I am not a happy camper. I'm getting a SES light for insufficient airflow to EGR. Six times so far. I talked to Jim and he has been very helpful (he said the PCM should have learned after a few resets but it has not) but according to him the way to fix this is in my chip program. That's all well and good but what do I do when I have to go back to the dealer (leave the chip in....yeah right? What about if I wanted to sell it.... buy a chip to leave in the truck? Am I the only one to have this problem or am I just the lucky one? I tried to sell the whole exhaust system for $1500.00 (an $1895.00 cost from JDM) before I installed it and just do a Maganaflow cat-back but did not get one response. Beware before getting a setup like the JDM's that this could happen to you also.


Jerry

 

I had no problems...
If you brought the truck to the dealer with long tubes and possibly other mods, what difference would it make if there was a chip installed? They would still look at the PCM and know that a chip was installed at some point. Do you think they wouldn't void your warranty even though a chip is not in there at the time they looked at it? No flame here, just trying to understand.

And if you sold the truck with an exhaust system that cost you $1895, then why wouldn't you sell it with a $300 chip?

 

The $300.00 is not the point. I'm not sure what the point is but it just pisses me off. This is just something I never expected! I would have liked to have been warned about this possible problem. I never had any trouble getting my 99 fixed under warranty and I had a chip but I would pull it each time I went in for service and install the plastic cover back on. I'm sure if I had a rod through the block they would have checked, but what about a head gasket? They changed one of mine and never even looked at the PCM. I'm just saying that since Ford is looking for reasons to void your warranty I would rather not throw the chip in their face when I go in for service.

Jerry

 

HI!... I'm running the JDM/KOOKS LT headers, MAGNAFLOW CATS and MAGNAFLOW mufflers, "X" pipe and tips and have never got a SES light. Have you tried cleaning or replacing your EGR valve?

https://www.f150online.com/galleries...-793-29799.jpg

 

No Neal I have not. The truck only has 1800 miles on it. I would **** on a sparkpulg if I thought it would help

Jerry

 

testing the egr system is VERY simple and really shouldn't have anything to do with your headers.

you probably have a bad DPFE sensor.

all you have to do is apply vacuum to the egr valve at idle and see if the idle drops off or begins to run rough/stumble.

it it starts running rough, then you know that the egr is functional, you can also check the vacuum from the EVR (supplies vacuum to the egr valve to open it when the PCM commands) during a self test to test the wiring and the EVR solenoid.

if the egr is opening with vacuum and the evr is supplying vacuum when commanded by the pcm, then you have a bad DPFE.

you can also monitor the DPFE voltage with a scan tool and watch the EGR valve opening.

I don't think this has anything to do with your headers.

DPFEs go bad regularly regardless of mileage, in fact, ford is replacing so many of them that they came out with a TSB that cut the labor and diagnosis time down to .3 tenths (18 minutes) on most vehicles.

good luck.

later,
chris

 

Chris, thanks for the info and I hope you are right but Jim said this is a problem he sees with long tubes and hgigh flow cats sometimes. It came on the first time the day after I installed the headers. Do you think I should take it to the dealer? I bet they tell me to go pound sand and blame it on the headers. Jim seemed to think his system caused it but only on a few select trucks. I will tell you one thing I've noticed since the headers were installed. At a steady 1200-1500 RPM's in high gear I can feel the truck miss or surge just a little....a very little. It does not miss unless I'm in high gear and using very little throttle. Maybe you are right. Would those simptoms make since?

Jerry

 

A 'leaky' EGR valve can cause an egn. 'miss' throughout the driving speed range--according to my Haynes manual.

Dan

 

I often wonder why some have problems such as this.

I added JDM headers and cat back on my truck the day they came out with them and installed headers myself in our garage on jack stands along with help from my son and have not had a single problem nor did I get my chip re-burned. This was a very easy install.

Few if any had the problem you are talking about. What code is showing? Could one of your O2 sensors be bad?

Jim and crew will be out for Fun Ford here in Houston first of next month. If you can drop by the track could get your problem resolved much faster.

Why would you ever want to remove anything anyway? Once I replace something I never go back.

 

John, I hope you are not implying that some don't know how to correctly install the headers and that's why we have the problem because you could not be further from the truth. I made my living as a mechanic (we were not called techs in those days) from 1975 until 1982. Then I was head mechanic for a bowling center for the next 5 years (Brunswick). I don't know much about the new computer cars but I am very able to install headers correctly, in fact I thought the install was a piece of cake and I, like you, did it in my garage on jack stands but with no one's help! I installed a set on my V-10 motor home last summer in the driveway. This post was not a poke at JDM (even though I have done that in the past). Jim has called me twice to discuss this problem. He said he does not know why it happens to some trucks and not others. And i've been to two different dealerships and one Autozone and all three codes read said "insufficient airflow to EGR". Jim said if it was an O2 sensor the code would tell us witch one. Sorry if I am lashing out at you John I've just had nothing but trouble with mods for this new 03.......FT valve body that shifts poorly at the 1-2, too loud twin muffler system, Sloted rotors that rusted (I assumed they were plated), a Flex-A-Lite E- fan that will wake the dead (you can hear it in the cab at idle with the windows up and the a/c on and the radio going) and now this SES crap
I had many mods on my 99 (all installed by me) and never had a single problem with any one of them. The slight miss I hear and feel (and it is very slight) was not there before the header install...or maybe I just could not hear it.

Jerry

 

Whats does DPFE stand for?

 

DPFE or DPFEGR

Delta Pressure Feedback Exhaust Gas Recirculation

a sensor that monitors the operation of the EGR valve by monitoring differences in exhaust pressure at two points in the system.

A stuck open EGR valve can cause a miss or rough idle.

However, the code he is getting is INSUFFICIENT FLOW meaning that the PCM doesn't see the EGR valve opening when commanded. an EGR valve with insufficient flow would be stuck closed and this would not have a driveability symptom (except possible spark knock) just a check engine light.

later,
chris

 

Jerry, I was not trying to insult your intelligence about the install of your headers and problems you encountered. I did not read all of the posts on this thread till this morning and realized that Chris(superford) explained what your problem is or could be.

What I was trying to get across I have not had any problems due to the header installs that I have done and I have done several.

Fortunately I have not had any major problems other than the famous clunk and bad vibration shortly after I purchased my truck 3 years ago and was fixed by my dealer.

When I go to my dealer they love to see my mods and I let a select few drive my truck. They love it..... but then again I have bought many vehicles from them. Overall they take pretty good care of me with my mods..

You coming to Fun Ford here in Houston May 2nd thru 4th? You don't have to race.

 

Wow Jerry, sorry to hear of ALL the frigging problems you have been having. Seems like you sure have had a run of bad luck, maybe it's time for it to go the other way for you. I certainly hope so!

As far as a light with the headers. Mine have been on for 6 months with no problems. And with my luck, I figured I would have had some problems.........LOL

I hope superfords lead you in the right direction to fix that stinkin SES light. Good Luck

 

I don't have a Lightning (Used to have a Cobra), but I did have the same problem, same codes the day after installing dual exhaust on my Lariat. Like you, I though the exhaust was causing the problem. After asking around on here and on the Ford Flat Rate tech site however, the unamimous concensus was that it was an EGR/DPFE problem. The Ford techs over at flatratetech.com said that EGR and or DPFE problems show up right after exhaust work all the time. The reasoning being that the reduction in back pressure eliminates the "crutch" that helps the EGR/DPFE keep functioning even when it's degraded. Based on their advice, I took it in and sure enough, the DPFE sensor was defective and the EGR ports were clogged with crud. They cleaned the EGR ports, and replaced the DPFE sensor under a DPFE sensore TSB/Extended warranty. Code gone, exhaust purring along just fine. Best of luck.