I changed the plugs, leads, oil and filter (Penrite is good stuff!!!), Air Filter and petrol filter and it made a big difference. Think the petrol filter was a bit ordinary.

Car starts a lot easier and doesn't seem to be as rough anymore when driving.

Mine just needed a good service.

Oh............the plugs I used were for the XR6 and I threw in a tank of 98 ron Shell Petrol.

Still got to check the timing, change the transmission oil and filter and maybe throw some electric cleaner over the MAP, but my issues seem to have sorted itself with a good service and probably good fuel.

Good to hear man.
Still gotta change my fuel filter.
Gaf, ics is the metal cylider thingo ontop of the thorttle body with 2 wires comming out of it.
Take the two bolts. One either side.
Disconect the wires at a plug a little way down.
Look inside the holes on the bottom. You should see a metal rod running longways. It'll probably be black and gunky.
This rod is a plunger. When it gets dirty it can give poor readings and cause hunting.
Grab some carby cleaner and blast it in the holes. Try and clean as much out as possibly. And let it dry.
Then put it back on.
If it still hunts as bad go to the wreckers. Should be able to get one for $10.

I got a question............



Isn't that the Throttle Position Sensor?

Where is the MAP sensor? Had a good look the other day and all I came up with was the ICS - what I thought was the TPS .

From what I know. What I've explaineld is the ics, idle control solinoid.
The TPS is apparently about halfway down the length on the log manifold on the block side. I've never found it.

The map sensor is on the firewall.
Its black plastic and is clearly visible.
Pretty sure it has ford stamped on it.
I was told its at the end of the green and black vacume lines. But its not. They go in the fire wall somewhere.

Cheers, will get onto that, and post findings!

Right oh, new fuel filter (old one was on backwards, and had what looked like rust in it)

Can of throttle body cleaner in and around the butterfly,

Took off the ICS solenoid thingymawhatsit, took that apart and spray and clean as best I could - plunger thing inside seemed to move smoothly.

With the ICS wires not conected, the idle is very smooth, also when Drive is engaged. Would there be any harm in leaving the ICS wire disconnected??, I don't have Air con on the ute, so no other big loads at placed on the motor at idle.

Will check everything tomorrow morning when it is cold.

It'll idle low when it's cold until it warms up but otherwise there is no harm in leaving it disconnected.

Is that it. f**k ima disconect mine then. I've bought 3 of the f**k. And about 5 cans of carbby cleaner trying to stop it hunting for good. Always comes back tho.

Someone asked about installing the fuel filter?

The fuel filter on my XH was located underneath the passenger side floorpan, about 1 foot back from the firewall.

It has screw on fittings - need a 14mm and 17mm (might have been a 19mm) spanner, wrap the bigger ring spanner over the fuel filter side connections, wrap the 14mm spanner over the threaded nuts that screw into the fuel filter and undo.

Installing is the reverse - just make sure you install the filter so it points the right way , usually there is an arrow on the fuel filter telling you which way to point the new fuel filter!

That was me.
Ill have a look for it.
does fuel comeout when its out?

Only a little bit of fuel ....

Anyhoo,
Cold start this morning after cleaning out ICS and changed fuel filter.

with ICS not plugged in, nice steady revs about 650rpm no hunting at idle, but still revs still flucuate when cruising or slight acceleratiion. (when really cold, slight drop in revs on slight acceleration from stop - when warm it's all ok - guess thats what the ics sorts out)

with ICS plugged in, higher idle, not so steady, but still revs flucuating when cruising or slight acceleratiion.

So am thinking it isn't the ICS, have spoken to a holden mechanic who suggested going down the lines of vaccumm leak, MAP sensor (Is that right?) or even the 2 wire thermostate giving faulty readings.

So have been listening with me piece of hose, and now cann't find anything (probably my s**t ears!) so it looks like it could be a trip to a real mechanics ......damn.

Mine is actually doing that a little bit still as well, cold starts are still a bit of an issue and when cruising there is still slight hesitation - however, it is a lot better than it was.

I am going to purchase a proper Ford XH Manual - it should have trouble shooting about this sort of thing...............but from experience, you can end up changing half the engine bay before you get to the route of the problem !

BUT..........I am thinking because the issue centre's around cold starts, there has to be something wrong with fuel delivery, as in the ECU is not telling the car it is cold, so the fuel mixture isn't rich enough, which leads me to believe it could be a temp sensor issue (the one that feeds the ECU information, not the temp gauge). I reckon it would be cheap to source one and give it a try!




It sure does if you do what I did and do not tighten it properly - that was tedious !

When undoing it though, a bit of fuel comes out, but it's not to bad, just make sure your head is not directly under the fuel filter when undoing it - lots of dirt and sh£t will fall down into your eyes, then when you get the connections lose a bit of fuel will spill out - I got a nice splash in the eye, which was once again pretty tedious !

Yeah, the holden mech I spoke to said it could be down those lines - Now someone could deffenately correct me here, but - there 2 sensors near the thermostate, which I believe the single wire is the temperature gauge, and the 2 wire is the important one which feeds the ecu.
we spoke about other remedies also, but from memory he definately mentions the 2 wire sensor.

Did all my running around today, with the ics plug disconected, and everthing was good, especially idle - except at cold. but still a little bit of hunting revs when cruising - bet heaps better - and very driveable.
As a plus - now it's on a constant low idle - that got to be better for fuel economy!

It will be the one with 2 wires!

I will wonder on down to a local wrecker and grab one to see if that makes a difference with the cold starting - I haven't actually looked for the one on the Ford L6 - but changed one before on an RB30 and it was effectively just a big bolt screwed into the side of the inlet manifold, so hoping the Ford one is easy enough to replace!

I came across this in another Fordmods thread,

With the below information you can test your 02 Sensor, Temp Sensor and IAT to see if they are working as they should.

Just need to be able to use a multi-meter - (Buy a decent one from Jaycar for $50 and there is sh£tloads of information online for this sort of basic testing).



This is where the ECU Pinout information is located.

documents.php?d=41