missfiring/stumbling on a 3.8L mustang

crm318 · Nov 27, 2006

recently my 2002 mustang with a 3.8L has been missfiring/stumbling. it occurs when i am accelerating around 1700-2000 rpms at the end of a gear. the car will jerk a few times before it shifts. the car only has 35k miles on it. i was thinking of a spark plug change but it only has 35k on it. could i go to autozone for a diagnostic? what do you guys think?

doc4444 · Nov 27, 2006

Definately do a diagnostic to pull any codes firing. Also check your fuel filter, spark plugs, wires, oil, transmission fluids, and it wouldn't hurt to sea foam your car too. Just did mine and it runs GREAT now.

Doc

XJay · Nov 30, 2006

doc4444 said:
...and it wouldn't hurt to sea foam your car too. Just did mine and it runs GREAT now.

How does one do that? I'm afraid my '99 (with 130,000 miles on it) needs a re-build (the people who had it before me didn't take too good of care of it).

I'm considering getting a re-built short block assembly (since I'll only have two days at my friend's garage to do it), and cleaning my intake, heads, etc, and throwing them on the newer block before installing the engine (though I'm not entirely convinced this is necessary). How can I determine if the engine needs such a re-build, and if not, what should I do? The engine stumbles, the fuel economy is shot to Hell.....

AP1995V6 · Nov 30, 2006

My car is doing the exact same thing. I'm just waiting for it to blow so I'll finally have the motivation to rebuild the engine with a 2 cylinder upgrade; and I'm too cheap to take it to the dealer for a code read since I can't find any other place that reads odb ii . I'm not sure what the problem is, but I think it could be a bad coil pack. During idle, I can hear the engine missing. And it has plugs and wires that are maybe 6 months old.

As doc said, definitely check your trans fluid level. If its too high or too low, it'll shift weird.

doc4444 · Nov 30, 2006

crm318: Follow this thread for all you will ever need to know on sea foam: http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=561567&highlight=seafoam

AP1995V6: Do you have any autozone's where you live, Schuck's? If you go to these parts stores (I know there are many others too) they will pull your codes (if any) for free! FYI, your port to plug in the reader is beneath the steering wheel under the dash.

AP1995V6 · Nov 30, 2006

AutoZone can't pull codes from the 1994-95 mustangs. Only 96+.

Or so I've been told.

crm318 · Dec 1, 2006

yea its a 2002 model. thanks for the info guys. it will help greatly!

30AnnivStang · Jun 22, 2007

AP1995V6 said:
AutoZone can't pull codes from the 1994-95 mustangs. Only 96+.

Or so I've been told.

That is incorrect.

AP1995V6 · Jun 22, 2007

Wow. This is almost like digging up a dinosaur.

'66 coupe · Jun 22, 2007

AP1995V6 said:
I'm not sure what the problem is, but I think it could be a bad coil pack. During idle, I can hear the engine missing. And it has plugs and wires that are maybe 6 months old.

This is exactly what I was thinking. I had my #1 coil go bad on my '01 at around 70K miles.

AP1995V6 said:
AutoZone can't pull codes from the 1994-95 mustangs. Only 96+.

Or so I've been told.

Your ODB II is identical to '96+ V6 Mustangs. There should be no reason for them not to be able to pull the code.

Hell, they can even read ODB I codes. You just have to find a guy that knows what he's doing.
When I took my '95 in, the first guy I asked said they couldn't, but he wasn't even wearing a uniform(still in training I guess). I asked him if he was sure, and he asked another employee who also said they couldn't. So I then asked one of the managers and he grabbed the ODBI reader and helped me.

I think they just train their people to say, "No" to anyone with a pre-'96 car, without even asking what kind of car it is. The manager that helped me actually asked what kind of car I had and he knew he could pull ODBI from a '95 Mustang GT. The same guy probably would've known the '95 V6 Mustang would have ODB II.

'66 coupe · Jun 22, 2007

AP1995V6 said:
Wow. This is almost like digging up a dinosaur.

Wow, I should check the dates on posts before trying to help someone 7 months after they have their problem.

missfiring/stumbling on a 3.8L mustang

crm318

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