Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting What is it gonna take???

Back on 9/10/04 I posted about IAC and EGR problems with my 1998 Contour Sport V6. I still love this car but it is quickly becoming expensive. I have replaced the plugs and wires that were both in terrible shape. I would say original at 120,000 miles. I replaced the IAC, EGR, and DPFE. The bill is somewhere in the neighbor hood of $600.00 plus. It continues to throw codes. They have now gone back in and cleaned out the egr ports and the lines going to the DPFE. The CEL is now back on again. I don't know as of writing this what code it is throwing. I am thankful that it seems to be running really good,but, obviously, something is still wrong with it. Any wisdom on what might be going on at this point?? I know....I really need to know what the code is. I have to assume that it will have to do with the egr in some manner or other. Well, thanks for listening and for any wisdom you might have.....Steve

Since you did not specify codes I'll throw out some assumptions
I too went through this all summer going crazy

I will assume since car runs fine, no complaints about gas consumptions that the codes will read lean.

When's the last time your O'2s change?
could be the culprit, but before you replace those try the below simple 'cures" beyond all the cleaning of the EGR portss and throttle body etc.

1)Check plastic vacuum lines they crack
2)Sray electronic cleaner (non residue) into you MAF
(pull air filter cover off, spray into the grey hole in the accordian tube). No need to take off the sensor
3) what turned out to be the cause in my case was
tube off of the pCV (heading to the firewall) was cracked and with the engine on would "collapse"
If you here a "sucking" sound around the area of the EGR, probably this tube or one nearby gone

Another potential cause is you intake gaskets, but unless "funny smoke" coming out your tailpipe, probably not them.

I guess it's a just a matter of luck, because I drive a tour, we've had it since new in '98, and no serious problems or money draining has occured (has 180,000 km). My parents and myself have not had any problems with Fords and we've owned quite a bit of 'em. But it does suck when you get a problem car (although I don't know what that would feel like

first off just don't go replacing parts that might not need to be changed

find out what the cel is for, that should tell you exactly what is wrong and what to replace/fix

if not people here can direct you in the correct direction and you will find a hopefully easy way out


example, you might get a code that says the cat is dying but you also get a O2 code, well fix the O2 and the other one will go away also....