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  #1  
Old 09-04-2015, 06:40 AM
danwray danwray is offline
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Default 2008 FX4 4.0 Running bad after shop visit

My truck started going through coolant and it looked like a bad water pump so I took it to a shop who said it was actually coming from the timing chain cover gasket. They changed that, the water pump, and the harmonic balancer.

When I picked up the truck, the idle was way higher than normal, like in the 1700-2000 rpm range. Eventually, it would come down, but it would just drop like a rock and almost stall the truck. At this point the idle was close to normal rpms, but it was rough. Also, there was more noise coming from the motor that sounds like a bunch of rattling.

After looking into some things myself, i found that the air filter housing was not completely seated on the throttle body intake, and I also inspected the IAC. I also reset the ecu at this point. From there on, the high idle issue has not been back, but the truck still idles roughly, to the point that I can feel it while sitting at stop lights. It also is making way more noise from the motor that is the rattling which i can hear when I pull up beside other objects, as well as under acceleration. And finally, today i noticed that the motor was stumbling while holding speed at around 45mph. Does not seem to stumble on acceleration or higher speeds that I have noticed. Also, have burned through about half a gas tank in just under 90 miles.

I also took it back to the shop who said that the ecu just needed time to relearn everything and that they thought it was running better already. So they seem to have washed their hands of it, but I'm wondering if there's even anything that they could have done to cause this, having had the timing chain cover off. Either way, they're closed for the next 4 days, so is there anything I can do to troubleshoot the issue? Just wondering where to start, plugs/wires, maf, tps, etc?
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  #2  
Old 09-04-2015, 07:07 AM
SB03Ranger SB03Ranger is offline
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Default Re: 2008 FX4 4.0 Running bad after shop visit

vacuum leak. Look at the hose pVC elbow prob cracked. im assuming this is 4.0 truck. and I would also just replace the IAC there cheap and usually solve the problem.
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Old 09-04-2015, 07:40 AM
svtwin73 svtwin73 is offline
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Default Re: 2008 FX4 4.0 Running bad after shop visit

Yeah definitely a small vacuum leak, just remove the air intake assembly and look around.
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Old 09-06-2015, 08:50 PM
02RangerFX4 02RangerFX4 is offline
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Rattling is usually a timing chain related issue. Did the attempt to replace the timing chain on your truck? If they didn't do it right, there is the answer to all of your problems. Also, the crank position sensor is down there on the cover. If they goobered that up, I could imagine it would throw things off as well.
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  #5  
Old 09-09-2015, 07:03 AM
danwray danwray is offline
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Default Re: 2008 FX4 4.0 Running bad after shop visit

So over the weekend I replaced the spark plugs and wires, checked for vacuum leaks, ran some seafoam, and changed the rear timing chain tensioner because thats where the noise sounded like it was coming from to me. Absolutely none of that helped, and over the course of the weekend the noise actually got worse, to the point where you could hear it from inside the truck at any rpm.

Took it back to the shop again, they did finally admit there was noise and said it sounded like the timing chain. Their solution was changing the oil out to a synthetic 10w40 to quiet it down, so it still runs like crap, but isnt as noisy. I can feel it idling rough, and when I am cruising i can feel it missing at speed. Acceleration does seem to be somewhat weaker now as well.

At this point from what I understand, its basically better to just replace the engine with something that has less miles, rather than trying to fix this one that has almost 150,000 and probably has more issues than just a timing chain now. If that is correct, is there any issue with just running the motor as it is until it does finally give up? Plus I already blew 700 bucks on the original service to the water pump and harmonic balancer, it would suck to just throw that away for nothing.
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Old 09-09-2015, 11:07 AM
02RangerFX4 02RangerFX4 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by danwray View Post
So over the weekend I replaced the spark plugs and wires, checked for vacuum leaks, ran some seafoam, and changed the rear timing chain tensioner because thats where the noise sounded like it was coming from to me. Absolutely none of that helped, and over the course of the weekend the noise actually got worse, to the point where you could hear it from inside the truck at any rpm. Took it back to the shop again, they did finally admit there was noise and said it sounded like the timing chain. Their solution was changing the oil out to a synthetic 10w40 to quiet it down, so it still runs like crap, but isnt as noisy. I can feel it idling rough, and when I am cruising i can feel it missing at speed. Acceleration does seem to be somewhat weaker now as well. At this point from what I understand, its basically better to just replace the engine with something that has less miles, rather than trying to fix this one that has almost 150,000 and probably has more issues than just a timing chain now. If that is correct, is there any issue with just running the motor as it is until it does finally give up? Plus I already blew 700 bucks on the original service to the water pump and harmonic balancer, it would suck to just throw that away for nothing.

I'd be demanding the shop fix it. A 2008 4.0 shouldn't have the timing chain issues the earlier 4.0s had besides replacing the screw in tensioners every 70k. Do you have a smoke machine or anyone that does? Smoke test it for vacuum leaks through the brake booster line. Have you checked to see if it has any pending codes?
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  #7  
Old 09-09-2015, 11:38 AM
danwray danwray is offline
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Default Re: 2008 FX4 4.0 Running bad after shop visit

i dont really see how I can demand that they fix it as there is no way for me to prove that anything they did is what caused the issue, and if they havent owned up to it by now, they probably dont have any interest in doing so. I also understand that while this is not something that should happen on a newer truck like mine, since i bought it used and dont know how it was treated before I owned it, I cannot rule out the possibility that it is something that can happen.
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Old 09-09-2015, 02:46 PM
02RangerFX4 02RangerFX4 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by danwray View Post
i dont really see how I can demand that they fix it as there is no way for me to prove that anything they did is what caused the issue, and if they havent owned up to it by now, they probably dont have any interest in doing so. I also understand that while this is not something that should happen on a newer truck like mine, since i bought it used and dont know how it was treated before I owned it, I cannot rule out the possibility that it is something that can happen.
Well, it ran well before the shop messed with it, so there is one thing. If the only thing they did was take the timing cover off, the truck should run like it did before, as there really isn't anything behind there that could cause it to run badly except if they screwed with the timing chain or the crank pos. sensor.
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  #9  
Old 09-09-2015, 04:13 PM
bjurke bjurke is offline
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Default Re: 2008 FX4 4.0 Running bad after shop visit

you have to recheck work done. check timing chain tensioners. front and rear. and crank position sensor.
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