Check engine light came on?

Have you checked to see if the catylatic converter is starting to plug? Also, have you checked fuel pressure?

Let me know.

Before taking it to a mechanic, take it to a nationally recognized parts store and have them scan the computer for you. Most will do it for free. After you do that, let me know what they tell you and maybe you can fix it yourself or at least I can tell you what to expect.

Do that and let me know what you find.

Joe

So what did the check engine lite say?

A loose ground wire breaks the circuit which causes a reduction in current flow. Fuses blow because of too much current. The fault code is not related. It has to do with the evaporative emissions recovery system, not vacuum hoses. If there's a small leak, you usually need a smoke machine to inject a white smoke at 2 psi, then you look for where it's sneaking out.

A simple trick to finding a short is to replace the blown fuse with a pair of spade terminals, then use small jumper wires to connect them to a 12 volt light bulb. A brake light bulb works well. When the circuit is live and the short is present, the bulb will be full brightness and hot so be sure it's not laying on the carpet or against a plastic door panel. Now you can unplug electrical connectors and move things around to see what makes the short go away. When it does, the bulb will get dim or go out.

Hi:
If the check engine light is on, chances are the computer has stored a code which will identify the problem. Chances are it is a coil pack. Take the vehicle to a nationally recognized parts store and have them scan it for codes. Most will do it for free. Let me know what they tell you.
Joe

Hello,

Here are the possibilities.

A lean fuel condition may exist if the engine is sucking in too much air and/or the fuel system is not delivering enough fuel. If bad enough, a lean fuel condition may cause lean misfire, a rough idle, hesitation or stumble when accelerating, and/or poor engine performance.

Unmetered air can enter the engine through a vacuum leak, a dirty airflow sensor that is not reading airflow accurately, an EGR valve is not closing and is leaking exhaust into the intake manifold, an EGR valve that is allowing too much flow (because the EGR differential pressure sensor that monitors EGR flow is faulty and is under-reporting EGR flow).

If the problem is not enough fuel, the underling cause may be a weak fuel pump, restricted fuel filter, leaky fuel pressure regulator or dirty fuel injectors.

DIRTY MAF SENSOR

One of the most common causes of Ford P0171 and P0174 lean codes is a dirty mass airflow (MAF) sensor. The MAF sensor is located in the air inlet tube
just ahead of the throttle body. The MAF sensor should be protected from outside dust and debris by the air filter, but sometimes the air filter doesn't fit real tight inside the housing and allows unfiltered air into the engine. Dirt can stick to the MAF sensor wire and form a coating that slows the response of the sensor to changes in airflow. The MAF sensor can also be contaminated by fuel vapors that back up through the intake manifold and throttle body when the engine is shut off. The vapors can leave a waxy coating on the sensor wire. This causes the MAF sensor to under report airflow, which in turn misleads the powertrain control module (PCM) so it doesn't add enough fuel to maintain a properly balanced air/fuel ratio. As a result, the engine runs lean and sets a P0171 and/or P0174 code (see Ford TSB 98-23-10 for details).

If the MAF is dirty, the fix is easy enough: just clean or replace the MAF sensor. In many instances, the MAF sensor can be successfully cleaned by spraying the sensor element with electronics cleaner. Do not use any other type of cleaner as this may damage the sensor.

Disconnect the air inlet tube just ahead of the sensor, and then spray the electronics cleaner through the screen at the wire element in the center of the little MAF sensor. Let the cleaner soak in for several minutes, then give it another shot of cleaner. Let it sit another five minutes, then reconnect the air inlet tubing and start the engine.

If the lean codes keep coming back, the MAF sensor may have to be replaced if the engine does not have a vacuum leak or fuel delivery problem.

VACUUM LEAKS

Another common cause of Ford P0171 and P0174 ean codes is an engine vacuum leak. Ford TSB 04-17-4 details procedures for checking fuel trim and looking for vacuum leaks.

On 3.8L Fords with a split-plenum intake manifold, the port gaskets and isolator bolt assemblies for the upper plenum can deteriorate over time and leak air, often as a result of oil being sucked into the intake manifold through the PCV system. Also the vacuum hose that connects the fuel pressure regulator to the intake manifold can swell and leak vacuum where the hose connects to the manifold. Ford TSB 03-16-1 says the fix involves several steps: remove the upper manifold plenum and replace the original gaskets and bolts with revised ones, replace the front valve cover with a revised valve cover that reduces the amount of oil vapor sucked into the PCV system, inspect and replace the fuel pressure regulator hose, and finally, reflash the PCM so it is less sensitive to lean fuel conditions.

BAD DPFE SENSOR

Ford p0171 AND p0174 lean codes can also be set by a bad EGR differential pressure sensor. These sensors have a very high failure rate once a vehicle has more than about 60,000 miles on the odometer or is more than five or six years old.

The DPFE sensor is mounted on the engine, and is attached with two rubber hoses to the tube that routes exhaust gas to the EGR valve. The original equipment sensor has an rectangular aluminum housing about three inches long. Corrosion inside the sensor reduces its sensitivity to EGR flow, causing it to under-report EGR flow. The PCM responds by increasing EGR flow, which may keep the EGR valve open longer than usual creating a lean condition in the engine. Thus, a bad sensor may set a P0401 code (insufficient EGR flow), or it may not set an EGR code but a P0171 and/or P0174 lean code instead.

The cause of the P0401 code in most cases turns out to be a bad DPFE sensor, not an EGR valve problem or an EGR valve that is plugged up with carbon (though this can also set a P0401 code). An aftermarket replacement DPFE sensor costs less than $50 and usually gets rid of not only the P0401 code, but also the P0171 and P0174 codes, too.

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If the light is on, there is a trouble code stored in the computer. We need to know what code it is. Take the vehicle to a nationally recognized parts store. Most of them will scan it for free. Have that done and let me know what code they find.

Joe

Here is a guide that will help with this but we need to find out what codes are causing the light to come on. There are hundreds of codes that could cause the light to come on so we need to start with this.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/checking-a-service-engine-soon-or-check-engine-light-on-or-flashing

Let us know what the codes are and we can figure out next steps. Thanks