alaska-

Did you ever figure your lean code problem out ? You just had a bank one fault ?

 

I still haven't figured mine out either! Piece of junk keeps spitting the code at me! I'm stopping at the store on the way home and picking up a new fuel filter and some carb clean, see if I can't pinpoint a vacuum leak. I also read of a much crazier way to amplify a vacuum leak that an ASE tech posted, not sure if I will go to those extremes but we will see what happens. I'm assuming it is best to hunt for these vacuum leaks on a cold engine? Anyone want to bet that it is NOT the elbow behind the TB??

 

I like to check mine off the truck in sections - specially those little 3/16 lines - the harness is easier to check that way if you have a cheap little vac tester.

If you didn't check that 90 degree elbow yet - well , that's just crazy

Once you know where it is , you can get to it and pull it off without removing hardley anything . It's a biatch to do - but can be done.. In fact that entire PCV system goes south eventually on the older models - they dry out and become brittle @ the hardline. I'm using my second system - first one was shot at just a little over 165,000 miles. I'm at 235,000 now and the replacment is still like new , but I keep it oiled along with the hard plastic lines so they don't dry out.

When I had lean codes I had to replace my intake gaskets . The pasenger side was shot and both heads were pitted in the bad spots. The heads are easy to fix when that happens , it did take most of the weekend for me to do everything. I took my time.

 

jbrew - it has been friggin' cold up here lately, lots below zero, so I haven't gotten out to work on the truck much. Because my furnace is at the front of my garage, my truck is about 10 inches too long to put my garage door down and work "inside."

My lean code was 1131 (I think I remember that right) and was the passenger side O2 sensor. That's done and codes are gone, but I think it is still running pretty lean (although not enough to throw a code) since the mpg is so bad. It has started to warm up a bit the last couple days, into the 40's, so I may get to it this weekend.

I plan on running air up the exhaust to check for exhaust leaks, replacing TB elbow, checking for other vacuum leaks, replacing fuel filter, and maybe clean out the TB. Might be somewhat optimistic, but we'll see.

 

Yea, It's warming up a little around here - still snow on the ground tho.

I was getting pretty sh^ty mileage at one time and I had new forward O2's.

I figured something was wrong with them and ended paying a little more for OEM O2's . I purchased 4 of them this time and replaced them all. I average between 12 - 16 mpg - but I'm heavy on the foot . I Imagine I could get 18 if I drove civilized. But hell , when I was running Berg/Warner forward O2's , I was lucky to get 9 mpg. It made a big difference going back to OEM's.

 

No I have checked it before, this is the third time I believe, no pin holes at all. I sprayed the MAF like there was no tomorrow,let that dry. Made sure all vacuum hoses were on tight. Started the truck up, watched the rpms on the edge (just hooked up to use as gauges). Truck mostly idled around 800rpm +/-20. I sprayed carb clean all over, nothing made a difference, at least not a noticeable difference. I did pull the vacuum hose off the side of the TB, the one that has the red, black, white 3/16 vacuum lines running to it, that really caused it to stumble, hooked it back up, ran smooth. Truck has 124,000 so I'm sure it could be intake gaskets. Just weighing whether or not I should take it to Ford and pay for the diagnostic. I'm sure I could do the gaskets myself, but if they aren't the problem I don't know what is.

I cleared the CEL for now and replaced the fuel filter(only 20k on the old one and was it full of crap!!!). Have to see how things run tomorrow morning, supposed to be -20 wind chill around here, so should be a good test.

 

You have an edge tuner ? Did you try going back to stock ? You know what else can cause those codes is the IAT grommet. If that's split or not seated right. If you have an after market intake, you can try swap back to stock to attempt to narrow it down a bit . I would try everything I could before tackling the intake gaskets.

Get a propane torch and go over everything with it, while shes running of course. You'll know it when the motor gets a good snort of that stuff - Works the best if you don't have smoker. I see that Auto Zone sell little smoker kits for leak detection , pretty cheap..

BTW - If you use propane, attach a section of hose to torch end . Some tips are detectable , that's even better. Use the hose to maneuver around in the engine compartment when searching for leaks. That's the only way I can find them.

You might want to "Suck Test" your EGR valve , just to make sure the valve moves. It might not be shutting all the way. That will definitely cause a stumble.

Keep in mind - Lean Codes and your stumble probably aren't related , they could be , but I doubt it.

 

I put the Bosch's on. See my changing O2 "sticky" - I didn't get them from the Ford dealer, but the one's I pulled off (originals) were Bosch as well.

 

I didn't get them from the dealer either . There's to many variations of BOSCH 02's made IMO

The only place that had the "exact" Bosch O2's for my 98 was autopartswharehouse . There's a long number you have to match up . it ends in 444 and 442 - Something like that (I don't have them in front me), but I've heard before that those are the Bosch number sequences you want to match up if you can. So when I found those , I snatched em up..

In-fact , before I tried the Berg warners - I ordered a set of Bosch first from an eBay store, but sent them back because the long number did not match . They looked the same..I couldn't find any at the time that did. Then I stumbled on them when looking for something else..

Not saying yours are wrong or anything like that . That's just how it went in my case.

 

I have the truck set to stock, been there since it started to throw the codes. I just hooked it up so I could see the RPM's numerically from the cab while I was spraying the vacuum lines. I do have a CAI, and the next step is to rip that out of there and put the stock piece back in, glad I kept it!

Oh and this morning 10 miles down the road, the CEL came back on. So as far as solving my 0171 & 0174, the new fuel filter and spraying the MAF did not work.
And just in case you were thinking it, no the elbow from the PCV did not have holes in it either.

 

It might just be the petrol your forced to run. I would think the fuel in your area is subjected to cold climate additives. That would suck, if that was the source of the problem. What can you do about that?

 

With your idle around 800 rpm , that's a pretty good indication that you have a leak somewhere if it isn't the MAF. I wouldn't suspect the upper intake as being the problem.

The Air Intake, lower intake, PCV system, TB or Plenum gaskets. The upper intake is usually a single fault code. It's unlikely that both uppers go bad at the heads at the same time. With both banks lean , it's leaking before the split.

The PCV elbow itself is just a common problem. It doesn't mean that the leak isn't in the PCV hard-line or somewhere else in that system. It could be leaking at the valve cover grommet. A damaged breather tube would cause these codes. I think you get the idea, you have to go threw it - fun fun fun

 

If only it was warmer so this wouldn't be a pain! So I will stick with the cheap stuff first. Like putting my stock intake back on, seeing how that makes the truck react. Then I'll move to the PCV, a full replacement. (the hard line looked clean and solid, sprayed some cleaner through there as well)

I'll see where I get and report back!

 

Cheap vs. Easy? I imagine putting the stock intake back on will take a lot of time, and may not end up being the problem. The PCV valve, tube all the way back to the elbow, and the elbow, cost about $40 at the ford dealer as a whole package deal. And can be changed in about 10 minutes. Just a thought.

 

I didnt buy a new MAf I went to Ford and got the PVC elbow.The one one there seemed alright but I am going to put the new one on. It has been colder than usual here so I got K1 for my heater and am going to go over everything again.Theres a Autozone close so I will match up any hose I can and replace them also. I just get fed up with not being able to find the problem,but I guiess throwing money at the problem willnot help any.Yhanks foe everyones help.