hi, i'm very new and i'm glad this forum exists. i have a 1998 ford contour GL zetec whose check engine light has been on for the last 3 months but has been running the same. i just got a job at a place that includes a garage and decided to hook it up to the diagnostic tool, which gave me code 171 (system too lean bank one). the guy in the garage immediately declared the problem to be the fuel filter, which he then replaced for free. codes reset and the CEL stayed off for about 24 hours before returning with the same code. i looked around online and read up on the MAF issue, which seemed to be another issue related to this code. i found, somewhere on this forum, directions for MAF cleaning with soft pipe cleaners and pure alcohol.
here is where my problem gets somewhat "unique"
i disconnect the air filter and clean the MAF sensor. i then reassemble everything and drive the car around the block to see what happens. it stalls and stalls, which has never happened to this car before (and it's an automatic). i don't know why this could be, so i just assume i destroyed part of the sensor. i call Advance for a new sensor which runs me $75 and i install it. there is no change in the car's behavior. at first it stalled whenever i would rev the engine and let the rpms drop back down. now after it has been sitting for a day, i take it out and it only seems to stall when i am coasting in 2nd or 3rd gear, not 1st or reverse.
my car cost $4000 originally and in the (almost) two years i have owned it i have dropped over $7000 into it to keep it running. i really would like to keep this car but in order for that to happen it has to stop robbing me.
i would like to know if any of you have any suggestions as to why the replacement of the MAF sensor would cause the vehicle to stall like this. any help would be greatly appreciated.
ethan
