96 Ford Contour, 6 cylinder, manual, 116k miles

Took the vehicle in to the dealership today for a tune-up. The check engine light has been on for nearly 2 years now, and have had the car to a number of other places (excluding the dealership) over that 2 year period and was told the light was simply on due to a bad sensor and a check of the codes did not dispute that.

As a side note, the car had the following symptom recently but this has not been seen in the past or since this one occurence:

Recent trip of over 1000 total miles, during extremely hot weather around the 950 mile mark of the trip the car started to stall out. This would occur when the car was sitting idyling and also while in gear at up to speeds of 40mph or so. This seemed to last for about 1.5 hours, but then all of the sudden stops occuring and has not been seen since.

So the dealer checks the codes today prior to doing the tune-up and comes up with:

P0133 Upstream Heated Oxygen Sensor circuit Slow Response - Bank No. 1
P0420 Catalyst System Efficiency below Limit - Bank No 1
P1131 Lack of Upstream Heated Oxygen Sensor Switch - Sensor Indicates Lean - Bank No. 1
P0171 System Too Lean - Bank No. 1
P0401 Insufficient EGR Flow
(not sure if there were additionals recorded or not)

Basically I'm being told at a minimum the car requires a Catalytic Assembly (gasket and studs on lower flange), O2 sensor, DPFE sensor, and EVR sensor = $1220 for that stuff.

In additon was told the following: Additional EEC test, pinpoint, spark plugs and wires, air filter, fuel filter, pcv service, intake gaskets, r&r throttle body... = $743

total = $1963

Looking for opinions and comments.

Appreciate the feedback.

Thanks,
Angie

Basically I'm being told at a minimum the car requires a Catalytic Assembly (gasket and studs on lower flange), O2 sensor, DPFE sensor, and EVR sensor = $1220 for that stuff.

>> Start w/ O2 sensors and DPFE and EGR passages cleaning.
wait and see if cat code goes away. cat is the most expensive part there and it may be killed by your driving like that for a year but you may be lucky...

spark plugs and wires, air filter, fuel filter, pcv service, intake gaskets, r&r throttle body... = $743

>> I don't see how it becomes $743. Let's see plugs:20, wires:80 filter:10 pcv valve:3 gaskets: depending on what they're gonna do w/ the intake:40-60 plus labor is like 3 hours for everything... I dunno...

Are you mechanically inclined? If so, you can do a lot of this yourself.

Also, as mentioned, most of the parts don't cost that much:
O2 sensor = $55-60
DPFE = $50-55
EVR = $20-30
Plugs = $25-30
Wires = $45-55
Air filter = $7-10
PCV valve = $10

I would start with replacing the O2 sensor and fixing the EGR system, since that is what the CELs seem to be complaining about.

If you are not mechanically inclined, get a second opinion if possible.

Originally posted by dwood:

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The check engine light has been on for nearly 2 years now, and have had the car to a number of other places (excluding the dealership) over that 2 year period and was told the light was simply on due to a bad sensor and a check of the codes did not dispute that.

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That may be true, but the bad sensor they're referring to (Bank 1 upstream O2 sensor, I suspect) has meant you've been operating in open loop mode, i.e. quite probably rich, for two years. You could cross your fingers and hope that replacing the Bank 1 O2 sensors (both of them) will make the catalyst codes go away, but up to two years of running rich may well have fried the catalyst.

I'll leave comment on the EGR code to others more knowledgeable than I.

I agree with the above posts. Since your car is off waranty, there's no reason to get it fixed at a dealer. you should be able to find a mechanic to clean up the intake & EGR for a hundred or so. It's about a 2 hour job, and parts are minimal. The bank 1 O2 sensor is a harder to replace, but I can't imagine anyone charging more than $50 labor to change it. Plugs + wires + fuel filter is maybe an hours work...

if your cats are fried, just buy some of the MIL eliminators to go on the O2 sensors and you'll be fine.

as long as the cat isn't clogged, you should be ok....i decided on that rather than replacing the cats....too expensive. 85K miles later, everything is ok.....except for the CEL that I got today (but it's an O2 sensor).

that's my opinion....Anyone think I'm crazy for thinking this? If so, please post!

I agree - I think I killed one of my cats when I swapped in my bigger injectors, then drove 600 miles without setting the S-AFC (read - ran rich the whole way). Now I get a Cat Eff code every time I take a long highway drive or go to the drag strip, and my Cat Eff Monitor never completes (unless it fails and throws a code). No way I replace that manifold right now - too much $$$ and effort, and if I'm replacing manifolds it is going to be with headers.

I'm going to follow THIS wepage's schematic for DIY MIL Eliminator. I happen to have an extra downstream O2 sitting around to do it on.

you need help with what the dealer is sayin? ill put it in plain english: bend over!!

If they are right and you need intake manifold gaskets, do that first. If there is a leak that would explain why the O2 sensor is lean. Bottom line: fix mechanical failures first, sensors only work right if the mechanicles are sound.

I've had the P1131 code occur a few times in the past few weeks. I've also found 2 sensors in the exhaust system. Is the code referencing 1 or both of those sensors?

Thanks in advance!

Gary

Code refers to upstream sensor only.

Maybe you can check the recalls on your car. I have a 1997 Contour but it was built and bought in 1996. There is a recall for catalytic converter on it.

Good luck.