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r/Cartalk•
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1996 Ford Explore XLT V6 help!

Hey friends, I had some questions about my car that I couldn't find on google. My engine shakes when the car idles wether it be in park or stopped at a red light. Late last year my car would completely die at a light, and I found a massive vacuum leak and patched that up, now it's doing the same thing, just not as bad, and not enough to kill the engine.

I changed my plugs last night and was looking for another vacuum leak when I pulled off the vacuum tube connected to my EGR Valve. The car stopped shaking completely and sounded the best it's sounded in a long time, but when I connect the tube again it begins to shake.. Does the EGR Valve need to be replaced, or is this related to something else?

The car isn't throwing a check engine light or any codes. Has a 4 wheel drive option and is automatic.

if you guys need any other information, just let me know! All thoughts are appreciated.

Posted Mar 22, 2014, 8:14 PM UTC · edited

67
just_plain_yogurt•

Remove the vacuum tube to your egr (the green one w/ the black rubber connector) valve and attach a vacuum gauge to the tube. Allow the engine to idle & note the reading on the gauge. You should have ZERO vacuum at idle. If you have anything other than ZERO inches of vacuum, you need to check/replace your EVR (exhaust vacuum regulator) OR your PCM is commanding the EVR ON when it shouldn't. You can test the PCM with a 12V test light. You should have 12V on one side of the 2 pin connector and an open circuit (at idle speed) on the other side.

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bigfoot715•

I have a 1997 Ford Explorer as well, V-6 OHV with the auto transmission. I experience the exact same shaking at idle, and sometimes when I shift into gear it shakes more violently so I have to put it in park and then back into drive. I know for a fact that I have a leaking head gasket, I do not know if that is of any relevance. If it's not a timing issue, maybe there is a difference in compression between cylinders and that causes the shaking? I'm by no means a mechanic, just someone in the same boat wondering about my car as well!

1
fromfargond•

Replace the egr solenoid!

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2_4_16_256•

Your egr valve could be bad. I'm pretty sure that they aren't too expensive.

That is the first thing that I would replace, especially since taking it off makes your truck run better

0
just_plain_yogurt•

EGR operates only at part throttle when it's working properly. Please explain how "taking it off makes your truck run better"?

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2_4_16_256•

From the op, when he took off the egr vacuum house, it ran better --> the egr is probably bad and needs to be replaced.

It's not like the egr knows when it's at part throttle or not, it just knows that it's getting vacuum opening the valve (also what is idle if not the extreme case of part throttle. The engine will be creating pretty good vacuum since the only source of air it's really getting is from the idle air control and the egr)

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just_plain_yogurt•

EGR is solenoid controlled on these cars (and most Ford products dating back to the late 1980s). If there's vacuum at the EGR hose at idle, the EGR valve isn't bad, but the "exhaust vacuum regulator or EVR, in Fordspeak is bad or the PCM is commanding EGR valve open when it shouldn't be, or the EVR ground wire (controlled by the PCM) is shorted to ground.

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