iskoos
CEG'er
Well, many of you will remember I am sure that I have been trying to fix my car(stumbling/erratic idle problem) for almost the past 12 months. I have come here many times to get help, advices and ask for your opinions. I must have started at least 2-3(maybe more who knows) different threads about the same issue. I had to start different threads because I performed countless tests and DIYs some of which are not closely related to each other.
I will not list all the things I have done but if you guys want it, you can search other threads posted by me and read it there. Right after I post this one, I will also go pull all of those threads one by one and divert them here so whoever reads those also finds out who/what fixed the problem.
First off all, it wasn't me unfortunately(( Despite my relentless efforts, I was unable to find and fixed the problem. And I started seeing mom&pop mechanics in Orlando area. The first two couldn't provide help but the 3rd one who is a Ford technician that used to work for a Ford/Lincoln dealer, found and fixed the problem. (If you guys need a good mechanic cheaper then dealer but as knowledgeable and as experienced, pm me and I will let you know where he is)
Well the problem wasn't something that you guys didn't guess. Many of you here named it and suggested that this would be a vacuum leak and I believed it. But I was unable to locate the darn leak!.. Yes, it was a vacuum leak at the tip of the PCV valve.
As you know in Zetec engines, PCV valve is plugged into oil seperator in one end, and the other end connects to a plastic hose. And that plastic hose(about 2 inches long) attaches to metal pipe that goes to a "T" fitting joins with a hose that comes from EVAP solenoid and both eventually connects to intake. So the leak was at that 2-inches long plastic hose between the PCV valve and the metal pipe. There was a crack at that point up towards the engine block that I couldn't see while replacing the PCV valve. So funny that replacing the PCV valve was the very first of 15-20 total tests/DIYs I performed and although I was so close to the problem in my first DIY, I couldn't see it. If I had, my car would have been fixed last year(2008) in May. The tech guy located the crack(the picture is attached please see it) by a mirror from under the car while the car is on lift. And fixed it for his diagnostic charge + $20. He also changed the PCV valve again with an OEM one. The one I used one from Autozone. And now my year-long nightmare is over
Some of you specifically mentioned to plug the each vacuum hose one by one and run the car to locate the vacuum leak. Yes, many of you guys recommended this. And many others pointed me toward very important directions. I am not going to name everybody that tried to help me here because I am pretty sure I will miss some of you. But there is one member I very clearly remember who named it probably first: amc49. I remember he told me to check the O2 sensor voltage at idle and said that if it was not switching, it would be most likely a vacuum leak I would be dealing with. Yes, you were right amc49. It was a vacuum leak. And you were the one to recommend to plug each vacuum hoses behind the intake to locate the vacuum leak as well. I have done this but I skipped the hose that was coming from PCV valve. Yes, I am guilty of it and because of this, I spent many months and checked many other things but at the end I am not so sad because I learned enourmous amount of knowledge/information DIYs.
So at the end, I really wanted to send my sincere thanks to all of you and this forum community. THANK YOU...
I will not list all the things I have done but if you guys want it, you can search other threads posted by me and read it there. Right after I post this one, I will also go pull all of those threads one by one and divert them here so whoever reads those also finds out who/what fixed the problem.
First off all, it wasn't me unfortunately(( Despite my relentless efforts, I was unable to find and fixed the problem. And I started seeing mom&pop mechanics in Orlando area. The first two couldn't provide help but the 3rd one who is a Ford technician that used to work for a Ford/Lincoln dealer, found and fixed the problem. (If you guys need a good mechanic cheaper then dealer but as knowledgeable and as experienced, pm me and I will let you know where he is)
Well the problem wasn't something that you guys didn't guess. Many of you here named it and suggested that this would be a vacuum leak and I believed it. But I was unable to locate the darn leak!.. Yes, it was a vacuum leak at the tip of the PCV valve.
As you know in Zetec engines, PCV valve is plugged into oil seperator in one end, and the other end connects to a plastic hose. And that plastic hose(about 2 inches long) attaches to metal pipe that goes to a "T" fitting joins with a hose that comes from EVAP solenoid and both eventually connects to intake. So the leak was at that 2-inches long plastic hose between the PCV valve and the metal pipe. There was a crack at that point up towards the engine block that I couldn't see while replacing the PCV valve. So funny that replacing the PCV valve was the very first of 15-20 total tests/DIYs I performed and although I was so close to the problem in my first DIY, I couldn't see it. If I had, my car would have been fixed last year(2008) in May. The tech guy located the crack(the picture is attached please see it) by a mirror from under the car while the car is on lift. And fixed it for his diagnostic charge + $20. He also changed the PCV valve again with an OEM one. The one I used one from Autozone. And now my year-long nightmare is over
Some of you specifically mentioned to plug the each vacuum hose one by one and run the car to locate the vacuum leak. Yes, many of you guys recommended this. And many others pointed me toward very important directions. I am not going to name everybody that tried to help me here because I am pretty sure I will miss some of you. But there is one member I very clearly remember who named it probably first: amc49. I remember he told me to check the O2 sensor voltage at idle and said that if it was not switching, it would be most likely a vacuum leak I would be dealing with. Yes, you were right amc49. It was a vacuum leak. And you were the one to recommend to plug each vacuum hoses behind the intake to locate the vacuum leak as well. I have done this but I skipped the hose that was coming from PCV valve. Yes, I am guilty of it and because of this, I spent many months and checked many other things but at the end I am not so sad because I learned enourmous amount of knowledge/information DIYs.
So at the end, I really wanted to send my sincere thanks to all of you and this forum community. THANK YOU...
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