How easy was the P0171/P0174 fix for you?

[98wagondohc]

I just got these codes, but the car was driving fine. Few days after getting them, there was a noticeable hissing, and car was riding rough and the brake was stiff and nonfunctional. I have followed the hiss and found it to be a small black box with 4 or 5 lines attached to it. One of them broke off. Does anyone know what is this box called? It is about inch or 2 in size...

The vehicle is 1998 Ford Taurus with 3.0 liter DOHC engine (Duratec)

Here is the pic:

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ite/Taurus.jpg

[tripletdaddy]

It appears to be a vacuum junction box for various lines like to your vacuum brake booster,to come together and then one line go to your intake manifold, but I don't know the proper name for it. I would highly recommend you post your question in the Taurus forum where I'm quite certain someone can identify your black box. You could also call your Ford parts rep. Your codes are consistent with the vacuum leak you have heard and found where you are getting air into the engine that isn't measured by the sensors in the air intake hose, etc. The oxygen sensors have detected the lean condition, as the pcm doesn't know how to add enough fuel when it doesn't know how much air is getting to the engine. I am quite certain that fixing your vacuum leak will no longer give you those codes. This particular thread you have found is mostly for a problem unique to a Windstar where bolt seals shrank allowing air in around them to the intake manifold causing the lean condition and codes. Your repair could be done many ways, though an exact replacement would be the most straight forward.

[kerk]

Originally Posted by kerk

Just finished it today. Spent about 2 hrs yesterday and 2 (probably less) today on it. So far so good. The wife is at the mall spending the money we saved thanks to the online instructions. Let's hope the cel stays away!

Two years later and the CEL is still off! Hope that helps. I used the after market kit except the pcv, which did not work right. Hope that helps!

[mundy5]

It was my first time getting that deep into an engine part, so I was a bit nervous. After you get into the repair, however, it was pretty much like any other. Just a bit dirtier.

I started around 2:30 pm and finished everything around 8 pm with a very long dinner break. So I guess I really did not do justice to the estimated 2.5 hrs from PCitizen.

However, one thing I would want to say is that the vacuum lines behind the plenum is tricky. The one with the clamp is actually pretty easy for me. But I failed to attach the 2nd smaller one to its right and it caused a rough idle after I put everything back together.

I, like others, also did not completely remove the lower intake. Rather, I lifted it up to one side to clean the egr area and then moved it to the other side to clean the remaining side. Then I put it all back and I replaced the seals on the bottom but kept the main one around the seal.

Just remember what you unplugged. Then you won't run into a re-do like I did.

Thank you all.

[4Winds]

It took my a weekend, working off and on. I was able to get it done and got rid of the CEL and got the vehicle passed the PA emission test. This was spring of 2008.

Mid summer 2008: I loss coolant and after much searching here and looking inside, I found the bypass hose leaking.

WARNING TO ALL: When doing the Leckemby procedure, go ahead and replace the bypass coolant hose, running across the intake shown in one of the picture. It cost me around $60 from the Ford dealer.

So, I put together everything and went much quicker this time after replacing the coolant hose.

Now I have rough idle problem. I think I was careless and left a vacuum hose loose or disconnected. I saw on AF here a small thread about this. I did have a code reader and it is P171/P174. I have to get into it this weekend to see what vacuum leak I have.

Next: Fixing that jammed left passenger sliding door rear lock.

4winds
2000 Windstar SEL, 57000 Miles

[quixcar428]

I always wanted to thank whoever it was that produced that excellent 'leckemby' procedure. So here it is - THANKS! It turned out to be a pretty straight forward fix for P0171/P0174. Overall, it took me around two hours including changing out the spark plugs and new wires. I was surprised to find so much goop in the lower plenum but I cleaned it the best I could before assembly. At first, I was disappointed because the codes returned after a short time. I found an unhooked vacuum line and now, no codes 20K miles later. The van (2001) does seem to use more oil now for some reason. There is no noticable smoke and no oil drips on the driveway. Has anyone else noticed this? Thanks again!

[Robdaparamedic]

I actually had to get at them because of that fricking water pump relay tube. It was a piece of cake and when the light comes on and that's the code, I'll know exactly how to do it. I've taken the cowl off so many times, I can do it with my eyes closed in about 4 minutes. Took me 33 minutes to put eveything back together and I don't have any pnuematic tools.
Between the Windbag and my Lumina, I've become as good as any garage mechanic. But that's my opinion and it's the only one that counts.

Rob

[roryjunk]

This is funny, I have a:
2001 Windstar
1970 VW Karmann Ghia

Originally Posted by bhorn

That's too funny. And here I was thinknig I was unique.

1998 Windstar

1974 VW Std. Beetle

[roryjunk]

Take a listen to this voice mail from the Ford dealership. The parts and labor come to more than the minivan is worth.
I did the work myself to fix the P0171/P0174 with the help from the leckemby.net page and it seems to have worked so far.

[PBZX3]

^ That was absolutely hilarious. That must have been over $2000 worth of service he rattled off.

[tripletdaddy]

Wow! That was trully priceless, hilarious, ridiculous, and outrageous! I ran the numbers they quoted....brace yourself...

Parts and labor with an alignment not quoted (I assumed $60) totals

$3230 and if tax wasn't added, at 7% of an assumed $1000 in parts totals

$3300!!!!! Wow! Unbelievable!


That sure is the dealer giving it to ya!

[Freakzilla69]

I've had these codes on my '98 for years.

I've rebuilt my engine from the block up and it is spotless inside and out.

I have new IMRCs.

My vacuum system could suck a golf ball through a garden hose.

O2 sensors are relatively new.

DPFS is pretty new, too.

Still the codes persist.

All I've got left that I can think of is having a dealer reprogram the PCM and replacing the fuel pump but fuel pressure is good at idle, don't know about running though.

The car is evil.