Desperately need help troubleshooting P0012
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From: League City, Texas
Desperately need help troubleshooting P0012
Okay here's the poop...
2004 F150 5.4L 4x4, right at 110K miles, nothing but synthetic oil since i bought it at 16K miles. Replaced the bank 1 VCT solenoid and grommet at 107K and P0012 code went away, but not long after a slew of other codes and clogged cats sprung up...
Now with my wallet much lighter, I have fresh plugs, and COPS on the thing, and that #$%# P0012 came back and I am not sure what is causing it...
Cam phasers make a slight tick, but nothing seriously loud, just the same ticking noise they have made since the day I got the truck, Ford has looked at it before and said it was okay...
When I replaced the VCT solenoid, I found that there was a considerable amount of goo up in the top side of the valve cover around the solenoid, so shortly thereafter I did an oil change and put in the specified amount of Marvel Mystery Oil to help clean out the goo...
I am at my wits end, I have other work the truck needs, and I need this truck right now. How the heck can I troubleshoot this thing? Sorry but the VCT system is pretty alien to me, I tend to go old school here...
2004 F150 5.4L 4x4, right at 110K miles, nothing but synthetic oil since i bought it at 16K miles. Replaced the bank 1 VCT solenoid and grommet at 107K and P0012 code went away, but not long after a slew of other codes and clogged cats sprung up...
Now with my wallet much lighter, I have fresh plugs, and COPS on the thing, and that #$%# P0012 came back and I am not sure what is causing it...
Cam phasers make a slight tick, but nothing seriously loud, just the same ticking noise they have made since the day I got the truck, Ford has looked at it before and said it was okay...
When I replaced the VCT solenoid, I found that there was a considerable amount of goo up in the top side of the valve cover around the solenoid, so shortly thereafter I did an oil change and put in the specified amount of Marvel Mystery Oil to help clean out the goo...
I am at my wits end, I have other work the truck needs, and I need this truck right now. How the heck can I troubleshoot this thing? Sorry but the VCT system is pretty alien to me, I tend to go old school here...
Db, I would start by swapping the vct solenoids side to side. Run it, and see if the fault follows the solenoid. It will also give you a chance to look at the solenoid. If any goo is found, or the screens look bugger'd, I would replace it.
If that does not clear things up, I would try swapping the cam sensors side to side. Could be setting the fault due to a faulty sensor as well.
Those would be two of the easiest things to check. Unfortunately if those don't clear the issue up, I would suspect an issue with the phaser/tensioner/guides.
If that does not clear things up, I would try swapping the cam sensors side to side. Could be setting the fault due to a faulty sensor as well.
Those would be two of the easiest things to check. Unfortunately if those don't clear the issue up, I would suspect an issue with the phaser/tensioner/guides.
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From: La Porte, TX
[QUOTE=dbhost;5149011
Now with my wallet much lighter, I have fresh plugs, and COPS on the thing, and that #$%# P0012 came back and I am not sure what is causing it...
Cam phasers make a slight tick, but nothing seriously loud, just the same ticking noise they have made since the day I got the truck, Ford has looked at it before and said it was okay...
I tend to go old school here...[/QUOTE]
Unfortunately, "a slight tick" still counts the same as any other phaser tick symptomatic of low oil pressure. Even the "old school" tells you that's never a good sign.
As with everyone else that uses "proper" filters and 5w-20 oil, that won't stop poor quality timing chain components from disintegrating and clogging up the oil pump pickup and frying the engine to some degree--phasers don't tick if they're getting the proper 25 PSI--and that goo up top in those VCT solenoids is wreaking havoc down low, too. That's where you are at.
Where do you want to go from there?
Now with my wallet much lighter, I have fresh plugs, and COPS on the thing, and that #$%# P0012 came back and I am not sure what is causing it...
Cam phasers make a slight tick, but nothing seriously loud, just the same ticking noise they have made since the day I got the truck, Ford has looked at it before and said it was okay...
I tend to go old school here...[/QUOTE]
Unfortunately, "a slight tick" still counts the same as any other phaser tick symptomatic of low oil pressure. Even the "old school" tells you that's never a good sign.
As with everyone else that uses "proper" filters and 5w-20 oil, that won't stop poor quality timing chain components from disintegrating and clogging up the oil pump pickup and frying the engine to some degree--phasers don't tick if they're getting the proper 25 PSI--and that goo up top in those VCT solenoids is wreaking havoc down low, too. That's where you are at.
Where do you want to go from there?
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From: League City, Texas
Unfortunately, "a slight tick" still counts the same as any other phaser tick symptomatic of low oil pressure. Even the "old school" tells you that's never a good sign.
As with everyone else that uses "proper" filters and 5w-20 oil, that won't stop poor quality timing chain components from disintegrating and clogging up the oil pump pickup and frying the engine to some degree--phasers don't tick if they're getting the proper 25 PSI--and that goo up top in those VCT solenoids is wreaking havoc down low, too. That's where you are at.
Where do you want to go from there?
As with everyone else that uses "proper" filters and 5w-20 oil, that won't stop poor quality timing chain components from disintegrating and clogging up the oil pump pickup and frying the engine to some degree--phasers don't tick if they're getting the proper 25 PSI--and that goo up top in those VCT solenoids is wreaking havoc down low, too. That's where you are at.
Where do you want to go from there?
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As I understand it, the VCT solenoid, with full oil flow one way will retard the cam, with oil flow partial will lock the cam, and no oil flow will advance the cam, or do I have that wrong? So the over retard could be gack in the solenoid bunging it up correct?
My first concern I would think is how the heck do I get the gack out of the engine safely? I have been running this truck on Royal Purple and Mobil 1 since the day I got it, I believe Ford calls for 7,500 mile intervals between oil changes, I never went over 5K. But when I swapped out the VCT solenoid bigger than snot there was a black gooey film on the under side of that valve cover, and the outside of where the VCT installed. It is possible that the same gunk is through the galleys and such...
I am not adverse to doing the timing set, and phasers, but I want to make sure I am getting proper oil flow and pressure to the phasers / solenoids before I go stabbing more parts that this thing...
My first concern I would think is how the heck do I get the gack out of the engine safely? I have been running this truck on Royal Purple and Mobil 1 since the day I got it, I believe Ford calls for 7,500 mile intervals between oil changes, I never went over 5K. But when I swapped out the VCT solenoid bigger than snot there was a black gooey film on the under side of that valve cover, and the outside of where the VCT installed. It is possible that the same gunk is through the galleys and such...
I am not adverse to doing the timing set, and phasers, but I want to make sure I am getting proper oil flow and pressure to the phasers / solenoids before I go stabbing more parts that this thing...
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From: DFW
It doesn't take very long to cook the oil at higher than normal engine Temps
The 5.4 3v is notorious for having oil passage/oil pressure issues.
I'd recommend running a quart of transmission fluid in the oil to help clean it out. The detergents found in the trans fluid help to clean gunk out of the engine.
The 5.4 3v is notorious for having oil passage/oil pressure issues.
I'd recommend running a quart of transmission fluid in the oil to help clean it out. The detergents found in the trans fluid help to clean gunk out of the engine.
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Oddly enough, it was Motor Medic, not AutoRX I was thinking of... My bad... I need a safe, effective motor flush for sure...
I have to finish stabbing the water pump on the Saturn, bolt the AC compressor in, flush / fill the cooling system, charge the battery, toss the serpentine belt on it, and get it insured and inspected again... Then the truck comes out of service for some LONG overdue maintenance...
I have to finish stabbing the water pump on the Saturn, bolt the AC compressor in, flush / fill the cooling system, charge the battery, toss the serpentine belt on it, and get it insured and inspected again... Then the truck comes out of service for some LONG overdue maintenance...