I have an 03 explorer 4L sohc. I bought it used in September of 14. About 2 months later I had injectors stuck open which washed out the cylinders and engine was replaced. Also at that time, the catalytic converters and 02 sensors were replaced. Shortly thereafter the injectors on that engine stuck open as well and those were all replaced before the engine was damaged. It continued to have issues. It would crank and crank when starting. Took it to a shop and they were unable to find anything difinitively wrong with it. The check engine light was on but the codes it was throwing didn't make sense for what the vehicle was doing (hard crank) but I don't remember what the codes were for. After that, the fuel pump, crank sensor, coil pack were all replaced but still having a cranking issue. My boyfirend who is a mechanic has also done plenty of computer diagnostics with no answers. With no diagnosis to fix anything, fast forward to last week, I went to start it and it blew up. Once the smoke cleared, it became very apparent that the left valve cover exploded. Any input on the why would we greatly appreciated. This happened out of town and the vehicle was supposed to be trailered home for me but the guy took it two hours away so my boyfriend can't even go through the motor and the mechanic who looked at it has the dealers I got it from under the impression that it was error on my part and more specifically not changing the oil (which had been kept up on but the sticker was old and they told me the oil was black) so they don't want to work with me now either. So any answers on what could cause that valve cover to explode would be very helpful. I've done some research and found that the plastic in the timing chain breaks loose causing it to jump time and blow them off. I told the mechanic that and I don't know if he just didn't listen because "I'm a girl and don't know what I'm talking about" or if there are other causes. Please help.

 

Sorry to hear all your troubles.

This should be in the Explorer forum, but for now let's just try to figure things out.

It is possible to blow a valve cover apart with fuel in the crankcase going off. It does not take much gas to make a nice big pop. Usually, there is no source of ignition in the crankcase unless there is a hole in a piston which would allow the spark plug to ignite air/fuel in the cylinder, which in turn would blow into the crankcase. It's not impossible, but it's a question mark.

Has anyone looked closely at the cam chain and sprocket? Is it intact?

Codes? What were they? A code may have several causes. Experienced, knowledgeable mechanics know how to trace those down.

The repeated failure of injectors points to something missed prior to the engine failure and certainly at the time of engine replacement.

Failure to do an oil change would not result in the valve cover issue. It will shorten engine life and lead to the chain failures, but that takes more than one missed change.

If you wanted in hauled home, why was it taken somewhere else? Who authorized that?

You have enough troubles here to keep a Dear Abby column going for a year. Find out about getting back home, then we can move on.

Whoever has been trying to diagnose this and reading codes needs to STOP working on cars and bone up on "how to". Boyfriend included.

 

Sorry about the incorrect placement...it took me forever to figure out how to post at all :/ as far as the cam chain and sprocket...all I can get out of the mechanic who has it now is "something came apart in the timing" and it took forever to get that.
As far as codes go, it was a very knowledgeable and experienced licensed mechanic that pulled those codes. He gave an explanation as to why they didn't make sense, but I don't recall what the codes were or what his explanation was because that has been about a year ago. The injectors...as far as I am aware, nothing was missed with those. I got the truck and 2 months later the issues started which happened to be the injectors but by the time I got it in to have it diagnosed, the cylinders were washed out. The injectors on the replacement engine stuck as well and after replacement of those, no more issues with injectors. (The replacement engine was used with 53,000 on it and they were fine until a couple months after the engine replacement). As for hauling it to the incorrect town...the place I bought the vehicle from set up the transport and didn't give me the guys contact info. They gave him mine but when he got there to get it he didn't call me like they expected he would to get details for transport so he took it to the main office for the place I got it from...which is 2 hours from my house. I did however find a tsb for explorers up to year 2002 about timing chain guides breaking and causing them to jump time and blow valve covers. Trying to track down what the engine came out of to know if it falls into the models for the tsb but no luck with that yet. I've seen a few things that sound like it may have affected 03 models as well but I haven't done any digging to confirm that.

 

There was an issue with tensioners and guides. Since this is a used engine and it's now possibly blown up, the TSB isn't going to help.

So your vehicle is at the headquarters of the company you bought it from? Is that the location you bought it from?

The guy towing made the decision to take it there?

Where do you want it at this point? What do they say about it being towed there in contrast to your wishes?

 

I was only trying to figure out the tsb part as proof that it was an issue with those engines not error on my part as they were trying to say. It is not the location I bought it from, I bought it from my local location which is two hours from the headqusrters. Someone from headquarters made contact with a guy to tow it. The guy agreed to do it. She asked if I wanted it to go to a particular shop. I said yes fleese enterprise in traverse city. She blew it off and said she would let me work that out with him. He backed out and she made contact with another person who agreed to do it. She gave him my info and contacted me to let me know that he was going to leave after lunch and he would call me when he got there so we could work out the details. He never called and she never gave me his info. (I know I should have asked for it....kicking myself in the *** for it). And since the person from headquarters is who called him he defaulted to take it to that location since they didn't tell him where to take it. So then it went to their default shop next door.Their response to it is, "I listened to the recorded conversation and you never said it was going to traverse city" which in that particular conversation I didn't because she told me to work it out with him but I did tell her in a previous conversation. It's all a big mess. Basically I was just trying to get answers as to why the valve cover could explode because they were trying to tell me it was my error and I didn't change my oil so they didn't want to work with me and all all I've gotten out to that mechanic is "something came apart in the timing and when you start getting into all that they just don't run right so the best option is engine replacement". It's definitely more than timing though because oil poured out the bottom when it blew.

 

I don't know how to resolve the towing issue. Without looking at the engine it's hard to know, but if it blew the oil pan or front cover too, then it could the the chain.

Those engines are known to have this problem. If they put a used engine in without new guides and tensioners, then they made an error in my opinion.

And yes, I see where you are going with the TSB.

Frankly, depending on how much money you are into this thing, I think you might need a lawyer.

Someone needs to sort the whole thing out in person, in the shop where the vehicle is. Gather your facts, papers, receipts, records of phone calls etc. Make a time line of events, including the oil change you talked about.

Good luck.

 

Thank you for your input. As much as it sucks and is irresponsible, I'm leaning towards voluntary repo. My son has a few chronic illnesses that require frequent medical care and ive already been without a vehicle for 10 days. My main focus is getting a reliable vehicle and I've already paid more than double the blue book on it.
Its definitely not my first choice but I think at the current moment my money would be better spent on a down payment on something newer rather than an engine and either labor for that shop or renting a trailer to get it back home and having my boyfriend do it. (And being without a vehicle even longer) Unfortunately I was going through a divorce and didn't have credit so they get you on interest and without all the extra crap that's happened, I will end up paying about 12,000 for it. Unfortunately, I'm not financially able to maintain the payment on it plus repair costs, plus a new vehicle or renting or whatever to be able to get my kids to and from school (out of district so no bus) and doctors appointments. And I don't know that a lawyer would do any good unless this would fall under lemon law (which I have no clue what that is at all, it was mentioned to me and I haven't looked into it) because it's not under warranty anymore. They are technically not responsible for fixing it but they were willing to work with me but then decided they weren't going to because "it was my error" and I was trying to prove otherwise so they would hopefully keep their agreement to work with me so I could maintain the contract I am in. (Sorry for all the extra personal situation rant...but I know it's irresponsible and feel like I should explain)

 

Well I see where you are coming from. The "voluntary repo" thing can bite you in the credit department. If there is a way to resolve this with them without going broke or getting stuck paying for a vehicle you don't have, see if you can do that. It's not a big money case, but if you went through a divorce, you had an attorney for that right? Maybe a phone call or two would do the trick,. That might not cost much.

Going back to the "your fault" thing. Do you have proof of a timely oil change? I owned a '98 4.0 SOHC and they don't blow up because one or two oil changes are a little overdue.

Good luck.

 

No lawyer for the divorce, it was pretty cut and dry and we agreed on everything. And place I got it from finally called me but the only thing they will do is what they call a side loan where they pay for the repair work but I have to pay it on top of my current loan....I'm assuming at the same 23% interest. I've definitely thought about the reprocussions of a voluntary repo but 15,000+ for a 2,400 bluebook is ridiculous. I have no record of oil changes because my boyfriend did them and we didn't keep the reciepts for anything. They are going off the old sticker from when the engine was replaced.

 

There's no such thing as a "voluntary" repo, the consequences are exactly the same!

They will sell it at auction and then go after you for the difference, which will be a lot. Then eventually they will get a judge to sign a court order and start garnishing wages. If there's a co-signer to the loan they of course will have been going after them too all this time.

 

I understand that the consequences are exactly the same. It's definitely not my first choice, but I can't continue paying almost 400 a month for a vehicle that doesn't run plus be able to find a new vehicle. Unfortunately have to take the hit to my credit. And once I get back to work...which I can't do without a vehicle, I will pay on it. I never had a problem paying the original amount...it was frustrating because it was excessive but it was buy here pay here and that's what they do and that was a choice I made...but I was not going to dump another 3,000 into it.