Possible spark blowout?

[TouchOfEvil]

This is my first FI vehicle to own "explorer sport" so i'm new to it but i believe i am getting spark blow out.
I can't tell if it does it in first because the gear is short and it wheelhops insanely bad on the 1-2 shift.

In second gear and third "didn't get into fourth" the car feels like it is sputtering, i could hear what sounded like pop pop pop then i let out. It is a little colder tonight than it had been. The coldest i had seen was 63 degrees tonight when i left it was 55 degrees and it did the stutter and pop thing and it got down to 46 degrees and of course the problem did not go away at any point.
I am running stock plugs but they were gapped from the factory at .30, i did check them to verify the gap.
I'm in louisiana so i'm sure my climate and da are way off compared to anyone up north.
Does this sound like spark blowout? Or is it something else?

Current mods are as follows:
Drop in k&n filter
170 t-stat
3rd cat delete
magnaflow x-pipe with mufflers
livernois 93 hi boost tune

Any help would be great.

 

[mhenne4]

Not sure, but where are you at in Louisiana?  Im in Shreveport

 

[05yellowgt]

Spark blowout is going to feel like the motor is intermittently lose power and if you can monitor boost you will see it flutter in some cases too. Detonation is the marbles in a can sound coming from under the hood. I would also describe it as a static sound on an otherwise quite phone line or radio station.

 

[4DRHTRD]

I saw your pm but I just got done ruining a wrestling tourney.  I'd suggest doing some review with torque if you have a obd2 adapter

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[JMR76]

I just started having some shuddering or slight hesitating running 93 tune.  It occurs about 70% of the time on full throttle above 5K RPM.  The weather here is colder 30s to 40s lately when I noticed.  It only happens at WOT above 5k.  I ran stock tune and 91 tune with no hesitation at all.

I didn't have this problem with the old 93 version, but this one is more aggressive.

I'm no way as knowledgable as others here, but I'm starting to think the tune is running lean on some bad gas or winter mix. 

I guess I'm going to have to invest in a program to start logging to see what's going on.

 

[TouchOfEvil]

I saw your pm but I just got done ruining a wrestling tourney.  I'd suggest doing some review with torque if you have a obd2 adapter

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I have no idea what that is? I have my connector to run the hptuners box but i don't have Ford support, always ran chevy til now.

 

[TouchOfEvil]

I'm in Walker, not far from baton rouge.

It's like a stutter with a pop sound that is like a misfire. It's not detonation. I know what that is like. It certainly is down on power while it occurs. Mine was doing it over 4k in second gear last night.
I took it out today, it was about 74 degrees and i was still getting it here and there but not nearly as pronounced.

 

[JMR76]

Does it happen only on the 93 tune?  That's the only time I get the hesitation and power loss at high RPM.  I also have my plugs gapped at .030 and 170 thermostat, but mine did it before and after gapping.  To me it did feel like spark plugs, but it went away when I flashed to stock and even 91 tune.  I went back the the 93 high boost tune and got the hesitation again once in a while. I don't know, but could it be the knock sensors kicking in?

I didn't here a pop, but it definitely cuts power.  Just for note, I accelerated to 130 mph 3/4 throttle the other night and had no problems, but if I floor it, I will get the hesitation around 5k RPM at any speed.

 

[TouchOfEvil]

Does it happen only on the 93 tune?  That's the only time I get the hesitation and power loss at high RPM.  I also have my plugs gapped at .030 and 170 thermostat, but mine did it before and after gapping.  To me it did feel like spark plugs, but it went away when I flashed to stock and even 91 tune.  I went back the the 93 high boost tune and got the hesitation again once in a while. I don't know, but could it be the knock sensors kicking in?

I didn't here a pop, but it definitely cuts power.  Just for note, I accelerated to 130 mph 3/4 throttle the other night and had no problems, but if I floor it, I will get the hesitation around 5k RPM at any speed.

Kock sensors don't cut power in a stutter pattern, they kill timing but it wouldn't be such a drastic feel to it. I've fixed issues like that on my truck and it's certainly not the same feel.

I have not tried other tunes yet. If it does go away with other tunes thats good it went away but i'm looking for more power not less so good yet bad at the same time.

I too can give it part throttle and have it get to 5kish with no problems but WOT and it cuts out.

 

[TouchOfEvil]

I saw your pm but I just got done ruining a wrestling tourney.  I'd suggest doing some review with torque if you have a obd2 adapter

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Ok so i did a bing search to see what Torque was. I do not have a ob2 adapter that would work in that manner. I do see that the PLX Kiwi seems to be a decent unit. It's not too pricey at 80 bucks i could pick one up. Any reason not to go with that unit?
Once i get a unit what would you suggest i look for in the program to determine the issue?

 

[JMR76]

I'm going to try the dash command app first and if that doesn't work I'm going to try Scan XL.  Torque would be next for me.  I would be interested to find out what the issue is just as much as you.  If I find out, I'll post it,

 

[4DRHTRD]

That one rocks or the 15 one on ebay. Start logging afr, throttle actual, boost and timing

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[4DRHTRD]

Btw, I've been in and out all day no real time to respond completely.

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[TouchOfEvil]

JMR76 If you do please post, would be awesome. I'll certainly do the same if i figure it out.
No worries 4DRHTRD, you have given me a place to start!!!!

 

[TouchOfEvil]

I'm going to try the dash command app first and if that doesn't work I'm going to try Scan XL.  Torque would be next for me.  I would be interested to find out what the issue is just as much as you.  If I find out, I'll post it,

Ok, so i took the sport out tonight....well at 3am, lol.
I was running the 93 hiboost tune and was getting the stutter issue.
I retuned it to the 93v2 tune and the stutter is gone.
To me it feels just as strong as the 93 hiboost tune. I had the tune in for about 5 days before i started getting the stutter issue.
It was colder out tonight at about 45 degrees so maybe it feels as strong only due to colder temps.
I do know that i had not tried to launch since it was stock and a 1800rpm launch seemed best while stock. Higher just made it bog then go.

Did some toying around with it tuned, 1800 pretty spiffy out the hole.
2k and it lights up the tires and moves out.
2200-2400 "whatever the cutoff rpm is when applying the brake" it will destroy the tires. I don't know if it's only spinning the fronts or all four but it blows em off without any hesitation.
Gonna need better rubber for sure.
Oh and the 1-2 shift still wheelhops like a mofo.

I can't help but think the hiboost tune is causing spark blowout hench higher boost does that or that in the colder temps and lower DA of La. it is running into issues of being the 2bar unit vs the 3 bar.
Then again i could be way wrong, lol.

Suggested rubber for the Sport? Stock is 255/50/20 so kinda a tall tire.

 

[EcoBrick Bob]

Wheel hop always scares me.  Hard on axles, u-joints and differentials...  Only wheel hop I have had with my Flex was recently at the line in first, with Michelin Pilot SS.  Wheel hop is always in the front, as rear only handles a max of 150 hp/torque.  If you have someone watch your launches, they will see that fronts spin and rears do not.  Flex comes with 255-45-20's Goodyear RS-A's for comparison. Never tried them at the strip.

As for wheel hop issues.  The cure in Pontiac G8's is to use axles that are different diameters. Expensive but worth it. ($1,000.-$1,700) rear only obviously. Not aware of any axle options for EB drive train.

 

[arttyszka]

Evil, I'm watching this thread with great interest.  This sounds identical to what many of us with the Lund tune on the Sport are experiencing.  I don't have any insight at all other than what I've experienced - pulls are generally clean if I go from a stop or a roll ABOVE 70 mph.  Going WOT at a 65 mph cruise hits a big flat spot, sounds very similar to what you're experiencing.  I have the Lund 93SS tune, 170 tstat, gapped plugs to 28. 

It's more severe for some of the guys running the Lund tune in that the car has actually stalled or gone way down on power when going WOT from a 65 mph cruise, mine isn't that severe, and I didn't notice it when it was warmer, but now that it's getting cold up here in MN I notice it even more. 

I'm traveling for work at the moment but when I get back I'm going to flash it to the 93 and then 91 DD tunes and see if it happens with either of those.  Lund is aware of the issues and is supposedly working on something, but I'm not sure he has the data he needs being in a warm climate.

 

[bigmoneycloser]

I have a 14 XSport below is my current mod list.
170* Tstat
Gapped plugs(32 I believe)
Airaid CAI
LMS 93 high boost
24"x9.5 helo wheels/ toyo proxes4 255/30/24
H & R springs

I haven't noticed any issues yet. From 65 to WOT or stop/roll WOT...
I haven't tried any launches with braking.
I did have some wheel hop on two occasions from stop to WOT shifting from 1-2..
Not sure if that helps..
Good luck

 

[bigmoneycloser]

I'm going to try the dash command app first and if that doesn't work I'm going to try Scan XL.  Torque would be next for me.  I would be interested to find out what the issue is just as much as you.  If I find out, I'll post it,

What is the best program? Dash command, Scan XL, or Torque??
Also needs to be compatible with iPhone/ Apple. As I do not own a PC... Only Macs.


Also, how do you connect to the vehicle and where would I buy that?

I figure, I will get some info and log some data and be preventative..

I am very new to this and was never a big car guy, some I'm learning..
Thx

 

[JMR76]

I'm going to try the dash command app first and if that doesn't work I'm going to try Scan XL.  Torque would be next for me.  I would be interested to find out what the issue is just as much as you.  If I find out, I'll post it,

What is the best program? Dash command, Scan XL, or Torque??
Also needs to be compatible with iPhone/ Apple. As I do not own a PC... Only Macs.


Also, how do you connect to the vehicle and where would I buy that?

I figure, I will get some info and log some data and be preventative..

I am very new to this and was never a big car guy, some I'm learning..
Thx

I'm still learning and I don't know a whole lot about logging.

On another note, I took all my plugs out and cleaned them, checked the gap .030.  One was around .034 .  Plugs we're pretty dirty for 14,000 miles.  I also used a torque wrench for the first time.  I think I was over tightening them.

I ran the 93 high boost tune and had no hesitation yet after doing this.  Although it was 54 degrees, so I'll have to wait and see if it comes back when it's colder again.