Help!!!! I'm not sure which problem is mine!
02-19-2013, 06:03 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 11
Help!!!! I'm not sure which problem is mine!
Okay so I have a 2008 Mustang V6 and it has 54 thousand something miles on it..well here is the problem..so before I put it away for the winter..around late November of last year..I was being dumb and was at a stoplight..showing of to my brother who was in the passenger seat..I floored the crap out my car and it hauled..It Screamed loudly but didn't sound like anything bad, just as i got to about 80 mph it mind you from a dead stop..the check engine light came on..and flashed for maybe 5-10 secs..so right away I took my off the gas..and coasted/beaked down to regular speed..it was night so the flash caught my attention..well the flash was gone..everything sounded normal..i just told myself to never do it like that again..and me being paranoid went home goggled it..and some other guy had his light flash and like a week later it came on and stayed..so after that night I hadn't drove it.. until i went to clean/wax it before i put it away for the winter with a cover on it outside(
) but i have no other choice..so i went out started it and noticed when i started it i heard water trickling like behind the dash..but no other major problems..so i went to my car wash..5 miles away..did that.. every time i started it up heard the water sound..but it would go away..i drove it realllllly nice knowing i might have messed it up..and didn't have the money to get it fixed (was unemployed) if it broke down on me...brought it back home put it away..now i did notice it had a slight problem with idling..like i would accelerate in park..and just step of the gas completely and it would kinda seem like it wanted to shut off..not real bad but you could tell..so I go out to start it for the first time yesterday after a couple months (2) and it started right up..with minor hesitation from the battery lol but then i heard the slight trickle and the engine light was still on..then I let it idle..exhaust sounded fine..it sounded fine..i shut it off and went out later again..this time it idled alot harder..and had trouble idling as well then after a bit it started running fine again..i checked the oil..it was a dark brown..so i figure its just time for an oil change..i checked the coolant..and it was basically empty..i hope its not a head casket leak(possibility i found out from Google i know little of cars) so i filled the reservoir up to the line..started it up again..still heard the trickle..but this time it ran a bit smoother..engine light still on..i found it weird that my coolant light didn't come on like it did after a few months when i first bought it last February(used)...i had planned on taking it today to auto-zone to have it scanned but its stuck in the mud and i need to hook up the four wheeler to tow it out..but I have another vehicle and start work soon..so i wont have time..and figured i could wait a few since its still winter and the salts on the roads are bad..(i had planned on waiting anyway prob till late march but i got paranoid i love my car) so basically I'm just trying to pin point what the problem is because as soon as i get my tax refund I'm taking it to ford(although no warranty) I'm very worried about this...my research online says either head gasket leak..but i don't have all the symptoms..maybe i burnt out a plug..maybe trapped air in my system!!! idk....like it sounds like it might have a slight misfire..i cant really tell since I'm so worried..I'm gonna go and check and see if my coolant level is the same since i filled it..if not than I'm probably screwed..idk..i basically have to wait to find out from ford but i don't want to because I'm so worried..and if you guys could help i would love you forever lol and i have a clip of the exhaust note if that will help..it sounds normal to me..no discoloration nothing..the heat worked fine..no odd smells..the ac i didn't check simply due to the fact that it was 30 degrees lol no water leaks in the interior of the car.. no real bad engine smells..the coolant when it was really low looked dirty but that's it..and the oil like i said wasn't weird like i heard if its a gasket leak..sorry i keep repeating myself..but like i said..only problems are engine light..it did have at cold start up slight idle problems like every so often like every min or so kinda..the water trickling..the low coolant level which i filled..and i think i might have heard a slight very faint misfire..( i know what one sounds like because my 99 grand am i just bought for a winter car had a bad one..i replaced all the spark plugs and it boots and it runs fine..(the boots were badly cracked and the spark plugs were crap) but the Stang's engine sounds nothing like that piece of crap i fixed..it sounds strong..idk..help please?
) but i have no other choice..so i went out started it and noticed when i started it i heard water trickling like behind the dash..but no other major problems..so i went to my car wash..5 miles away..did that.. every time i started it up heard the water sound..but it would go away..i drove it realllllly nice knowing i might have messed it up..and didn't have the money to get it fixed (was unemployed) if it broke down on me...brought it back home put it away..now i did notice it had a slight problem with idling..like i would accelerate in park..and just step of the gas completely and it would kinda seem like it wanted to shut off..not real bad but you could tell..so I go out to start it for the first time yesterday after a couple months (2) and it started right up..with minor hesitation from the battery lol but then i heard the slight trickle and the engine light was still on..then I let it idle..exhaust sounded fine..it sounded fine..i shut it off and went out later again..this time it idled alot harder..and had trouble idling as well then after a bit it started running fine again..i checked the oil..it was a dark brown..so i figure its just time for an oil change..i checked the coolant..and it was basically empty..i hope its not a head casket leak(possibility i found out from Google i know little of cars) so i filled the reservoir up to the line..started it up again..still heard the trickle..but this time it ran a bit smoother..engine light still on..i found it weird that my coolant light didn't come on like it did after a few months when i first bought it last February(used)...i had planned on taking it today to auto-zone to have it scanned but its stuck in the mud and i need to hook up the four wheeler to tow it out..but I have another vehicle and start work soon..so i wont have time..and figured i could wait a few since its still winter and the salts on the roads are bad..(i had planned on waiting anyway prob till late march but i got paranoid i love my car) so basically I'm just trying to pin point what the problem is because as soon as i get my tax refund I'm taking it to ford(although no warranty) I'm very worried about this...my research online says either head gasket leak..but i don't have all the symptoms..maybe i burnt out a plug..maybe trapped air in my system!!! idk....like it sounds like it might have a slight misfire..i cant really tell since I'm so worried..I'm gonna go and check and see if my coolant level is the same since i filled it..if not than I'm probably screwed..idk..i basically have to wait to find out from ford but i don't want to because I'm so worried..and if you guys could help i would love you forever lol and i have a clip of the exhaust note if that will help..it sounds normal to me..no discoloration nothing..the heat worked fine..no odd smells..the ac i didn't check simply due to the fact that it was 30 degrees lol no water leaks in the interior of the car.. no real bad engine smells..the coolant when it was really low looked dirty but that's it..and the oil like i said wasn't weird like i heard if its a gasket leak..sorry i keep repeating myself..but like i said..only problems are engine light..it did have at cold start up slight idle problems like every so often like every min or so kinda..the water trickling..the low coolant level which i filled..and i think i might have heard a slight very faint misfire..( i know what one sounds like because my 99 grand am i just bought for a winter car had a bad one..i replaced all the spark plugs and it boots and it runs fine..(the boots were badly cracked and the spark plugs were crap) but the Stang's engine sounds nothing like that piece of crap i fixed..it sounds strong..idk..help please?
02-19-2013, 08:10 PM
#2
Moderator
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Michigan again!
Posts: 8,579
Wow - that is really tough to read and has to be the longest sentence I've ever seen!
If your check engine light is on, then the only way to really get an idea why is to scan it. Get the code and look up the OBD code to see what the problem is.
If your check engine light is on, then the only way to really get an idea why is to scan it. Get the code and look up the OBD code to see what the problem is.
02-20-2013, 10:10 AM
#4
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Acworth, GA
Posts: 3,666
Take your car to Autozone or Advanced Auto and have them plug in their handheld device into your car to find out what code# is. This is free!
Once the code# shows up on their device, they should be able to tell you what the issue is and what needs to be fixed. If it is a general code, you may need to research the internet and/or take to a reputable mechanic.
Once the code# shows up on their device, they should be able to tell you what the issue is and what needs to be fixed. If it is a general code, you may need to research the internet and/or take to a reputable mechanic.
Last edited by kevinmalec; 02-20-2013 at 10:12 AM.
02-20-2013, 10:52 AM
#5
I remember reading in the owners manual it warns not to do any sort of pedal mashing such as that because of possibly damaging something. I think like Kevin said tho, go see if any codes are being thrown.
02-20-2013, 11:05 AM
#6
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Indiana
Posts: 1,717
OP like everyone else said, we need the codes if we are going to be able to help you. But idle problems (wandering idle) leads me to believe you have a dirty throttle body/MAF sensor.
Really?? Lol I mash it from stops all the time (with some common sense of course) and never had anything break yet... The OM says not to accelerate hard? I'm probably misinterpreting "pedal mashing".
Really?? Lol I mash it from stops all the time (with some common sense of course) and never had anything break yet... The OM says not to accelerate hard? I'm probably misinterpreting "pedal mashing".
Last edited by aaquib1992; 02-20-2013 at 11:07 AM.
02-20-2013, 11:24 AM
#8
OP like everyone else said, we need the codes if we are going to be able to help you. But idle problems (wandering idle) leads me to believe you have a dirty throttle body/MAF sensor.
Really?? Lol I mash it from stops all the time (with some common sense of course) and never had anything break yet... The OM says not to accelerate hard? I'm probably misinterpreting "pedal mashing".
Really?? Lol I mash it from stops all the time (with some common sense of course) and never had anything break yet... The OM says not to accelerate hard? I'm probably misinterpreting "pedal mashing".
02-20-2013, 01:59 PM
#9
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 11
allright well im sorry bout my hard to read post..but i cant really take it to autozone right atm, as im waiting on my tax refund so i can actually pay to have it fixed..but here is what i did today..i checked the coolant level and its low again..despite having filled it up yesterday or the day before..whenever i did it..no also i was affraid of having my coolant leaking into my engine block..or whatever which causes a missfire cux the spark plugs get messed up..i took a pic of cy 4 spark plug..now the hole where the spark plug came from is nice and clean..minus the very outside edge being caked with this dried mud looking stuff..that i also found a little on the plug here okay i dnt know how to post pics.but like the plug is clean..minus the tip bein a little burnt..and the mud is very little and more so on the bolt not below the threads
02-20-2013, 02:02 PM
#10
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 11
Take your car to Autozone or Advanced Auto and have them plug in their handheld device into your car to find out what code# is. This is free!
Once the code# shows up on their device, they should be able to tell you what the issue is and what needs to be fixed. If it is a general code, you may need to research the internet and/or take to a reputable mechanic.
Once the code# shows up on their device, they should be able to tell you what the issue is and what needs to be fixed. If it is a general code, you may need to research the internet and/or take to a reputable mechanic.