cold weather trouble!
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Joined: Feb 2004
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From: northwest
cold weather trouble!
ok, i dont know if its a coincidence, but since it started to get into the 30's and 40's here, my van started acting wierd.
first there was a wierd whislting chirping kind of noise that went away when belt dressing was applied, then came back a few mins later.
the belt is in perfect shape.
the sound seems to come from the PS pump pulley, but the PS is full and works ok. the noise is more annoying than anything. but i hear cars all the time that sound that way. we all have heard a car that makes that "swish swish swish swish" noise.
thats no biggy though, it seems minor compared to the problems i have at startup recently now!
the van starts just fine. but idles rough and when i rev it it seems like its missing. when driven, it chugs for about 2 or 3 blocks, then its fine all day. its fine so long as its warm outside, or if the van has been driven recently. but cold starts after it sits all night, its disturbing. i dont want it to get worse! would a tune up solve this?
first there was a wierd whislting chirping kind of noise that went away when belt dressing was applied, then came back a few mins later.
the belt is in perfect shape.
the sound seems to come from the PS pump pulley, but the PS is full and works ok. the noise is more annoying than anything. but i hear cars all the time that sound that way. we all have heard a car that makes that "swish swish swish swish" noise.
thats no biggy though, it seems minor compared to the problems i have at startup recently now!
the van starts just fine. but idles rough and when i rev it it seems like its missing. when driven, it chugs for about 2 or 3 blocks, then its fine all day. its fine so long as its warm outside, or if the van has been driven recently. but cold starts after it sits all night, its disturbing. i dont want it to get worse! would a tune up solve this?
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In the fall of 2001 my 1990 3.0 ltr. extended was doing this on either cold mornings or rainy mornings. After further inspection it ended up being a cracked distributor cap and a bad wire. On cold mornings moisture gets into these areas and after the part is heated up the moisture simply dries out. I would recommend a new cap, new wires, new rotor bug and new plugs. The manual always call for the tires to be removed. I simply went throught the wheel well opening with the passenger side tire maxed out and did the same thing for the drivers side. One other note. The 3.0's if your's is one, the rear plug wire on the distributor cap always lifts up about an quarter of an inch. It will cause an intermintant miss as well. See Ya Boz
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From: northwest
i forgot to mention that this is a 4.0 E4wd. oops!
does the 4.0 have a dist cap and rotor? i never looked! mainly cuz tha van has ran flawless all year.
this morning was terrible, sputtered like mad for 3 blocks, then went away. if i let it sit for several mins i get the same result, personally id rather just get on my way and have the van run like crap for a few blocks than waste 5 mins going nowhere!
so, ill look at that and see about cracks. thanks.
does the 4.0 have a dist cap and rotor? i never looked! mainly cuz tha van has ran flawless all year.
this morning was terrible, sputtered like mad for 3 blocks, then went away. if i let it sit for several mins i get the same result, personally id rather just get on my way and have the van run like crap for a few blocks than waste 5 mins going nowhere!
so, ill look at that and see about cracks. thanks.
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My 4.0 is an 94. I believe yours is distributorless like mine. In place of the ol dist. Ford installed in its place a coil pack. you can view it under the hood more off to the pas. side of the bock just under the firewall lip where your plug wires run to it. Check your connections there. New this thing might run a bunch. I bought one for 5 at the junk yrad down here. I'll let you in on a lil secret. My experience the other day. I had to check on my horn connections so I took out my whole air cleaner assembly all the way to the fuel injection plenum. When I put it back in I had forgotten to reconnect the map sensor (electrical plug just in front of the air cleaner box). My van was stumbling all over itself.
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From: northwest
ok, so its distributorless. what now?
i'll double check the maf to see if its loose. looked at the engine compartment in the dark while it was running and saw no sparks flying around anywhere.
tune up time??
i'll double check the maf to see if its loose. looked at the engine compartment in the dark while it was running and saw no sparks flying around anywhere.
tune up time??
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From: northwest
YAY! i found it!
the problem reared its head today. on start up i heard a ticking noise that happened every time the van stumbled or sputtered.
i pooped the hood, and found the sound coming from the lower passenger side of the motor. I took a peak in the wheel well and saw lightning shoot from the middle plug wire to the front plug wire over and over again.
so, its either pulgs or wires. I got Autolite double platinum plugs and the best wires the parts store sells with a lifetime warranty ( I forgot the name, but they have the nascar logo on em).
so now im going to TRY and find a mechanic who will put them in for me tomorrow. so i can go to washington and be with my family for christmas. but now im wondering what shop is going to install my parts. lol. oh well.
any ideas?
the problem reared its head today. on start up i heard a ticking noise that happened every time the van stumbled or sputtered.
i pooped the hood, and found the sound coming from the lower passenger side of the motor. I took a peak in the wheel well and saw lightning shoot from the middle plug wire to the front plug wire over and over again.
so, its either pulgs or wires. I got Autolite double platinum plugs and the best wires the parts store sells with a lifetime warranty ( I forgot the name, but they have the nascar logo on em).
so now im going to TRY and find a mechanic who will put them in for me tomorrow. so i can go to washington and be with my family for christmas. but now im wondering what shop is going to install my parts. lol. oh well.
any ideas?
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Joined: Mar 2003
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From: Sarnia, Ontario, CANADA!
I would guess it would be your wires then. Just replace them yourself. It shouldn't be too hard. Just replace them one at a time. Good luck!
-Matt
-Matt
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From: northwest
i got new autolite double platinum plugs, and wires as described above installed today. took the shop 1 1/2 hours and cost me $125 for labor! dayam! the plugs and wires cost me $65 so im in to it for $190 bucks. plus the axle and brakes i just put in last week, my van stole christmas to the tune of $335.
oh well, she deserves it. by the way, the old plugs were NGK brand, and they said probably not the original plugs, but the electrode tips were almost gone down to the insulator, and the the L shaped tips were pretty eaten up. not oily or burnt, just had an orange residue on them, and about a 1/4 gap! yes, nearly 1/4 INCH!
but on a better note. all and I mean ALL other symtoms ijn the van cleared up. no more jerking in and out of OD on the freeway. I think when the engine would miss at freeway speed, the tranny would drop down a gear, then back up etc as the engine missed and sputtered.
it feels like a V8 now, like ive been running on 4 cylinders for the past year when i got the new rig. it will really throw you back in the seats now!!
oh well, she deserves it. by the way, the old plugs were NGK brand, and they said probably not the original plugs, but the electrode tips were almost gone down to the insulator, and the the L shaped tips were pretty eaten up. not oily or burnt, just had an orange residue on them, and about a 1/4 gap! yes, nearly 1/4 INCH!
but on a better note. all and I mean ALL other symtoms ijn the van cleared up. no more jerking in and out of OD on the freeway. I think when the engine would miss at freeway speed, the tranny would drop down a gear, then back up etc as the engine missed and sputtered.
it feels like a V8 now, like ive been running on 4 cylinders for the past year when i got the new rig. it will really throw you back in the seats now!!
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