why would a ford explorer run rough after unhitching the battery and the service engine soon light come on?

Asked by ervine May 03, 2014 at 05:08 PM about the 2004 Ford Explorer XLT V6 4WD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

i have a 2004 ford explorer 4.0 and i went to start it and it wouldn't start. so i changed the
fuel filter and unplugged the battery; then i plugged the battery back in; and it wouldn't
start. i finally got it to start; but it's running rough. the only way i can get it to idle is by
holding down the gas pedal. or it will just die. after i unhitched the battery and plugged it
back in; the service engine soon light came on. can anyone please tell me why this is.

1 Answer

58,565

Have you retrieved the codes to see what the computer has to say? It's possible that you may have unplugged something by accident. A quick code check will tell you which system to check. Simply disconnecting and reconnecting the Battery will not disable the vehicle. While it is true that the system will have to re-learn the engine and may idle funny for a while, that won't prevent you from driving it. Check the DTC's and see what cha got.

1 people found this helpful.

Your Answer:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    OJ
    Reputation
    31,070
  • #2
    TransAm77
    Reputation
    7,890
  • #3
    Gene Arnett
    Reputation
    7,340
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Ford F-150
321 Great Deals out of 14,968 listings starting at $1,712
Used Ford Expedition
23 Great Deals out of 821 listings starting at $7,888
Used Chevrolet Tahoe
24 Great Deals out of 911 listings starting at $11,900
Used Jeep Grand Cherokee
109 Great Deals out of 3,238 listings starting at $4,995
Used Dodge Durango
46 Great Deals out of 2,266 listings starting at $5,500
Used Toyota Highlander
32 Great Deals out of 738 listings starting at $2,495
Used Honda Pilot
40 Great Deals out of 1,271 listings starting at $4,495
Used Toyota 4Runner
10 Great Deals out of 304 listings starting at $9,700
Used GMC Yukon
16 Great Deals out of 929 listings starting at $1,225
Used Chevrolet Silverado 1500
202 Great Deals out of 5,975 listings starting at $2,975
Used Nissan Pathfinder
35 Great Deals out of 1,373 listings starting at $4,333

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.