I recently went to autozone, and they ran the codes on my f150 1998 130K miles, and they came up with P1538, and P1537. Can anyone tell me what these two codes mean, and how I can go about fixing the problem. Thanks. John.

 

P1537 Intake Manifold Runner Control (Bank 1) Stuck Open
P1538 Intake Manifold Runner Control (Bank 2) Stuck Open

that's what my books says.

 

I'm assuming you have the 4.2l v6. If this is the case, there are two intake runners per cylinder, one long (torque) one short (horsepower), default setting for these would be long runners or closed. There is a valve so to speak inside the intake manifold operated by a motor that switches to the short runners when the RPM"s reach a preset point. However there has been a problem with this design, not only with the 4.2's, but the 2.5's and 3.8's and every other motor that uses this design. The motors go bad, or the valve gets carboned up and no longer moves. If you have a 4.2 start there, if not I'm not sure what is wrong.

 

Did you get it fixed? Mine threw the same codes. Any info would be great!

 

I am having the same problem with code p1537 and p1538. I have had the intake manifold off to check the valves them selves. both are good, no ruptured bellows. I do not seem to be getting power to the vacuum switch to activate these valves, or to the 4x4 vacuum switch.
Can anybody help with this, or let me know how to trace the control circut?
Thanks Kevin

 

Quick history and I do not claim to be more than an amateur. I originally had a p1537 so I took off the air plenum and found that the linkage to the passenger side imrc had come off as the white plastic bushing had fell out of the runner arm on the lower intake manifold. I replaced bushing and suction tested both imrcs and gently actuated them byhand all was good and the springs returned them to extended. Then after putting it all together I still had a P1537, so I replaced the passenger side P1537 and then got a p1538 so I replaced the driver side imrc. Now I have both codes. Thus I thought I would use my vacuum guage and got strange results. First when I pulled off the vacuum lines from the IMRC solenoid it released a vacuum suggesting no leaks. I connected my vacuum guage and with the motor running my guage was at about 20. So I plugged that line from the resevoir back to the bottom of the solenoid and attached my guage on the side of the solenoid that connects to the IMRCs. When the engine starts for awhile I get a vacuum of about 20 then it goes to 20 and never returns even when I have someone hold the gas pedal down to really rev up the engine. I estimate I have achieved the 3000 rpm range that should have energized the solenoid and thus I expected vacuum. Is this a vaild test? My next test tommorow is to put a vacuum guage inline with the egr via a tee and another one, since I have two, on the line going to the imrc actuators coming out of the imrc solenoid. This is my werid theory, what if my egr diaphram is bad and since both the imrc and egr solenoid are fed from the same vacuum canister, maybe I am losing vacuum when the egr solenoid opens to allow vacuum goto the valve. However what suggests that is from insanity is that the truck is running well with what seems to be normal gas mileage but with a slighlty rough idle, like I have one gunked up spark plug which I suspect happened after trying seafoam into one of the big vacuum lines on the side of the air plenum. Sorry for being so long but trying to give enough detail.

Sorry I did not notice that I opened an old thread. I was worried i would post in the wrong section. I promise to get up to speed and learn the forums rules. My truck is 1998 Ford 4.2L V6 2wd with auto transmission. I used a vacuum tester and guage today and the vacuum canister holds vacuum, the egr valve and solenoid operates normally, but I cannot figure out why I see the above behaivor: When the vacuum guage is on the IMRC side of the imrc solenoid, I get vacuum for awhile when I first start the truck the even when reving it up I never see it again. Could it be due to the fact that the computer thinks they are already open so it doesnt send voltage to the imrc solenoid? I also sprayed carberator cleaner around every where and found no leaks.

 

You do realize you reopened a 5 year old thread, right?

You also did not identify your truck at all - without year and engine nobody can help you - we can't see your truck through the Internet.

 

Don't you love when a thread comes back from the dead



Someone should reopen this thread in another five years

 

Reopenend

 

Why?

 

has anyone figured this out or can point me on the right track. Thanks

 

Juan, please start a new thread in the V6 forum with full details.

 

Bringing back an old thread. I have not been able to solve these codes. I've replaced both imrcs. Made sure the linkage are connected with the bushings. I'm stumped.