Big Brian
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when was the last time you changed spark plugs etc?
aslo what is a "big 3 wire upgrade?"
aslo what is a "big 3 wire upgrade?"
Low voltage and then stalling out.
- Thread starter DeeeePIMPact
- Start date
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DeeeePIMPact
Active Member
I changed all the plugs and the coils on bank 1 & 2 about 1 year ago. Big 3 upgrade is I upgraded the grounds from the battery to the chassis and the ground to alternator all 0 gauge along with the power wire from Battery to alternator all 0 gauge.
Is the tensioner pulley suppose to move up and down a little? I never paid enough attention before...
Is the tensioner pulley suppose to move up and down a little? I never paid enough attention before...
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Big Brian
Full Access Members
not really sure what you mean my move up and down a little but no, it should be tight. With the different alternator maybe the belt is different? Are the alt pulleys the same?
one thing we used to do when I did this for a living (when alts has external fan blades on them) was to try to spin the alt pulley buy pushing on the blade. You should not be able to turn it
maybe you could try putting a socket on the alt pulley nut and see if you can move the shaft easily?
I don't know, just throwing ideas out there from cyberspace
I would also be checking thoroughly for a vacuum leak as has been suggested.
one thing we used to do when I did this for a living (when alts has external fan blades on them) was to try to spin the alt pulley buy pushing on the blade. You should not be able to turn it
maybe you could try putting a socket on the alt pulley nut and see if you can move the shaft easily?
I don't know, just throwing ideas out there from cyberspace
I would also be checking thoroughly for a vacuum leak as has been suggested.
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DeeeePIMPact
Active Member
mileage is around 149,000. I cleaned the MAF sensor but not the throttle body or MAF. I have never bought a new idle air controller. Nor a air cleaner. I just replaced all the plugs and the coil packs on bank 1 & 2. I wouldn't think I got bad gas but I don't know... I just ran a bottle of seafoam through the gas tank about 3 or 4 tanks ago. I cleaned the MAF sensor today and the problem went away for a couple minutes.
You guys think I should get some carb cleaner and clean the throttle body? Is there a way to check if the idle air controller is good?
I have no way to find vacuum leaks other than by ear and honestly I don't have enough experience in that area to determine if I have a vacuum leak or not.
Going out to the truck to try to spin the alternator bolt now...
THANK YOU ALL for ALL the help!! I know that a rough idle is hard to diagnose through the internet and I appreciate your guys time and patience! Thinking it might be best for me to take a video and post it?
I have a catalytic converter cleaner in the fuel system now... because of the check engine codes P0420 & P0430 AND I am hearing some rattling coming from the catalytic converter area under the truck that seems to almost match the fluctuation of the voltage if that makes sense...
I am going out now to spin the alternator bolt. Would a tensioner that is this hard to tell if it's bad or not actually cause a rough idle like this?
You guys think I should get some carb cleaner and clean the throttle body? Is there a way to check if the idle air controller is good?
I have no way to find vacuum leaks other than by ear and honestly I don't have enough experience in that area to determine if I have a vacuum leak or not.
Going out to the truck to try to spin the alternator bolt now...
THANK YOU ALL for ALL the help!! I know that a rough idle is hard to diagnose through the internet and I appreciate your guys time and patience! Thinking it might be best for me to take a video and post it?
I have a catalytic converter cleaner in the fuel system now... because of the check engine codes P0420 & P0430 AND I am hearing some rattling coming from the catalytic converter area under the truck that seems to almost match the fluctuation of the voltage if that makes sense...
I am going out now to spin the alternator bolt. Would a tensioner that is this hard to tell if it's bad or not actually cause a rough idle like this?
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DeeeePIMPact
Active Member
okay the alternator bolt wouldn't move. I cleaned out the throttle body and found a lose tube in doing so. Still rough idle...
While I was trying to listen for a vacuum leak, I did hear what to me sounded like a huge vacuum leak even after plugging in the tube that was just hanging there after cleaning the throttle body.... The vacuum leak sounds as if it's coming from the top end somewhere.
While I was looking at the catalytic converter I notice I have white smoke coming out of the exhaust.... I smelled the exhaust and did smell kind of sweet AND I did find that my coolant was low... I just topped it off recently in the last month after doing a coolant flush using prestone flush ...
I am fearing the worst, a head gasket.... I also did notice when I changed the spark plugs last year that there was what seemed to be coolant in bank 1 and 2 ie why I changed out the coil packs for both those banks.
Is there a way to determine if it's a head gasket or hopefully just a intake manifold leak?
While I was trying to listen for a vacuum leak, I did hear what to me sounded like a huge vacuum leak even after plugging in the tube that was just hanging there after cleaning the throttle body.... The vacuum leak sounds as if it's coming from the top end somewhere.
While I was looking at the catalytic converter I notice I have white smoke coming out of the exhaust.... I smelled the exhaust and did smell kind of sweet AND I did find that my coolant was low... I just topped it off recently in the last month after doing a coolant flush using prestone flush ...
I am fearing the worst, a head gasket.... I also did notice when I changed the spark plugs last year that there was what seemed to be coolant in bank 1 and 2 ie why I changed out the coil packs for both those banks.
Is there a way to determine if it's a head gasket or hopefully just a intake manifold leak?
DeeeePIMPact
Active Member
My thinking is spray carb or brake cleaner around bank 1 and 2 and see if the idle goes higher?
I apologize for taking so long on my responses the rain is non-stop today and I can't get my stiches wet even a little so I've been trying to layer up and go out for a couple minutes at a time when it slows down.
FYI I JUST changed my oil in the last month also... First I did 5w-20 and mixed it with mystery oil... I ran that for 2 fuel tanks and then like 2 weeks ago I put in 10w-30 with a bottle of Lucas Treatment changing the filter each time...
The oil was straight black both times coming out... Hope that helps.
I apologize for taking so long on my responses the rain is non-stop today and I can't get my stiches wet even a little so I've been trying to layer up and go out for a couple minutes at a time when it slows down.
FYI I JUST changed my oil in the last month also... First I did 5w-20 and mixed it with mystery oil... I ran that for 2 fuel tanks and then like 2 weeks ago I put in 10w-30 with a bottle of Lucas Treatment changing the filter each time...
The oil was straight black both times coming out... Hope that helps.
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stamp11127
Full Access Members
If this was my vehicle I would concentrate on the possible head gasket issue. There are test strips to test for coolant in the exhaust system and a different set that tests for combustion gasses in the cooling system.
If you have to tear down the upper end it will give you better access to hoses and vac lines.
If you have to tear down the upper end it will give you better access to hoses and vac lines.
DeeeePIMPact
Active Member
I agree, determining whether I have a intake leak or head gasket leak is my primary focus now and I am going to worry about the possible tensioner and possible catalytic converter problems later.
I found these test strips on the advance auto website. Are these what you are referring to? Also, if I read everything correctly these test strips can test for coolant in the exhaust AND combustion gasses in the cooling system?
link: (https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p...e-coo311519/22981647-P?searchTerm=test+strips)
I have already purchased a intake manifold a couple months back (Nov) because when I did the spark plugs and 2 of the coils; there was 2 of the screws that held the coils to the manifold stripped out. I just haven't had a chance to get the gaskets for the intake manifold. I have also in the past have had error codes P0171 and P0174 but the codes went away after I changed the spark plugs and put in all 4 o2 sensors so I assumed the problem went away also...
1 other thing I observed after the rain had stopped is that there seems to be water coming out of the exhaust pipe... At first I thought it was rain but the water never stopped coming out of the exhaust even after the car had been running for a while.
I guess my next step is to get these strips and take it from there. I just wanted to confirm these were the strips you were referring to and that they could test for both conditions you described.
Thank you for all the great help!
I found these test strips on the advance auto website. Are these what you are referring to? Also, if I read everything correctly these test strips can test for coolant in the exhaust AND combustion gasses in the cooling system?
link: (https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p...e-coo311519/22981647-P?searchTerm=test+strips)
I have already purchased a intake manifold a couple months back (Nov) because when I did the spark plugs and 2 of the coils; there was 2 of the screws that held the coils to the manifold stripped out. I just haven't had a chance to get the gaskets for the intake manifold. I have also in the past have had error codes P0171 and P0174 but the codes went away after I changed the spark plugs and put in all 4 o2 sensors so I assumed the problem went away also...
1 other thing I observed after the rain had stopped is that there seems to be water coming out of the exhaust pipe... At first I thought it was rain but the water never stopped coming out of the exhaust even after the car had been running for a while.
I guess my next step is to get these strips and take it from there. I just wanted to confirm these were the strips you were referring to and that they could test for both conditions you described.
Thank you for all the great help!
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DeeeePIMPact
Active Member
Okay I found I see the difference now between the test strips:
(https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p...e-coo311519/22981647-P?searchTerm=test+strips)
and the combustion leak tester:
(https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p...-75500/25961533-P?searchTerm=lisle+combustion)
(https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p...e-coo311519/22981647-P?searchTerm=test+strips)
and the combustion leak tester:
(https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p...-75500/25961533-P?searchTerm=lisle+combustion)
DeeeePIMPact
Active Member
oddly enough, I just went out and ran the truck and the rough idling is gone?! Guessing the temp might have something to do with the rough idle? I still have white smoke but no water coming from the exhaust. I even took it down to the same gas station hard and fast there and back and still couldn't get it to duplicate the problem. The temp didn't even get up to the halfway point.....
confusing... I guess I'll try the same thing in the AM and post the results. I still want to do the combustion leak test at least...
Maybe you guys could help me understand that test though.... From what I saw on most of the tests the tester fits over the radiator cap of the car. The Expedition of course doesn't have a radiator cap just the reservoir cap and from what I've seen most of these testers don't look like they would even come close to fitting onto the reservoir container.
Am I missing something?
confusing... I guess I'll try the same thing in the AM and post the results. I still want to do the combustion leak test at least...
Maybe you guys could help me understand that test though.... From what I saw on most of the tests the tester fits over the radiator cap of the car. The Expedition of course doesn't have a radiator cap just the reservoir cap and from what I've seen most of these testers don't look like they would even come close to fitting onto the reservoir container.
Am I missing something?
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