rough idle

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Jul 9, 2003 | 09:14 AM

acetrebo

Thread Starter

5th Wheeling

Joined: Jul 2003

Posts: 42

Likes: 0

From: Ohio

rough idle

Hey all. looking for some troubleshooting tips for a 2000 Expedition 4x4.
I have had it for about 2 weeks, has ran like a champ, then the other day it started to run rough. Nothing real major, but can tell that the idle is not steady and running a little higher rpm than normal.
Also seems to have lost a fair amount of power, and accerleration is not smooth like it was before.

Would replacing the fuel filter be a good place to start on this?
The check engine light was on, but i reset the computer as I looked at a few components (air filter, MAF). My instructions said to disconnect the negative battery cable before working on...

Any ideas or similar experiences on this would be much appreciated!

Jul 9, 2003 | 09:43 AM

buzzard

Logistics Pro

Joined: Oct 2000

Posts: 3,960

Likes: 5

From: All over Texas

rough idle

These engines are a little temperamental. Yes, the fuel filter is a good start (especially if you just bought it used), but your problem could be caused by a number of other components. In fact, it might just be a bad tank of gas. If your check engine light came on, then you should have some codes stored in the PCM. Get a code reader or take it to Autozone and have them read the codes. This is a much more systematic approach than guessing.

Good Luck.

Jul 9, 2003 | 09:46 AM

Bobby Reynolds

Freshman User

Joined: Jun 2003

Posts: 29

Likes: 0

From: South Carolina

rough idle

Where can we buy a code reader? What exactly do we need to ask for when getting one? How much to they cost?

Jul 9, 2003 | 09:55 AM

acetrebo

Thread Starter

5th Wheeling

Joined: Jul 2003

Posts: 42

Likes: 0

From: Ohio

rough idle

Thanks.
Forgot to mention, 5.4 v8 engine, pushing 60K.

I saw code readers at Advance Autoparts for about $150.

Jul 9, 2003 | 09:56 AM

buzzard

Logistics Pro

Joined: Oct 2000

Posts: 3,960

Likes: 5

From: All over Texas

rough idle

Quote:

Originally posted by Bobby Reynolds
Where can we buy a code reader? What exactly do we need to ask for when getting one? How much to they cost?

Try a Google search of obdii and you'll find plenty of readers and insight into them. They start around $150 and I'm sure go to $15,000 or more for shop style computer diagnostic machines. I got the Superchip tuner which also reads codes.

Jul 9, 2003 | 11:24 PM

BigMattXXL

Postmaster

Joined: May 2002

Posts: 3,028

Likes: 1

From: Annapolis, Maryland

rough idle

You might have a slight vacuum leak - there's a hose assembly towards the rear of the passenger side of the engine that tends to rot and cause rough idling. May be worth checking it.

Also, you might have a coil pack that's just starting to go bad, but not bad enough to trip a code. The #4 is a notorious for blowing up due to a leaky coolant hose in some of these vehicles.

Keep us posted!

XXL

Jul 10, 2003 | 07:38 AM

Phil056

Senior User

Joined: Feb 2003

Posts: 206

Likes: 0

From: Long Island, NY

rough idle

Just a quick question,
Is the #4 the second plug on the passenger side from the front of the engine? I wanted to check and see if mine is still tight or if it's ready to launch through my hood

Thanks,
Phil

Trending Topics

64 and 63 f100 4x4s

44

976
BREAKING: Ford Drops 6.8L V8 and Standard 6.7L Power Stroke from 2027...

231

17.2k
Looking at ordering an F-250. Questions on what I should be able to get...

25

822
Death Wobble Help

23

328
This is prolly a 1 page thread at most

110.1k

6.0M

Jul 16, 2003 | 09:15 AM

acetrebo

Thread Starter

5th Wheeling

Joined: Jul 2003

Posts: 42

Likes: 0

From: Ohio

rough idle

Hey all, just wnated to follow up on the resolution of this problem.
The problem was that somehow I got moisture in the coils on cylinders 1 and 2. We have had a lot of bad storms since I bought it a few weeks ago, so I guess that was the cause.
Anyway, I had the coils and plugs replaced (for a hefty fee) and the problem was fixed for about a day. The darn dealer repacked the rest of the coils supposedly, but the next day I got a misfire in cylinder 3!
I decided to pull the coil and plug out myself (was pretty easy) and cleaned, repacked with dielectric grease, and re-installed.
This fixed the problem.
I found this very easy to do, except it would be a lot harder to get to #4 or #8 if you had to.
Thanks for all the replies to this post. This forum is great!