97 explorer engine problems

i have an explorer the v8 5.0 i'm having an noise when i accelerate its a loud knocking noise on the driver's side. does anyone know what this could be. and i lose some power when i turn the air conditioner on if i need to accelerate fast i have turn it off. i need help

i have an explorer the v8 5.0 i'm having an noise when i accelerate its a loud knocking noise on the driver's side. does anyone know what this could be. and i lose some power when i turn the air conditioner on if i need to accelerate fast i have turn it off. i need help

I'm thinking pinging. Happens on my 5.0 - it is not uncommon on 5.0's.

How much oil do you use between oil changes and how many miles between oil changes? How many miles on the truck? Pinging usually gets worse the warmer and drier the weather is.

Try a tank of premium, see if that helps.

Post back and let me know if you want to try and fix it or if you will use a mechanic.

i doen't burn any oil i have 116000 miles on it. i will be trying to do it myself. do you think that it could be the egr valve? or any of the other sensors or is it going to be a real job to get into.

i doen't burn any oil i have 116000 miles on it. i will be trying to do it myself. do you think that it could be the egr valve? or any of the other sensors or is it going to be a real job to get into.


Ok, just to be sure - many people describe pinging as sounding like marbles or rocks rattling in a can. Is that the sound? And is it light or heavy acceleration when it happens.

It's good you don't use oil. Some 5.0's suck oil thru the PCV valve, which is hard to correct. Causes terrible pinging.

Fixing ping ranges from easy to hard. Many things can cause it.

So lets start with the simple stuff:

How long since you put new plugs and a fuel filter in?

i wouldn't call ita a rattling i would say that it sounds like a loud ticking almost metal on metal that gets faster when you accelerate but is almost non-exsistant when your stopped only on acceleration. i changed the plugs in dec. but i have had the fuel filliter change in a long time. i noticed something else when you in park and turn the air conditioner on the engine boggs down?

Look at the exhaust manifold for cracks, loose bolts or blown gaskets.

i had the exhaust manifold changed in december the same time i got the spark plugs changed i was away for 6 months and when i got back my wife said that the truck was shaking and it was so i had it look at and they change the manifold it get a little better but not all the way. the shaking almost stopped but the noise didn't

Just for giggles, check the spark plug boots to see if they are arcing. You can use a spray bottle with water and spray the plug wires and look for little sparks. Just a thought.

i had the exhaust manifold changed in december the same time i got the spark plugs changed i was away for 6 months and when i got back my wife said that the truck was shaking and it was so i had it look at and they change the manifold it get a little better but not all the way. the shaking almost stopped but the noise didn't

Yes, for ticking try what way2old is suggesting. Plug wires or exhaust manifold.

You may want to cut a 3 foot section of garden hose and hold it to your ear while you move it around looking for the noise. Pull the splash shields in your fenderwell off and you will have good access to the manifold. Have your wife rev it up for you.

That new exhaust manifold may need a new gasket.......

i think you guys might be right. i took it to autozone yesterday to get the free diagnostic and the guy listen to it and said that it sounds like a exhaust problem. am i wrong but there are 2 manifolds on the explorer. my wife just told me that only one was changed in dec. the funny thing is the diag. code was a cylinder 4 misfire. the noise is one the driver side but cylinder 4 is at the back of the passenger side. could the exhaust problem cause a cylinder on the other side of the engine misfire. the guy also told me that around here and maybe other places too that when you get your plugs changed the ones in the back are hard to get to so they don't change them and they say that they did. cyl. 4 is in the back on the passengers side so nonetheless is bought plugs and wires and going to redo it today to see. any input?

My 97 Eb did the same thing and the back spark plug was loose, if you want to try to check it out your self is to turn your wheels opposite the direction of the side you want to look at, and you can easily access the back plugs from the wheel well. It took my husband 4 hours to find that answer out, then it only took him 5 minutes to get it done after that.

the noise is one the driver side but cylinder 4 is at the back of the passenger side. could the exhaust problem cause a cylinder on the other side of the engine misfire. any input?

Yes, there are two exhaust manifolds, one on each side of the engine. Most likely, ou have two separate problems - a cylinder 4 misfire and a separate exhaust noise. Cylinder 4 misfire will not make a noise on the other side of the engine.

1. Remove the fenderwell splash guards on each side of the engine. This gives you easy access to plugs and exhaust manifolds. Change your plugs through there. Doing it from the top of the engine is very hard.

2. Use the garden hose technique to find the exhaust manifold leak if it is not obvious where its coming from.

3. replace spark plug 4 and spark plug wire #4 FIRST. Then disconnect your battery for 20 minutes. This clears the codes that light the check engine light. Reconnect the battery, and start the car. If you fixed the cylinder 4 misfire, the check engine light will not come on again. If the light comes on again, you have another problem.

4. Do each spark plug wire one at a time. That way you don't cross them up. Take the time to route them through all the little clips that the factory used. Some of them take awhile to do. You can take the little metal heat shields off your old plug wires and put them on the new wires, just bend the tabs on them to open them and take them off.

i changed all the spark plugs and the misfire ploblem seems to be fixed i drove it around the block a couple of times and down the highway a few miles and is has more power and the light stayed off thanx alot guys you were a great help. what is the garden hose method to find out which exhaust manifold is bad. and is the exhaust manifold the pipes coming out of the headers that you can see clearly from over the front wheels or are they something else?