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Ford Escape Mazda Tribute Maintenance and Repair

4133 messages,  Last post on Mar 24, 2013 at 5:59 AM

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Messages Page 364 of 414

#3623 of 4133 Intermittent hard start - NOT IAC by bruce48127

Dec 07, 2007 (11:35 am)

I have a 2001 Tribute 3.0L with 70K miles. I have been chasing a hard start problem for months.
Sometimes it will fire within 1 or 2 seconds as it should, other times it will crank for 5 to 10 seconds half a dozen times (sometimes 8 or 10 times) before it fires. It runs great, just dosen't like to start about 25% of the time.
First, yes I have replaced the IAC. As well as the battery, starter relay, cam sensor, and crank sensor. I have been to two Mazda dealers, one Ford dealer and two independents. Lots of guessing. There has never been any mil lights, codes or pending codes. It has been scanned at least a dozen times including koeo and koer.
The Ford dealer thought it was in the PCM and said a Mazda dealer could replace it under warranty (the PCM is covered 8 years/80K miles). However the Mazda dealer replaced the relay, says it starts fine, then suggested "if the problem returns, replace the fuel pump". The problem never went away and the fuel pump tests fine. I believe none of them has fixed the problem, because they have not kept the vehicle long enough to verify the problem and then do a proper diagnosis.
My gut feeling is that this is a contact/corrosion problem, because it is intermittent. This weekend I hope to work through Ford TSB 06-9-3 (connector terminal corrosion).
Has anyone had a similar starting problem that was not the IAC?
Bruce

#3624 of 4133 Unkown hose by grifftr3

Dec 12, 2007 (1:49 pm)

I was under the hood of our 2003 Escape v-6 auto and notice a vaccum hose that appears to be coming from the tranny area but is not connected on the top side.
Flash-light and mirror in hand I looked and looked for a place to connect it but no luck.
Any idea of where this is supposed to go (comes up just to left of battery when facing the engine from front.)
 
thanks
Griff

#3625 of 4133 Re: Unkown hose [grifftr3] by nitrous93

Dec 15, 2007 (8:50 am)

Replying to: grifftr3 (Dec 12, 2007 1:49 pm)
If you are talking about the one that is looped under the throttle body, that is a vent tube, it just vents air pressure from tranny it is perfectly normal . it does NOT hook to anything. Hope this helps!

#3626 of 4133 Re: Intermittent hard start - NOT IAC [bruce48127] by nitrous93

Dec 15, 2007 (9:03 am)

Replying to: bruce48127 (Dec 07, 2007 11:35 am)
You have either 1 or 2 problems. You need to replace Both the EGR "sniffer" and the EGR sensor. They are close to the firewall and come up from the exhaust close to your brake booster on the left side, but on the engine. they look like little flat electrical plug ins coming from a hard metal tube, with a rubber tube on them. The small one is around $30 and the big one is around $70. They get built up with carbon, just like your IAC and it wont let it idle right, and keeps dying. If you replace these unplug your battery for 15 minutes, so your computer can recalibrate the new parts, or else it will still do the same thing, and it still might, for about 30 to 50 miles. If that is not your problem, your second problem could be in the individual coil packs. There is no way of checking them correctly unless you are throwing a check engine light. They get hairline cracks in them and especially when it has been raining or very damp outside, is when they like to act up, because that moisture in the air finds its way to the cracks and breaks the electrical contact. They are expensive. $125.00 x 6. so your best bet is replace one, and if it still does it, put your old one back on and the new one on the next plug, etc... etc... process of elimination. Hopes this helps!

#3627 of 4133 Tribute/Start Idle problem in cold weather by kalee71

Dec 26, 2007 (7:34 pm)

I have a 2001 Tribute LX. I have a consistent problem in the cold weather. Car starts fine, idles normal for about 10 seconds the DROPS down and chugs along horribly. The entire car shakes and you hear all these noises under the hood and it feels as if it is going to stall or worse explode. The only resolution is to sit in car and keep foot on gas, to bring up RPMS. This (foot ongas)needs to be done UNTIL the car temperature gauge reads 1/4 pass the cold mark. After this i can ease off gas and only until the temp gauge reads normal (middle mark), is it able to be driven without shaking etc. This takes about 15 minutes from start till Im able to drive it. After it is normal , it drives and runs perfectly. Again, it only happens in cold weather. Spring and summer it was fine. My mechanic first thought it was IAC then ran tests and thought it something else - he cleaned fuel lines or something. They did NOT change the IAC. Needless to say after i picked it up, and started it again 4 hours later in cold weather it was NOT fixed. Problem not fixed. I cannot emphasize enough the shaking and sounds that come everytime I 'cold start" it. Any advice? I was hoping it isthe IAC? I wish they would have tried that? It seems not to be an expensive part. Any suggestios or tips/advice/ideas would be greatly appreciated. I am at my wits end with the mechanic.Thanks

#3629 of 4133 Re: Tribute/Start Idle problem in cold weather [kalee71] by nitrous93

Dec 29, 2007 (8:24 am)

Replying to: kalee71 (Dec 26, 2007 7:34 pm)
I would replace these 3 things, IAC, EGR Sensor, and EGR Valve. The EGR parts are towards the firewall on the mid right hand side of the upper intake, (in Back) One is cylinder shaped (plastic) and the other is shaped like a square(flat) Plastic, They have vaccuum lines running to them, one is hooked to a hard metal line, to your exhaust with a rubber hose. the other one goes in to your upper intake, both are electronic. One is around $20.00and the other is around $68.00 If these 3 things do not help it, the best thing to do is leave it at a mechanics shop when you know its gonna be cold, dont park inside shop(leave outside) overnight, and when it starts to do it, have him plug his computer in, and it will tell him what it is. Hopes this helps.
 
Nitrous

#3630 of 4133 Re: Intermittent hard start - NOT IAC [bruce48127] by copndaddy

Dec 29, 2007 (12:58 pm)

Replying to: bruce48127 (Dec 07, 2007 11:35 am)
I have the exact same issue with my G/F's 2001 Tribute V6.....it just starting this issue a few months ago...and it has never left her stranded....but it is very annoying to have to crank this thing over and over before she fires up. Once she starts, the idles and runs just fine...but if you let her sit for any length of time.....then try and start her up again...it takes several cranks before she will fire up....
 
it simply acts like there is a very weak spark during start up.....like in the OLD days if you did not use a ballast resistor on the coil for normal operation...then use a direct 12v just during starting.....but tried to use the same voltage for starting and running.....
 
is there any type of bypass that is suppose to offer a HOTTER spark during start-up vs constant running on these things??? if so, that is most likely the culprit in this case.....other than that...im stumped.....

#3631 of 4133 Re: Intermittent hard start - NOT IAC [copndaddy] by idarye

Jan 15, 2008 (10:20 pm)

Replying to: copndaddy (Dec 29, 2007 12:58 pm)
I have had a very similar problem with my '02 Tribute recently (rough idle for first few minutes after cold start). It would also miss at around 4000 rpm. First time I brought it in, they changed fuel filter (original one by the way), but that did not fix the issue. Second time, they cleaned the throttle body, and, voala, problem gone!
 
So, it's a cheap fix and worth a shot. I did have a check engine light, and it was giving a too lean code.

#3632 of 4133 Re: Tribute/Start Idle problem in cold weather [nitrous93] by kalee71

Jan 16, 2008 (7:45 am)

Replying to: nitrous93 (Dec 29, 2007 8:24 am)
Thank you for your response. My car has been at the mechanic's for over 1 week now. After running tests for a couple days on their own as well as along with a Ford rep (sister model), it was determined that the problem is with the fuel injectors. I believe 2 or 3 have to be replaced? I am waiting for them to finish and see if in fact this solves the problems. I was able to pick up codes prior to dropping it off - misfires on cylinders 5 and 6, and code for lean bank. Of course, when i dropped it off, the weather here became unseasonably very warm, and it started with NO PROBLEM and ran smooth as ever and the engine light disappeared. I hope this fuel injector replacement "fixes" the problems. I say problems because i have other issue when it rains also. after it rains and i start the car, i also get rough idle but it is different than other issue. i can drive it etc, it just a little rough shakes slightly, and as driving feels like the car is "dragging". After its running for about 15-20 minutes it's fine.

Messages Page 364 of 414

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