2010-07-31 Saturday - Smaller Houses, More Freedom

Interesting ideas:  
http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com  

http://www.thetinylife.com/ 

http://tinyhouseblog.com 

http://smalllivingjournal.com/

http://markopolo.smugmug.com/Tiny-House

2010-07-11 Sunday - The Planetary Society blog

http://www.planetary.org/blog

2010-07-05 Monday - Grand Canyon Trip

I got back this morning from a two-day trip to the Grand Canyon...

2010-07-03 Saturday - Ford Explorer

So, my 1998 Ford Explorer (now with 210,000 miles) has been running rough in this desert heat (110F+).

While doing some research, I came across the following helpful resources:

http://www.fordgenie.com/Ford/Explorer/

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/forum32/



How Does a 1998 Ford Explorer Mass Air Flow Sensor Work?

Symptoms of a Bad MAF
Mass air flow sensors on the Ford are not repairable but can be cleaned if done properly. It is common on a Ford Explorer for the mass air flow to get dirty which will give low numbers and cause the computer to lean out the mixture (less fuel, more air). When this happens, the check engine light will come on the dash, the idle will get rough and there will be a loss of power due to the lean condition. A pinging caused by detonation in the engine may also be heard.

How to Clean a MAF Sensor on a 2001 Ford Explorer

How to Clean a Ford Explorer MAF Sensor




YouTube Videos:

• MAF Sensor, Mass Air Flow Sensor Testing
• How-to Clean Mass Air Flow Sensor on FJ Cruiser
• How Do You Clean or Check a Mass Air Flow Sensor?
• How to Know if a Mass Air Flow Sensor is Bad

Problems with Ford Explorer Engine Ping / Pre-Detonation

Clean Your MAF

NOTE: You will need a special "Security TORX, Tamper Resistant"  tool:
http://www.wihatools.com/indexes/indxSecuritytorx.htm

http://www.tecratools.com/product1025.html

http://www.amazon.com/SE-pc-Security-Bit-Set/dp/B0009U6AB4/ref=pd_cp_hi_1


Here's what the socket looks like for the two screws that secure the MAF on my 1998 Ford Explorer: