Hello All,

I drive a 4WD '07 V8 Explorer. I've noticed it feels like it's "missing" when I'm driving it. It's like if you were riding a bicycle and the chain slips a little bit intermittently. Also, after stopping, the time between pressing the gas pedal and the engine engaging seems too long. The second thing has been going on a while. Related?

I'm just wondering if anybody has an idea what might be going on.

I've read a couple of threads in this forum regarding mechanics but it seems like the questions were related to special needs, maybe customizations or diesel.

Does anybody recommend a shop in Dallas, just someplace I can trust going forward?

A little bit about me since I'm new to the forum:
I'm an electrical engineer - I love knowing how things work, going back to grade school when I got in trouble for taking my brother's bike completely apart, down to the ball bearings in the wheels. (Notice I didn't take my OWN bike apart, lol).

Last year, the Explorer A/C fan was stuck on high. I was able to find info online (maybe on this site actually) and I replaced the blower's resistor pack myself. If I had more time, I'd tinker a lot more and try doing more stuff myself.

So, my knowledge and experience are pretty limited -- that's why I'm here -- to learn more! Any info is greatly appreciated!

Thanks -- I hope everybody's having a good week out there in the heat!

--Sara

 

hesitation? ry checking ur map sensor and check ur air intake hose. if there are cracks, then u'll need to change out the rubber hose.

unplug ur map sensor, then start the car. if she runs better, then it's the map sensor. replace it.

do u have coil packs on top of ur spark plugs? if so, i'd check them to see if either one is going out.

nice to meet another engineer. i was an aerospace engineer. now i work for xerox. lol. it's alright. it pays the bills and gives me pocket money too. lol.

some things u can do is to take ur car to them auto places. have them load test ur battery and alternator to determine if they're going out or not.

especially the alternator, after u start her up. once the car is started, the alternator takes over. if she's missing and hesitating, it may be the alternator. or even the belt. i'd check tat for taut-ness. look for cuts n nicks n stuff.

hopefully, we're able to point u in the right direction.

oh, and if ur still looking for a good mechanic in dallas area. try "cheezit". he's in the ft worth area, i tink. he's an accomplished mechanic and if u tell him ur with the FTE forum, he's gonna take extra care of u. my truck is sensitive as hell, and i'll only let him touch my baby when i'm in DFW.

all the best to u. send me a pm or post back here if u need more help.

 

Thanks for the info! I will have a look at the things you suggested. I talked to a mechanic close to my office and he said it sounded like the spark plug coils. He also said they wouldn't be able to tell until the chk engine light comes on. The hesitation is pretty subtle most of the time, only noticeable when lightly accelerating in the highest gear. Thanks again for the feedback!

 

MY WAG IS THE TPS

If you have cruise control get it up to the speed it does it at then set teh cruise. If it does not do it any more then more than likely its the TPS.

But it could be your VSS to. The vss can be pulled and cleaned the TPS normally has to be replaced but sometimes it can be fixed and slightly adjusted. Missing can also be injector related.

 

Welcome to FTE Sara, and welcome to the Texas Chapter


I agree, some of what you describe sounds similar to a problem I had with my '03 5.4 and a coil was the fix.
This problem did get worse over time and became easier to diagnose.
If you don't get it fixed right away, keep track of some specifics on when it displays. The "when lightly accelerating in the highest gear" is a good start.
Does your Exp have a tac? Does the problem show in a consistent RPM range? Uphill/downhill? Temperature?
For example, mine consistently displayed near 50 mph at 800-1200 rpm under light acceleration with the engine just beginning to "lug" a little bit as it was coming under a load. Oddly enough, performance coils from Summit were a better deal than what we could buy locally, too, if that would be of interest to you.
As if to go just completely wild goose here, I also had a fuel pump expire on me here a few years ago, and believe it or not, it was kinda similar.

Keep us posted as you progress. Hopefully we can be as helpful as we are curious.

 

Yep. Wat he said. Lol.