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Little help here, Slightly lengthly explanation

rickycal78

New CEG'er
Joined
Jul 26, 2007
Messages
9
Location
Wisconsin Rapids, WI
Ok, I recently had my 2000 "Mystake" Zetec V4 ATX (about 73,000 miles), show a check engine light. I had the code checked and turns up P0171 too lean bank 1. After checking the forums here I got a pretty good idea how to start out so I changed the air filter and breather filter, changed the fuel filter, sprayed the MAF with electronics cleaner, and cleared the light. A day later it comes back on.

Now I've noticed that when the engine is still fairly cool, and before it gets really hot in the day, it sounds like it runs fine, and idles around 1k. After the engine is warmed up it starts to idle around 750 rpm or less when I'm at a light, and it sounds as if the engine is kinda sputtering almost.

From reading the forums further I gather the next few things to do are checking for vacuum loss(pcv valve), and checking the IAC. Now I'm kinda new at working on cars and not sure how to go about some of this. Do I spray the carb cleaner near the PCV valve and listen? I also read several different variations of how to change out the PCV, one of which involves moving the cat out of the way and one that doesn't.

I also read some stuff about checking and cleaning the IAC. Now I've never done either of those things and have no idea what the PCV or the IAC looks like and I was wondering if theres a resource online that may have pictures or maybe a better description. Any help would be appreciated
 
Lots of help will most likely come from other people then me, but some good advice is buy a manual on cd from todras. send him a pm their only 8bucks.
 
Does fuel level effect your engines behavior?

Does fuel level effect your engines behavior?

I had an identical problem on my 99, try this, as you go around a sharp corner, accelerate and see if the stumbling gets worse. If so, does it get worse with a low level of fuel in the tank? Mine did and it was a plugged filter inside of the tank and possibly a weak fuel pump. A new pump assembly fixed it just fine, but a bugger to install.
 
I had an identical problem on my 99, try this, as you go around a sharp corner, accelerate and see if the stumbling gets worse. If so, does it get worse with a low level of fuel in the tank? Mine did and it was a plugged filter inside of the tank and possibly a weak fuel pump. A new pump assembly fixed it just fine, but a bugger to install.

im having the same problem during hard acceleration, when the tank is below 1/4.
 
only answering part of your question: traditionally, when i check for vacuum leaks, i have the car running, and you can use carb cleaner or even wd-40 works well, then spray. sounds like you have a good idea of where the leak might be coming from, so yeah, just spray it near the connections, and you'll notice a certain difference if there is a leak.
 
only answering part of your question: traditionally, when i check for vacuum leaks, i have the car running, and you can use carb cleaner or even wd-40 works well, then spray. sounds like you have a good idea of where the leak might be coming from, so yeah, just spray it near the connections, and you'll notice a certain difference if there is a leak.

Actually I have no idea where the leak is if there is a leak, that's just what I've been seeing on the forums, would I actually just spray all over the engine compartment then?

As for Andreslobos suggestion: I'll keep that in mind when the tank goes down, just filled it the other day. If you had plugged filters in the tank, did you have to empty the tank and clear them then?


Thanks for the help so far.
 
Do you have the site address where I can download it from then?



This is the site where I found it but as you can see it is under some maintenance. Knew I should have saved those files before! :blackeye:
Give it a couple days. Not sure how long its been down though.
 
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few more details

few more details

Ok, I tried devanmc's suggestion about accelerating through turns, although my tank wasn't low, and I didn't notice any difference. I did however try a few other things to try and narrow down whats going on.

After driving around enough to get it up to temp, I put it in park, I get the kinda shuddering engine, rpm's below 750. I give it some gas to get around 1k still stumbles.
I put it in gear, foot on brake, rpm's about 750, stumbles, but when I give it enough gas to get around 1k (with foot on brake) it evens out.
I put it in neutral, same results as being in park.

Now as stated before, this only happens when engine is close to or up to normal temp. When I start it first thing in the morning, or when I go to leave work, theres no stumbling in park or in gear until after I've been driving a bit.

I still haven't had the chance to do vaccuum check or replace pcv.

Any suggestions at how to proceed from here besides the vacuum check?
 
doesn't sounds like the fuel pump or any of that yet. Ill let one of these smarter guys tell you about the pcv valve and vacuum leak, as im in uncharted territory with that.
 
a vacuum leak is gonna run like complete **** most of the time plus you will most likely get a "bank 1 too lean" code.
 
a vacuum leak is gonna run like complete **** most of the time plus you will most likely get a "bank 1 too lean" code.

As noted when I started this thread, I do have a p0171 bank 1 too lean code. I have started to notice it seems like my gas mileage is has been going down now too.
 
oops. i missed that. check all your vaccum hoses (theres not many on the zetec). i wuld just replace the PCV valve. its located behind the exhuast manifold in the air/oil seperator which is bolted to the block.

the oddly shapped piece bolted to the block is the air/oil seperator
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k17/Dslax/SSPX0076.jpg

the IAC is more expensive (I think i need to replace mine at $105, ouch) its located below the throttle body on the intake manifold.
 
change your plugs and wires if they are original, change the fuel filter and also change the O2 sensor.
 
who the bloody hell designs this stuff?

who the bloody hell designs this stuff?

Ok, I decided to try and replace the pcv valve this weekend, and after getting the heat shield off and seeing where the pcv is I attempted to get it off. After several attempts I decided that the only way to get the damn thing off is to take off the freakin manifold. Anything special I should know about doing this? I've never done this kinda thing before and I don't feel like screwing my car up more.

The other thing is I noticed the line to the pcv is rigid and doesn't move for squat. How the heck am I supposed to get the damned thing off to replace the pcv valve?
 
there is a torx head screw just below the thermostat housing that holds that tube to the block. drain the coolant, remove the thermostat housing from the head (3 8mm or 10mm bolts, cant remember which size), find the proper torx bit socket, remove the torx bolt, pull on the tube and it should pop off with the PCV valve in the end of it (it may take a pretty good tug). replace PCV valve and reinstall everything. there is no need to remove the exhaust manifold.
 
one thing figured out.

one thing figured out.

Well I was lookin around the engine to see about changing out the pcv friday and I noticed the plastic hood coming off the air filter that bolts onto the engine( sorry I don't know the actual names of stuff) was loose. I tightened down the bolts, cleared the check engine light and it hasn't come on again in the two days since doing so.

Now the only problem is that didn't do a thing about the goofy idle problem. From everything I've been reading on the forums it looks like this is likely from the timing belt, which will be a moderately expensive fix since I won't be doing it myself. Thanks for the help getting this far, I'll post how everything goes once I get everything done.
 
well dammit

well dammit

Well, after the last post where the cel stayed off for a few days, it has now come back on and is starting to run funny besides just when I'm at a light or stopsign. Still idles bad and seems like its going to die when I'm at a light, but now it seems like it surges for a brief second every now and again while I'm driving.
 
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