Car is running like dirt... here are the symptoms

[94Redbird]

First of all it takes a bit of turning to get her started and when she starts instead of a smooth idle I get a evenly spaced (loping I guess you'd call it) cough cough type of an idle. When I put the car in gear with the brake on it keeps reving like that almost as if I was quickly hitting the gas and letting go, hitting and letting go. With the brake on the car actually trys to pull itself ahead as it revs high and the brakes slip a bit. With the brake off the car will pull itself ahead a foot and stop, pull ahead a foot, and stop. If I put the car in park or neutral after having it in gear the idling actually straightens out a little but is still rough. Out of the exhaust I have black smoke and an awful smell but it doesn't really smell like gasoline that much. And finally for the first time ever since I've been having problems the engine light has come on but it's not storing a hard code because it goes off when I shut off the car and doesn't come back on until I put it in gear again if I remember correctly. I'm starting to think I might have internal problems in the top end and there does almost sound like something might be loose in there. There was always ticking noise coming from under the top pans but it seems worse now.

I need some direction as to where to look next so let me know what you guys think the problem most likely is due to the above symptoms.

Thanks

[BobbyZ72]

if its makeing a noise like something might be loose, somethings big time wrong. How many mile do you have on it, have to done regualar oil changes. id have to hear it but it sounds like a broken rod or something. good luck.

[94Redbird]

Almost 200,000km's now. I've owned the car for almost 4 years now and have changed the oil regularly every 5000km's. I've been using mobil one oil since I've owned the car too. As for how she was treated by the previous owner I'm not sure but I got a feeling not so good.

[dashboardrunner]

mine did something like that and it ended up bein the vaccum hose going into the throttle body... dont know if its like that on a 3.4 or not.. sorry i couldnt be more help...

[T-Tops3511]

I had a 1995 Ford crown vic a couple years ago that had that same problem where it would pull forward like that. It was some sort of a Acceleration sensor type thing can't remember what exactly it was off the top of my head I know it was expensive as hell to fix.. And that ticking noise might be a early sign of a rod going for sure i gas police cars with high miles on then part time and alot of them have get that nasty engine knock. All our mechanic really tells us is to take it easy on em cause if you beat it up engine will go pop. Check with ur mechanic and get that Fixed ASAP!