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2003 Mercury Sable Running rough

Tiny
TMAC616
  • MEMBER
  • 2003 MERCURY SABLE
  • 3.0L
  • V6
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 168,000 MILES
My car was running flawlessly until a real bad rain storm about 4 weeks ago, ever since then it idles rough and hardly accelerates, the engine does smooths out at a certain speed though. People I've talked to about this said it needs a tune up, but I'm not sure how a rain storm could effect the plugs, my first though was water in the gas tank. I also checked for trouble codes and not one popped up, and I'm thinking if it was the plugs wouldn't a misfire code come up? So does this sound like bad plugs or something else?
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Monday, August 24th, 2015 AT 9:27 AM

11 Replies

Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 108,179 POSTS
I would think a trouble code would show up. Were you driving it during the storm?
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Monday, August 24th, 2015 AT 7:35 PM
Tiny
TMAC616
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  • 6 POSTS
No, it sat in my driveway that whole day, it rained that whole day, next morning its sunny, I get in it, started it up, and it was instantly running rough
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Monday, August 24th, 2015 AT 7:45 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
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A lot of times, the plug wires can be affected by moisture. However, once they dry out, the problem should stop. Do you have access to a scanner that can read real time data?
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Monday, August 24th, 2015 AT 7:56 PM
Tiny
TMAC616
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  • 6 POSTS
Nope, I had it checked at autozone, he plugged a scanner up to it, not sure if it was a real time scanner or not
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Monday, August 24th, 2015 AT 8:06 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 108,179 POSTS
It has to be something electrical since it was affected by the rain.
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Thursday, August 27th, 2015 AT 4:40 PM
Tiny
TMAC616
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
Is it possible that somehow moisture got its way into the gas tank? I know it sounds kinda crazy but when I think about it it keeps hinting me towards that, like the gas is bad, I think Ill try some lucas gas treatment and see if that helps, someone once told me that even a molecule of water can block gas going through intermittently
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Sunday, August 30th, 2015 AT 7:52 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 108,179 POSTS
Chances are nothing is in the tank from the rain. Give it a try and let me know what happens.
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Monday, August 31st, 2015 AT 8:47 AM
Tiny
TMAC616
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  • 6 POSTS
I shall do, the only other explaination would be the obd system is faulty, if thats even possible
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Monday, August 31st, 2015 AT 9:39 AM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
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I think you mean the PCM (power control module).
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Tuesday, September 1st, 2015 AT 11:08 AM
Tiny
TMAC616
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
Yeah, and the gas treatment didnt work, I put it in and put 3/4 of a tank of gas and theres only 1/4 left and no difference in performance so my last option will be to replace the plugs, and if that don't work than Im stumped, I did notice when I got the car back in december there was a mouse nest under the intake manifold, I never actually saw the mouse but it makes me wander if there was one could it have chewed on a wire or wires and caused this?
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Tuesday, September 1st, 2015 AT 11:30 AM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
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Mice love wiring and there are many things around the intake that can cause this. Check the wiring to all sensors such as throttle position, mass air flow, idle air control.
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Wednesday, September 2nd, 2015 AT 6:55 PM

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