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My co-worker has a 98 Exploer with a 4.0 and an automatic and 89k on the meter.
While driving the thing hesitates like an old car with a bad condensor. It happens the most when you put a low rpm load on it.
There are no engine code lights. I pluged on a Snap-on scanner and nothing comes up. We have replaced the spark plugs. The wires seem ok. The fuel filter has been replaced. The fuel pressure is good.
I am the owner of the explorer in question. (Just recently registered so I can post.) The egr sensor has been replaced. This did not correct the problem - got worse since the post. I've taken plugs out-look okay; looked at the iac, valve moves; pcv rattles. There is no check engine light and no codes stored in the pcm. All KOER and KOEO tests say everything checks out. Hesitation is negligible during moderate accels on flat roads. Going up a foothill or hard accels, there can be a bucking or surging with a constant pedal force. Just started noticing some pinging/detonation going up the large hills and over 70 mph. One thought is the mixture is lean, but temp gauge doesn't appear abnormal.
Any suggestions?
How old are the plug wires?Even though they look OK they could be the culprit.You might check them with an ohm meter and see if any of them are way out of range of the others.I think they should be around 5-8 k resistance per foot if I remember right.Someone else here may know the correct range.
Last edited by Critter92X; Feb 22, 2007 at 10:50 PM.
The plug wires are original eguipment - so about 8.5 to 9 years old. I can get some OEM plug wires for about $40 so I thought about trying that. After reading some posts, I also thought about trying to clean the MAF.
How do I determine if the cat is clogged? I don't seem to notice the surging/hesitation as much when the rpms are high, greater than 3500, but since the knocking/pinging has shown up, I don't really like to operate up there.
With it being the original plug wires I would go ahead and change them out,it couldn't hurt.It really sounds like the wires may be your trouble but I would clean the MAF also,I clean mine about once a year.The wires might not be the problem but after 90k/9 years they've served you well and then you could look elsewhere if you still have trouble.