Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Check Engine Light Troubles

I have a 1997 Contour SE, 89000 miles. Bought it in March 2003. My CEL first came on for no apparent reason in September. I had a local respected shop check it out. They have cleaned my fuel injectors, checked O2 sensors, replaced fuel filter, you name it. The car has been in a total of 4 times now. All they manage to do is clear the codes off, then the light comes on again in a couple days.

The codes that come up are PO171 (too lean bank 1) and PO174 (too lean bank 2). They and I are completely lost. I replaced my spark plugs early last summer. The O2 sensors have been replaced, but the problem still occurs. Also, the car seems to run perfectly.

I appreciate any and all insight into this problem. Any further questions, please ask.

Thanks

Possible vacuum leak, PITA to track down... and I've heard about intake manifold gasket leaks on duratecs. Most likely something small, you may end up having to just deal with it, or spend a lot of money tracking it down, which is pointless if the car runs good. Though check those two things.

I would be fine leaving the light on except: afraid it will mask over a different code later on; afraid it will hurt resale. I'm taking the car to the shop sometime this week hopefully so i'll pass on any advice; we'll see if they take it. The bill has already added up to a couple hundred bucks, nothing to really show for it.

Just have autozone check for codes periodically, or purchase alex pepper's software and cable www.obd-2.com very worth it, might help you track a problem down as well. As far as resale value, just when u go to sell it, reset the computer and it should stay off for a while,, if it's coming back quickly, then I'd think it's a pretty bad problem and shouldn't be that hard to find. And if one shop can't find the problem,,,,, maybe another could.

The light will usually stay off about 3-5 days after reset. Even then, I hate staring at the stupid light every day...it's very obvious and even embarrassing sometimes when I have guests in my "cool" car. My next stop after this is the local Ford dealer (I have a heater blower resistor recall that needs done anyway). I'm afraid it's gonna be the same story all over again though. 17 and little money is not good.

I guess you're right--resale isn't too important, but heck I want all I can get out of it. In retrospect, the car has suited me pretty well for the last 9 months. My parents are getting frustrated too, so maybe I can use this as an excuse to trade it off and get the Thunderbird or Mustang that I wanted in the first place. Buying the Contour was spur of the moment. This is a big deal for my parents because they had never bought a used car before.

The dealer will charge you around $80.00 to check out what codes are stored in your PCM. I'd take it to Autozone and have them try to tell you whats wrong with it for free first like stated above.