P0301,P1537,P1538 and Abnormal Cracking Noise in Driver Side Front Wheel Suspension

Hello everybody. I'm just new here. Hope you can give me insights on my problems with my 96 Windstar 3.8L. Current mileage was 227,000K

My engine lights keeps on blinking only when im in a full stop and on the Drive gear (im stepping on the brakes). The engine light is not blinking when the car is running or in the park gear. I had it scan test and the following error codes appear P1537, P1538 and P0301. My mechanic located and repaired the vacuum leak for the intake runner vacuum pots by changing a certain hose. For a week the engine light didnt blink but presently the lights turned on again. I just wanna know why the light keeps on blinking like this. Whats the next thing to do? I returned my van to my mechanic and he said that the lights are blinking because of the error code P0301 (#1 cylinder misfire) and it is not advisable to do another scan test in my van.

How can I repair this cylinder misfire? I just changed my spark plugs and i used fuel injector cleaner (pennzoil) but the engine light was still on.

Lastly, from time to time i hear a cracking noise near the front driver side wheel suspension everytime i go into bumps and sometimes when i hit the brakes. The abnormal thing is this cracking noise is not constant. Sometimes its there sometimes its not. Is this a suspension problem? Do i need to replace something in my suspension system?

Hope you can enlighten me and guide me on what to do next. This van is becoming a money pit. Thanks in advance.

I am not sure I totally understood your entire message but I think the light you keep refering to is your CEL and this is the one that flashes on occasion.

A misfire in one cylinder can be caused by a lot of things. The important thing to note is that the PCM determines a misfire when one cylinder is not contributing to the instantaneous rotational speed of the engine.

Since it is only one cylinder that is misfiring we can assume for the time being that it isn't a Plenum leak, bad fuel pump or clogged filter. We can assume that it is local to that cylinder.

The obvious things to check are:

1) Is spark getting to the cylinder? (spark plug, wire, ignition coil.
2) Is fuel getting to the cylinder? (injector operation) Is there too much fuel?
3) Is the correct air charge getting to the engine? (too much EGR flow to the one cylinder can cause it to misfire.

Good luck.................Post back any findings

You should be able to feel the engine miss.
A blinking CEL is an indication of a condition that can damage the catalytic converter(s).....a missfire can cause that.....if left uncorrected.

Cylinder #1 is on the back, passenger side of the engine.....

With this many miles, it is possible that the fuel injectors need cleaning. Beyond the cleaning that you can do with fuel tank additives. I DO recommend runing a double treatment (as in 2 consecutive treated tanks of gasoline) of a fuel system cleaner. I use Redline Complete Fuel System Cleaner....which is available at Advance Auto Parts 1 Bottle will treat 1 tank of gasoline. The other cleaner that I recommed is Chevron Techron. It will take 2 bottles to treat 1 tank of gasoline...(the size bottle that says "treats up to 12 Gallons")

I had to remove and clean the inside of the injector "cap".....the cap that is over the spray end of the injector. There was crud in there that would not come out with fuel system cleaners.....a shot of carb. cleaner flushed it right out. I had a misfire on cylinder #1 that was caused by just that.
All the injectors were in need of the same cleaning.

It is possible that you have a spark plug wire that is going bad.

Also, you need to use DOUBLE platinum spark plugs.....as in BOTH the center and ground electrodes need to be Platinum. This is because one side of the engine fires on a negative spark.....and the other side fires on a positive spark.
The Bosch plugs that many parts stores sell are NOT double platinum. You can get double platinum plugs under the Motorcraft and Autolite brand names.

I have had clogged EGR ports cause a misfire on one cylinder......the ports clog starting with the ports closest to the EGR valve......leaving Cylinder #1 and 4 as the last ones open.....excessive EGR flow....as all the EGR flow would be to just 1 or 2 cylinders can cause the misfire.
I do not think that this is YOUR problem from what you have described.....as the EGR valve is NOT open at idle.....and If it is....I would expect that you would get an additional code or so from the DPFE sensing EGR flow.....when there is not supposed to be.

A way to eliminate EGR is to remove and plug the vaccum hose that goes to the TOP of the EGR valve......which will disable the EGR valve from opening..... ..
HOWEVER this WILL create a CEL light and code for the lack of EGR flow...when it is expecting it. It will not be a blinking CEL....and you should not feel the engine miss from a lack of EGR flow......

The main EGR issue with the windstar will be the EGR ports, and the DPFE (which measures the EGR flow into the engine). The Ports are a bit of work to do....as you have to remove the upper intake manifold to get to them. The DPFE is a VERY easy DIY item.....right out in the open and easy to get to.

Some pictures that I took of my '96 3.8L....and a couple of the pictures....I have identified a few items......can be found at....

http://community.webshots.com/album/201931518cScpNK

A separate note on the suspension "crack"....
A common cause of what I would call a "clunk" from the front end is the mounting for the front suspension mounting into the subframe.....I had to have the mounting for the bushing rewelded.....
Do a search on "front clunk" and you will see more information.

One other item that was not mentioned is the possibility that the injector is not firing consistenly due to the electrical signal not getting to the injector.

On the subject of the cracking noise:

Call your Ford dealership and have them run your VIN number for any safety recalls. I have a 96 with the 3.8 and there is a recall for an extended coverage for the front coil springs failure. I believe it says some were cracking and need replacement.

I had the same problem and had my springs replaced for free, and now problem solved.

Try the link below. It is for the 1996 Ford Windstar 3.8L

http://www.alldata.com/TSB/20/96204011.html

Rusty

Thanks RBeach for the info. I just bought this car on a used car store and I have no idea where this was originally bought. Is it possible that I will just go to any ford dealership and ask for that recall?


On the subject of the cracking noise:

Call your Ford dealership and have them run your VIN number for any safety recalls. I have a 96 with the 3.8 and there is a recall for an extended coverage for the front coil springs failure. I believe it says some were cracking and need replacement.

I had the same problem and had my springs replaced for free, and now problem solved.

Try the link below. It is for the 1996 Ford Windstar 3.8L

http://www.alldata.com/TSB/20/96204011.html

Rusty

Thanks DRW1000 for the info. Do you think that my problem with the blinking engine light is related to head gasket failure which is common to all windstars?


I am not sure I totally understood your entire message but I think the light you keep refering to is your CEL and this is the one that flashes on occasion.

A misfire in one cylinder can be caused by a lot of things. The important thing to note is that the PCM determines a misfire when one cylinder is not contributing to the instantaneous rotational speed of the engine.

Since it is only one cylinder that is misfiring we can assume for the time being that it isn't a Plenum leak, bad fuel pump or clogged filter. We can assume that it is local to that cylinder.

The obvious things to check are:

1) Is spark getting to the cylinder? (spark plug, wire, ignition coil.
2) Is fuel getting to the cylinder? (injector operation) Is there too much fuel?
3) Is the correct air charge getting to the engine? (too much EGR flow to the one cylinder can cause it to misfire.

Good luck.................Post back any findings

Thanks Wiswind for all the valuable information. By the way, you mentioned about the double platinum spark plugs. I want to try it but I just recently change my spark plugs last Aug. of 2003 just having 10K mileage from the day i changed spark plugs. Is it advisable that I change it to double platinum at the soonest possible time considering I have this problem with cylinder 1 misfire?


You should be able to feel the engine miss.
A blinking CEL is an indication of a condition that can damage the catalytic converter(s).....a missfire can cause that.....if left uncorrected.

Cylinder #1 is on the back, passenger side of the engine.....

With this many miles, it is possible that the fuel injectors need cleaning. Beyond the cleaning that you can do with fuel tank additives. I DO recommend runing a double treatment (as in 2 consecutive treated tanks of gasoline) of a fuel system cleaner. I use Redline Complete Fuel System Cleaner....which is available at Advance Auto Parts 1 Bottle will treat 1 tank of gasoline. The other cleaner that I recommed is Chevron Techron. It will take 2 bottles to treat 1 tank of gasoline...(the size bottle that says "treats up to 12 Gallons")

I had to remove and clean the inside of the injector "cap".....the cap that is over the spray end of the injector. There was crud in there that would not come out with fuel system cleaners.....a shot of carb. cleaner flushed it right out. I had a misfire on cylinder #1 that was caused by just that.
All the injectors were in need of the same cleaning.

It is possible that you have a spark plug wire that is going bad.

Also, you need to use DOUBLE platinum spark plugs.....as in BOTH the center and ground electrodes need to be Platinum. This is because one side of the engine fires on a negative spark.....and the other side fires on a positive spark.
The Bosch plugs that many parts stores sell are NOT double platinum. You can get double platinum plugs under the Motorcraft and Autolite brand names.

I have had clogged EGR ports cause a misfire on one cylinder......the ports clog starting with the ports closest to the EGR valve......leaving Cylinder #1 and 4 as the last ones open.....excessive EGR flow....as all the EGR flow would be to just 1 or 2 cylinders can cause the misfire.
I do not think that this is YOUR problem from what you have described.....as the EGR valve is NOT open at idle.....and If it is....I would expect that you would get an additional code or so from the DPFE sensing EGR flow.....when there is not supposed to be.

A way to eliminate EGR is to remove and plug the vaccum hose that goes to the TOP of the EGR valve......which will disable the EGR valve from opening..... ..
HOWEVER this WILL create a CEL light and code for the lack of EGR flow...when it is expecting it. It will not be a blinking CEL....and you should not feel the engine miss from a lack of EGR flow......

The main EGR issue with the windstar will be the EGR ports, and the DPFE (which measures the EGR flow into the engine). The Ports are a bit of work to do....as you have to remove the upper intake manifold to get to them. The DPFE is a VERY easy DIY item.....right out in the open and easy to get to.

Some pictures that I took of my '96 3.8L....and a couple of the pictures....I have identified a few items......can be found at....

http://community.webshots.com/album/201931518cScpNK

Yes. Any Ford dealership can take care of any recall problems for you. As long as it is a safety recall and applies to your VIN, they are required to do the work at no charge. What applies to your specific vehicle is determined by the VIN number and manufacture date.

Rusty

Thanks again Rusty. I just called one dealership here and they scheduled my car this monday to check out the front springs. Thanks for the info that you gave me. By the way, I checked out the site that you gave me about the 1996 3.8L Windstar recalls. There's a lot of recalls that were posted there which are divided into 3 categories (1) Safety recalls, (2) General recalls and (3) Service Bulletins. I just wanna ask you if my car is entitled to all of those recalls under those 3 categories. Im just not confident with the person I had talked to in the dealership. When I first called, they said that there are no recalls available but when I told her about the site that youve shown me and Im having problems with my front springs, they immediately scheduled me for an appointment. I just wanna make sure that all recalls will be done if ther is any. Can I show the list of recalls to ford and asked them if my car is entitled to it.

Thanks again for the helpful advise youve given me.



Yes. Any Ford dealership can take care of any recall problems for you. As long as it is a safety recall and applies to your VIN, they are required to do the work at no charge. What applies to your specific vehicle is determined by the VIN number and manufacture date.

Rusty

Safety recalls are the only ones they are requierd to fix. Technical service bulletins apply to certain things such as service procedures, etc. General recalls are for quality control standards. Recalls that apply to your vehicle will be pulled up by your VIN number. There are a few that do not have recalls.

Some dealerships will not offer the information. Even though you aren't the original owner of the car, they are still required to replace any and all safety recall items.

Definitely print it out and take with you just in case. If they say that there are no recalls per your vehicle, ask if you can see it for yourself. I had one dealership tell me there were none for my vehicle, yet another said there was.

As a back up plan, also call another dealership. Speak to their service department, and ask them to pull your vehicle up by your VIN number to check for the recalls. You may be one of the lucky ones who have no recalls.

Rusty

I do not know if your misfire is caused by the spark plugs....only way to know would be to swap the plug in the cylinder that is acting up.....with the plug from another cylinder.
You should be able to get the double platinum plugs from Autozone for under $5 (US) each.
For the '96 3.8L engine, Autozone stocked the Motorcraft plug under "stock code 686"

Pandak,

A direct answer to your question:
Yes it is possible that a head gasket failure could cause a misfire. I am not too sure what years were susceptable to head gasket failures but I thought it was prior to 98. (but I am not sure).

In reading more of the thread I would reccomend that you consider using Double Platinums. Standard plugs probably will not last too long in your car due to the reverse firing of half of the spark plugs not to mention that I think there use a higher voltage than the old days.

Before taking the cylinder head off I would try and eliminate the easy possibilities first. This includes the fuel injector wiring, spark plugs, cables and coil pack. Perhaps you may need to have your injectors cleaned. $2.00 bottles for the gas tank may not help here. You may need to have them professionally cleaned or you can remove it yourself and manually clean it.

Keep posting results of your analysis............As you may have noticed a lot of us here love trying to solve problems while someone else (you in this case) gets their hands dirty. :)

Wiswind,

Just felt today something different with the engine. Maybe this is what your referring to as the "engine missed". I hear somewhat a hissing sound whenever i step on the accelerator pedal coming from a complete stop. Is that a symptom of an engine miss?

I tried using an injector cleaner again though the CEL is not continuously blinking as often as before i observed that it still blinks after driving my car for more than 30 minutes. Maybe it happens when the engine is hot. Still the CEL lights on only when im in a full stop and im on the drive gear. Still no lights when the car is moving (driving).

By the way, I want to check the resistance of my spark plug wire on cylinder 1. Do you have any idea where is it located? I dont want to check all the other cylinder wires since i only got the cylinder 1 misfire.



I do not know if your misfire is caused by the spark plugs....only way to know would be to swap the plug in the cylinder that is acting up.....with the plug from another cylinder.
You should be able to get the double platinum plugs from Autozone for under $5 (US) each.
For the '96 3.8L engine, Autozone stocked the Motorcraft plug under "stock code 686"

Thanks for the advice.

I tried using an injector cleaner again though the CEL is not continuously blinking as often as before i observed that it still blinks after driving my car for more than 30 minutes. Maybe it happens when the engine is hot. Still the CEL lights on only when im in a full stop and im on the drive gear. Still no lights when the car is moving (driving).

By the way, I want to check the resistance of my spark plug wire on cylinder 1. Do you have any idea where is it located? I dont want to check all the other cylinder wires since i only got the cylinder 1 misfire.





Pandak,

A direct answer to your question:
Yes it is possible that a head gasket failure could cause a misfire. I am not too sure what years were susceptable to head gasket failures but I thought it was prior to 98. (but I am not sure).

In reading more of the thread I would reccomend that you consider using Double Platinums. Standard plugs probably will not last too long in your car due to the reverse firing of half of the spark plugs not to mention that I think there use a higher voltage than the old days.

Before taking the cylinder head off I would try and eliminate the easy possibilities first. This includes the fuel injector wiring, spark plugs, cables and coil pack. Perhaps you may need to have your injectors cleaned. $2.00 bottles for the gas tank may not help here. You may need to have them professionally cleaned or you can remove it yourself and manually clean it.

Keep posting results of your analysis............As you may have noticed a lot of us here love trying to solve problems while someone else (you in this case) gets their hands dirty. :)

I think #1 is passenger side near the firewall - figures it is the hardest on to get to.

I am not sure but I can check tonight