Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting CEL on, took to FORD, help!!!!!!!!

First post, but it's a duzy! I have a 98SE, 2.5 Duratec. I got a CEL weeks ago......Car would start fine, idle high and then die. I took my car to a friend who is mechanic, hooked up Snapon OBD-II computer, codes showed O2 sensors, and IAC. We got an IAC from Nappa (an Auto parts store) put it on and replaced 1 of the O2s......CEL went off. 2 days ago it got real cold, the car would not stay running w/o keeping my foot on gas. Once the car was in drive I could go, and it idled fine. I called friend and he said maybe I should take it to FORD because he really did not know what was wrong with it. I did. They charged me $93.25 to run same test on the scanner, could not provide code readings to me and proceeded to tell me I had the following problems:

IAC *(replaced less than 1 month ago), MAF sensor, UI gaskets, LI gaskets, a vaccume leak, needed new plugs an wires *(done less than 1 month ago). All said and done, $1350.00 He then told me that this may be the start of it. After they did all of this, they wanted to run the test again and said my pre cats may be bad.

Am I getting ripped? Any other car and it would be history. I LOVE this car

CAts may be under 8yr/80k FEd warranty and should be at no cost to you if you are under 8/80 on the car.

I bought this car 8 months ago, because my best friend had one, the mechanic, and I thought if i had problems, he could fix them. Car has 63,000 miles on her.

$93.25 for a scan is the first sign that you are getting ripped. If you still have a cel, get it scan and write down the codes. Autozone does it free so I've heard. My mechanic charges me 20 bucks. Take the exact codes and post them here and someone will probably zero in on the cause. In my view, if the mechanic doesn't allow you to record the codes, he isn't interested in fixing your car. He just wants to make a buck off you. John

Sir, you have been torturously raped!

That's not even remotely funny what they did to you.

Use this site, ask questions, post your data & symptoms & folks will help. This place has saved me money as well as greif & I LOVE my car. You will too if you learn from this site.

The codes I got with my mechanic are the following (and I know what they all are by the list posted on this site)

P1000
P0131
P0171
P1131
P1137
P1152
P1157.

FORD said they tested the O2 sensors individually, and they were all fine. I know you guys are great and have helped thousands of people. They have not completed the work on my car at the stealership, 'cause I told them to stop, but what do I do????????????????????????

Replace both upper O2 sensors anyway, reset the computer, and start over with any new codes that then occur.

"Testing the O2 sensors" may or may not be a valid step depending on what they actually did. Who knows? I do know that removing them and testing them with a torch is, at best, inconclusive unless they are completely dead.

With both upper sensors new, you will likely then discover vacuum leaks and a possibility of defective post-cat O2 sensor(s) problem(s).

Steve

Should I order them from FORD?(motorcraft parts) or just do after market O2's?

Autozone or Advanced carry Bosch, and I believe that's who made the factory ones. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, I expect it. Any how if you want to get them right away and don't want go on-line. Not sure about the price savings http://www.oxygensensors.com/ or from Bill Jennings???
I've only got 49K on my 98 so-far no problems yet!

Paul
I have the understanding that P1000 means that not enough driving cycles have been completed to give the proper codes, after a PCM reset????? But then my "forgetter works better than my rememberer"!

FORD says $125.00 each installed, FORD also says BOSCHE runs hot and can trip the computer. They also told me that the BOSCHE platnums I put in would run HOT and this was bad. Are they lying to me? I thought all you guys put BOSCHE platnums in your contours