Need Help, USAF Overseas!!!

wrecked2001

New Member
Dec 30, 2008
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Hey guys I'm in the Air Force In UK and I got a serious problem my 99 GT 4.6L has been running very rough. It has been running very rich as all you have to do is start the car up and you can smell the gas out of the exhaust from the front of the car. It started throwing out a P1000 fault code when i hooked up my neighbors predator tuner to it. No check engine light nothing. It started when he put in a new stereo system to it. I was driving home from work the day it started, once the bass hit it started running very bad. Almost like the car went into limp home mode. Threw no codes. Here is a list of parts i have changed. BTW Altenator showed signs of burning; charred, blackened and discolored :

New Alternator 200 AMP
New coil and plugs Weapon X COP
New Battery

Now today after I installed the new Coils, after running it for about an hour or so it suddenly started a really bad knock. It also kicked out a p0172 (Bank 1 running very rich). It almost sounds as if it is coming from the intake manifold. And smoking out of the exhaust (white smoke). I started it up about 3 more times for about 30 seconds each time. And every time it sounds like it is coming from there. Also when I popped the oil cap it looked like there was water mixing in with the oil (looked almost like chocolate milk, I think it's condensation its cold hear) So i thought it was a blown head gasket but i was always told that if it was a blown head gasket you would get no heat. But the wierd thing is the heater was working just fine. I had no drop in coolant. So i am really scratching my head on this one. One more thing is that the car has been sitting for about 2 months. Let me know what you guys think. Thanks again!
 
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Well, sounds like quite a problem.

Once your engine has cooled off, pull the dipstick out and see if the oil still looks milky. It is normal to get SOME condensation inside of the motor and when you take the oil cap off it will look mikly on the bottom of the cap. However, that should be 100% GONE once the engine is warmed up.

What makes me want to say it is a headgasket is the rough running and white smoke out of the exhaust. Hopefully it isn't though.

As far as the missing, it sounds like something is drawing way too much power from the system (burning your alt. up), and not allowing a full charge on the battery, which in turn can't provide a full charge to the ignition.

Good luck, and thanks for serving...:flag:
 
The dipstick looks fine.

Let me clarify the smoking, when running it is just regular condensation, but when the noise started and i shut the engine off, there was a little smoke rising from the exhaust, i opened the throttlebody and there was a little smoke coming from there also.

I unhooked the stereo power wire no change.
I unhooked the cam sensor, it didn't get worse and it didn't throw a code.
Anything else ishould look for?:shrug: Thanks!
 
Not sure, I am not proficient as I would like to be with electrical issues...:(

Well the condensation while running is normal if it is cold out. Was the little amount of smoke rising from the exhaust white also, or a different color?

It shouldn't be smoking from the throttle body though...

Is the knock related to RPM's? Try removing the serpentine belt and running the car VERY BRIEFLY to see if the noise goes away. It's better to do that with a cold motor so the engine won't overheat while you are checking.
 
The dipstick looks fine.

Let me clarify the smoking, when running it is just regular condensation, but when the noise started and i shut the engine off, there was a little smoke rising from the exhaust, i opened the throttlebody and there was a little smoke coming from there also.

I unhooked the stereo power wire no change.
I unhooked the cam sensor, it didn't get worse and it didn't throw a code.
Anything else ishould look for?:shrug: Thanks!

It's the weather over here and I'm assuming you have an exhaust leak like I do. On short trips (ie under 3 miles) the exhaust condensates a bit and will smoke with a bit of liquid pooled in the tips.

I haven't seen condensation like this before moving here, but it seems to be my issue any way.

You do obviously have other problems as well though. There's a decent sized group of Mustang owners at Lakenheath and Mildenhall, I'm over at Alconbury and there's only one other Stanger I know here. If youre on the coast, ask around and get with one of the other owners. If you're on my side send me a pm and I'll check it out.
 
Not sure, I am not proficient as I would like to be with electrical issues...:(

Well the condensation while running is normal if it is cold out. Was the little amount of smoke rising from the exhaust white also, or a different color?

It shouldn't be smoking from the throttle body though...

Is the knock related to RPM's? Try removing the serpentine belt and running the car VERY BRIEFLY to see if the noise goes away. It's better to do that with a cold motor so the engine won't overheat while you are checking.

I going to pull the spark plugs this weekend to look for damage. The smoke is always white in color(like residual fuel burning off). I only saw the smoke in the intake when i removed the tube and opened the throttle body by hand. Is it possible with a extreme rich condition that an intake backfire could have blown one of my intake runners apart? According to the tuner my PCM was trying to compensate by removing 25% of the fuel. There was a loud pop then the knocking sound was immediate and rythmic, it wasn't there and all of a sudden it was. this was all at idle. Any other ideas? I am trying to track down a motor, little known fact, ford sold 4.6 mustang motors to MG/Rover to put in one of their cars, hopefully I can locate one if needed
 
there are a lot of 4.6's over here... price is very high though. Maybe look into having that forged block you have in storage shipped over here via TMO ;)
 
I had some random problems like that once with a friend's car, and it turned out the car had a chip installed and the chip had come loose. Perhaps check the computer and harness? Also give your fuel preesure regulator a look. If you pull the vacuum line off of it and smell gas, then it is shot.
 
I going to pull the spark plugs this weekend to look for damage. The smoke is always white in color(like residual fuel burning off). I only saw the smoke in the intake when i removed the tube and opened the throttle body by hand. Is it possible with a extreme rich condition that an intake backfire could have blown one of my intake runners apart? According to the tuner my PCM was trying to compensate by removing 25% of the fuel. There was a loud pop then the knocking sound was immediate and rythmic, it wasn't there and all of a sudden it was. this was all at idle. Any other ideas? I am trying to track down a motor, little known fact, ford sold 4.6 mustang motors to MG/Rover to put in one of their cars, hopefully I can locate one if needed

If the backfire was intense enough, yes it could have made a hole in your intake manifold. I had a buddy of mine blow a REAL nice chunk of his up due to a nitrous backfire.

I'd start feeling around underneath the intake manifold with your hand to see if it fits anywhere it shouldn't, lol.
 
Hey guys I'm in the Air Force In UK and I got a serious problem my 99 GT 4.6L has been running very rough. It has been running very rich as all you have to do is start the car up and you can smell the gas out of the exhaust from the front of the car. It started throwing out a P1000 fault code when i hooked up my neighbors predator tuner to it. No check engine light nothing. It started when he put in a new stereo system to it. I was driving home from work the day it started, once the bass hit it started running very bad. Almost like the car went into limp home mode. Threw no codes. Here is a list of parts i have changed. BTW Altenator showed signs of burning; charred, blackened and discolored :

New Alternator 200 AMP
New coil and plugs Weapon X COP
New Battery

Now today after I installed the new Coils, after running it for about an hour or so it suddenly started a really bad knock. It also kicked out a p0172 (Bank 1 running very rich). It almost sounds as if it is coming from the intake manifold. And smoking out of the exhaust (white smoke). I started it up about 3 more times for about 30 seconds each time. And every time it sounds like it is coming from there. Also when I popped the oil cap it looked like there was water mixing in with the oil (looked almost like chocolate milk, I think it's condensation its cold hear) So i thought it was a blown head gasket but i was always told that if it was a blown head gasket you would get no heat. But the wierd thing is the heater was working just fine. I had no drop in coolant. So i am really scratching my head on this one. One more thing is that the car has been sitting for about 2 months. Let me know what you guys think. Thanks again!

Greg's over there too. That's "MyPonyRocks"... I'd listen to him.
 
oxygen sensors

If you have a bank 1 code then you need to replace both of the driver side oxygen sensors and if I was you I would replace all of them while you are doin it. Bad oxygen sensors will cause all of the problems you have described.
 
UPDATE- I pulled the plugs, took so long because weather is crappy, passenger side rear two plugs were wet with fuel. The rest were dry but alot of carbon build up for just ideling for the last few months. My battery was also down on voltage during the last troubleshooting run. So i put in a optima yellow top and got a battery tender. I also going to order new O2 sensors. The banging sound I described was very audible. like it was coming from outside the motor, one of my friends said it sounded like motor mounts? Could the age of the car/rough ideling from current engine problem and weather cause this? All ideas are welcome. Thanx, more to come!
 
As for the sound, can you develop rod knock from a bad idle? I haven't revved the motor past 3000 and the noise didn't show up until recently. Also the noise is pretty audible, you can hear it over the exhaust! The other weird thing was the motor was already warmed up and had been ideling for about 30 mins and then all of a sudden the banging noise started! One minute it sounded normal(other than the missing)and then the loud banging sound. Is there anything elese that can mimic rod knock? :shrug: