Error Codes!!!

Hey, Since I got my 1993 Escort LX 1.9L I've been having the check engine light come on and the engine runs like crap. I've done numerous repairs and have been unable to isolate the problem. When I got the codes from the computer it came back with 171, 172, 181, 186. I read through my book to see what they meant. 3 had to do with the Oxygen Sensor and one said something about the injector pulse and some BARO thing. The engine runs rough and at sustained higher speeds (55-65) there is violent shuddering. Please help me with what these codes actually mean / if anyone has had these problems before. Thanks. --Pete

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Gee.. Thanks a lot for all the insight. Is there anyone out there that can even address my question? or is this just a waste of my time? Thanks.

I have a 91 and mine shakes alot also on the highway and my steering wheel gets a little loose. I have read that they tend to do this. I dont know why they do. My mechanic says for me that I need a tuneup and that should clear it up. Have you had one?

I'm not sure how much you know about mechanical parts, but anyways...

Your oxygen sensor "sniffs" the air that is going through your exhaust. By measuring the amount of oxygen in the exhaust, it detects if the car is running lean or rich. The computer then sends the appropriate signal to the injectors to fix any problem, thus making the car run well. However, if there is a problem with the oxygen sensor, it can't "sniff" the exhaust or tell the computer how well or poorly the car is running. The only way to fix this is a new oxygen sensor, which is likely around $50 for the part, and half an hour ot an hour of labour...nothing TOO costly.

Now, the shuddering on the highway...is it because of the rough running engine shaking a lot, or is it the whole car? If it's the whole car shuddering, you may simply need a $15 wheel balance.

Gambit_Force: When you say the steering gets "loose", do you mean that there is a lot of play in the straight ahead position (could you shake the wheel left and right about an inch and not have the car turn any?)? My car is like this...it's simply worn steering rack teeth from years of driving. If the problem really bothers you, you could replace the steering rack, but it won't do any harm if you don't.

Yeah exactly! It doesnt bother me that much. I was told also that my car shakes so hard when I stop is because of a combination of needing both a fuel filter and new spark plugs. These things are getting fixed this weekend.
The mechanic says if it isnt that then the engine could be bad, is this true or could it just be what you said? The whole car doesnt shake when I am on the highway, just the enine(It feels that way) it mostly rattles the whole car hard when I am stopped. I notice when I turn the AC off it doesnt do it as hard.

While I'm not sure if the shuddering still exists (i want that little light to go off before I take it out on the parkway again). The car would feel like it was being starved of gas, like it was ready to stall. So I brought it to STS to get the codes and they came up with the codes that I listed before, the guy wasn't sure about them and told me that i needed a new exhaust manifold gasket, replaced that still the light.. replaced intake manifold gasket still light.. I've replaced the fuel filter, done a tuneup, replaced the O2S, and found and replaced a bad vacuum line. After all this plus regular oil changes and some other non-related stuff I still have the light. I personally get the codes with an analog Voltmeter and they come as stated previously in the thread. I then clear the codes, drive the car around and sure enough, same codes are back. I have been fixing all kinds of stuff that was bad anyway, but I just can't seem to fix the biggie..

Could I have a bad fuel injector?? I'm gonna check this out and let you know what I see. Thanks for all the help. I appreciate any new comments.

Gambit -- I think me and you are in the same boat. When I'm at a stoplight and in drive it shakes. Check your hood latch, it's probably a little worn that amplifies the shaking. When the shaking occurs, push down on your hood, see what happens..

Sorry for the long post. :)

RGR that. I will check that. I will also let you know what happens after my mechanic does all the stuff he is gonna do.

The car starving for gas might possibly be a fuel pump problem...mine would nearly stall sometimes and have no power when coming on to it...the pump was still good, but one of the lines that comes out of the top of the pump had rusted so badly a hole formed and gas was leaking out. Do you have a gas smell in your car at all? You may want to check the lines at the top of the pump in your car...simply remove the lower rear seat cushion. To do this, lift up the front of the bottom cushion, and underneath the cushion at the front (by the footwells) there are little buttons, press the buttons to unlatch the cushion and lift it up. There may or may not be a piece of plastic over the pump, but check out the fuel lines at the top of the pump to see if they are leaking.

My problem turned out to actually be a broken tranny mount. It causes everything to shake and move. My mount is getting fixed in a couple of days.:D yay! I also got my spark plugs changed, fuel filter changed, head gasket it being replaced. Whew!