Jaq789

Hi,

I just bought a 2003 Base V6 and it seems to have no power at all when you step on the gas. To say the least she's pretty gutless! I can hear a missing sound that might be coming from the manifold but I doubt a loose manifold spring could be causing the car to have no power? Also the transmission bucks a bit. (Is that normal?) I have no clue where to start in order to address this problem. Any suggestions ?

jthorn9

I'm gonna go on a limb and say it's a blown head gasket.

jthorn9

I'm gonna go on a limb and say it's a blown head gasket.

MaxOrbit

Start by checking for any OBD codes. Even if the CEL is off a pending code may be flagged, such as misfire. Check your fuel pressure. A clogged fuel filter or a faulty pump would make the car run poorly. A clogged CAT or muffler could also make your car run poorly.Pull all the plugs and check the color. They should be about the same. You may find one or 2 plugs with a loot of black soot on it/them. That could indicate a leaky injector.

A quick check for a possible blown head gasket would be oil in the coolant tank or water in the crankcase.Pull out the oil dipstick and check the color of the oil.If it has water in it it should have a brownish tinge to it.A quick compression test could verify this. A large volume of water vapour coming from the exhaust is a give away along with the odour of coolant at the exhaust pipe.

Good luck and let us know what happens.

I'm new to Mustangs but have worked on a lot of other cars ; Fords and others. I admit that I'm enjoying my 2004 convertible a lot more than I thought I would. It's only a V6 auto but it's quiet and runs great with good fuel economy.