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Some 03 GT issues...

1K views 14 replies 4 participants last post by  dwbrand 
#1 ·
1. Rear axle seal is leaking, I figured I'd do both sides at the same time. How much of a headache is this?

2. The "fun" problem: my car will sputter at times, then even out. It tends to happen more going uphill but does do it downhill and on level ground sometimes. When the CEL finally came on, I got P0305 and P0316.

First thing, I installed a new fuel filter. It was 42,000 miles old, figured it was due anyway.

I have swapped COPs for 5 and 6 and am still waiting on the CEL to come back on to see if I'll get a P0306 this time around.

Has anybody had this kind of issue? The P0316 is a misfire within first 1000rpms and I've read that could be a crankshaft position sensor.

3. Has anybody used 44k by BG? My sister's Escape was in the shop at Ford and they swear by it, then the counter guy at CarQuest bragged it up (CQ does not carry BG products).


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#2 ·
1. The level of difficulty depends on your threshold of pain I suppose. It basically involves removing the axles, removing the seals, and then pounding in the new seals. Also, carefully inspect the bearings while you have it apart.
2. It is fairly common for 316 to be triggered with the misfire codes. So you will have to wait and see if it clears after you figure out the cause of the misfire.
3. I can't really speak to the use of any of the "snake oils". If I suspect internal contamination, I clean it the hard way, by disassembly and manual cleaning.
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the reply. Since then I have not gotten the P0305 code (or one similar) or the P0316. Twice I've gotten codes and both times they were P0420/P0430, which I've always gotten from my off road H pipe.

Last night and this morning the car did not throw a fit.


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#5 ·
Well a new batch of problems for me...

I went back to my stock airbox setup, took off the SR piece of junk CAI from AM that I wish I'd never bought. I think the car actually runs better now. I am missing the screen for the MAF, could that give me problems?

Motor vehicle Automotive exterior Bumper Tire Fender


What my car is doing now: sometimes at a stop, the idle becomes very choppy and bounces around from 500-750rpm. I can pop the trans in neutral and rev to 1000 and it's smooth all over again.

Sometimes, even after the car has run/drove 30 minutes, a hard braking will result in the engine dying. It always fires right back up.

The only code I'm getting is P0125. I'm not even getting the code for my catless h pipe consistently.

I've also got a heck of a creak randomly when turning left. Not every time. Power steering fluid level is normal.

I do have the larger throttle body (Accufab) on it, had to use some lubricant just to get the stock intake hose on it. Another source of a problem?


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#6 ·
Today, it died pulling into Casey's on my way to work. For the first time, it took a few tries to get it to start back. No check engine light.


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#8 ·
Does your engine seem to be running cooler than normal? If so, the thermostat may be stuck in the open position, triggering the P0125 code.
The front end noise could be caused by worn out steering rack bushings... The one on the drivers side, in particular, seems to be the first to fail.
 
#9 ·
At first, I thought it might seem cooler on the gauge but it's right down the middle as normal. The heat works great.

I'll crawl under and see what I can see on bushings. What can be replaced without an alignment?


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#10 ·
The steering rack bushings can be replaced without doing an alignment.
I would replace the thermostat, with a quality replacement, before changing the coolant temperature sensor. They aren't that expensive, and are much more prone to failure than the sensor is.
And, as Revvv mentioned, whenever you are experiencing strange driveability problems, the first thing that you should do is test the charging system to make sure that it is functioning properly.
 
#11 · (Edited)
I completely missed the charge comment. I'll see about that when I pick up the thermostat.

Although... it doesn't seem like a charging problem to me, other than I've noticed my headlights slightly dim at a stop. I'm only a couple months removed from putting an alternator on my truck and it acted nothing like this.

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#12 ·
Lights dimming are a sign of a strain being put on the alternator and / or battery.

The electrical system on these cars are a nightmare. If the alternator even thinks about going bad weird things happen that I have yet to see happen with other manufacturers.
 
#13 ·
Update:

That gap between the MAF and the airbox was apparently the problem. I went to the junkyard and tried to find that missing screen. I got one, but it was wrong. So, I used the rubber gasket from the CAI to fill most of the gap, then rapped it cleanly with electrical tape. My idle problem and dying has gone away.

I replaced the thermostat and haven't gotten the P0125 code since.

And the noise in the front end? Ball joint.


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#15 ·
It looks like I've got a ball joint on the way out, so I've got ball joints, sway bar bushings, sway bar links, and a RF hub to put on (I knew the wheel bearing was getting loose too).

Sorry it's taken me so long to reply back, the app quit working on my phone!
 
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