________ON
HTR11A______________________OFF
HTR12Fault___________________NO
HTR12_______________________ON
HTR12A______________________OFF
HTR21_______________________ON
HTR21A______________________OFF
HTRFAULT____________________NO
HTR22_______________________ON
HTR22A______________________OFF
HTRFault_____________________NO
HTRX1_______________________OFF
HTRX2_______________________OFF
CASEGND____________________-0.134
DTC Count____________________1


[FUEL]

Fuel LvlINP(v)____________________2.02
Fuel LvlINP(%)___________________60
FP (%)__________________________100.00
Fuel Tank Prs____________________2.84
TPREL(v)________________________0.99
FPFault_________________________NO
FPMoniter_______________________ON

[Transmission]

TCC(%)__________________________0
ElecPrsctrl_______________________179
EPC(v)__________________________9.09
Outsftsp(RPM)____________________0
TCCMACT_______________________14
TPNFluidtmp(v)___________________1.81
TFT(°C)__________________________51


[EMISSIONS]

EGRVR(%)__________________________0
EVAPCV(%)_________________________0
TPREL(v)___________________________0.99
Air Moniter________________________OFF
EGRFOPEN_________________________NO
EGRFSHORT________________________NO
EVAPVM___________________________OFF
EVAPCM(%)________________________0.0
FTP(v)_____________________________2.84
FTFFAULT__________________________NO

[DRIVEABILITY]

RPM______________________________736
DTC COUNT________________________1
TP(v)____________________________0.99
LOAD(%)_________________________15
BARO(kpo)_________________________78
BARO(hz)__________________________138
ECT(°C)____________________________78
ECT(v)_____________________________0.89
IAC(%)_____________________________29
IAT(v)_____________________________2.61
IAT(°C)____________________________29
O2S11(mv)_________________________732
O2S21(mv)_________________________728
LFTRIM1(%)________________________11
LFTRIM2(%)________________________9
SFTRIM1(%)________________________0
SFTRIM2(%)_________________________1
O2S12(mv)_________________________747
O2S22(mv)_________________________712
FUELPW1(ms)_______________________4.4
FUELPW2(ms)_______________________4.3
MAF(gmls)__________________________4.85
MAF(v)_____________________________0.95
FUEL STATUS________________________CL
SPKADV(v)__________________________0.98
EVAPPRGFLW(v)_____________________0.35
RPMDES____________________________656
THRPOSMODE________________________C/T
VBATT(v)___________________________13.8
VEHSIDSASR_________________________0
CASeGND(v)_________________________-0.124
IACFAULT____________________________NO
LOOP_______________________________CLSD
MISFIRE_____________________________NO
OCTADJ_____________________________CLSD

 

I would lean toward the converter on bank 2 .I hate to put it this way, but I could be half wrong. The rich condition at bank 2 tells me that there is not enough oxygen there to complete the burn in the cyls there. It would help if you could also provide the data at 2500 rpm. Can you do that?

 

[O2 Sensors]



RPM__________________________2548

Loop__________________________CLSD

O2S11(mV)_____________________839

O2S21(mV)_____________________86

O2S12(mV)_____________________824

O2S22(mV)_____________________746

SFTrim1(%)_____________________0

SFTrim2(%)_____________________-2

LFTrim1(%)_____________________-1

LFTrim2(%)______________________1

FuelPw1(mS)____________________3.8

FuelPw2(mS)____________________3.6

Ho2S11(mA)____________________512

Ho2S12(mA)____________________914

Ho2S21(mA)____________________477

Ho2S22________________________922

HTR11_________________________ON

HTR11A________________________OFF

HTR11Fault_____________________NO

HTR12_________________________ON
HTR12A________________________OFF

HTR12 Fault_____________________NO

HTR21_________________________ON
HTR21A________________________OFF

HTR21Fault_____________________NO

HTR22_________________________ON
HTR22A________________________OFF
HTR22Fault_____________________NO

HTRX1_________________________OFF

HTRX2_________________________OFF

CASeGND(v)___________­_________-0.183

DCT COUNT_____________________3

ECT(°C)_________________________77

LOAD(%)________________________15

TP(v)___________________________1.23



[Fuel]



RPM_______________________________2468

DTC Count__________________________3

TP(v)_______________________________1.20

LOAD(%)____________________________15

IAT(°C)_____________________________34

O2S11(mV)__________________________71

O2S21(mV)__________________________674

LFTrim1(%)__________________________0

LFTrim2(%)_____________________________2

SFTrim1(%)_____________________________6

SFTrim2(%)_____________________________-4

O2S12(mV)_____________________________790

O2S22(mV)_____________________________769

FuelPW1_______________________________3.3

FuelPW2_______________________________3.2

MAF(v)________________________________1.73

MAF(gn/s)______________________________14.41

FuelStatus______________________________CL

SPRKADV(°)_____________________________33

FuellvlInp(v)____________________________1.21

FuellvlInp(%)____________________________33

FP(%)_________________________________100.00

Fuel TankPRS(v)_________________________2.80

RPM DES_______________________________656

TPREL(v)________________________________.98

thrPosmode_____________________________P/T

Casegnd(v)_____________________________-0.173

FPFault________________________________NO

FPmoniter______________________________ON
IACFAULT______________________________NO
INMANRUNCTRL_________________________OFF



[Emissions]



RPM________________________________2440

DTC_________________________________

ECT(v)_______________________________.84

ECT(°C)______________________________80

IAC(%)_______________________________43

IAT(V)_______________________________2.51

IAT(°C)______________________________31

DPFE(v)______________________________.94

EGRV(%)_____________________________0

EVAPCV(%)___________________________0

EVAPPrgFlw(v)________________________.39

RPMDES_____________________________650

TPREL(v)_____________________________.98

ThrPosMode_________________________P/T

DriveCount__________________________148

TripCount___________________________0

CASeGND(v)__________________________-0.173

Airmoniter___________________________OFF

EGRFOPEN___________________________NO
EGRFSHORT__________________________NO
EVAPCP______________________________OFF
EVAPCVFAULT_________________________NO
EVAPPVM(%)__________________________100.00

FTP(v)________________________________2.80

FTFAULT______________________________NO
IACFAULT_____________________________NO
Inmanctrl_____________________________OFF
INJ(1-6)FAULT__________________________NO

LOOP_________________________________CLSD
OCT ADJ_______________________________CLSD

Misfire________________________________NO
TRIP__________________________________NO



[DRIVEABILITY]



RPM________________________________2667

DTCCount___________________________3

TP(v)________________________________1.23

LOAD(%)_____________________________16

BARO(KPA)___________________________81

BARO(Hz)____________________________141

ECT(°C)______________________________79

ECT(v)_______________________________0.86

IAC(%)_______________________________42

IAT(v)________________________________2.97

IAT(°C)_______________________________21

O2S21(mV)___________________________568

O2S22(mV)___________________________783

LFTRIM1(%)___________________________-2

LFTRIM2(%)___________________________0

SFTRIM1(%)___________________________2

SFTRIM2(%)___________________________4

O2S12(mV)____________________________511

O2S22(mV)____________________________516

FuelPW1(MS)__________________________3.2

FuelPW2(MS)__________________________3.2

MAF(gm/s)____________________________16.16

MAF(v)_______________________________1.84

SPRKADV(°)____________________________35

EVAPPRGFLW(v)________________________.34

DPE(v)________________________________.93

RPMDES_______________________________656

VBATT(v)______________________________13.3

CaseGND(v)____________________________-0.183











[Transmission]



RPM____________________________2664

DTCCount_______________________3

TP(v)____________________________1.23

ECT(°)___________________________78

TCC(%)__________________________0

ELECPRSctrl(KPA)__________________176

EPC(v)___________________________8.74

Outsftsp(RPM)____________________0

FCCACT(RPM)_____________________

TCCMACT(RPM)____________________8

Trnfluidtmp(v)_____________________1.90

TFT(°)____________________________48

Gear_____________________________1st

Transrange________________________P/N

Transrange_D______________________0000

Transrange(v)______________________.01

TurbspdS(RPM)_____________________2672

ShiftS11___________________________ON

ShiftS2____________________________OFF

ShiftS3____________________________OFF