So for whatever reason my engine light has opted to come on and stay on, so I ran up to autozone quick to get it scanned. The guy there read the code and it said ONLY "System to Lean Bank 2" The truck sputters upon acceleration, and I have replaced the plugs, fuel filter. I have yet to figure it out. I do not want to take this to a Ford Dealer to have my *** raped any more like I was with the plugs. I think its an injector or maybe the fuel rail. How can I tell if its either of those things? What else can cause system to lean codes? Its an 04 Ford F150 and I did have the plugs changed out. Would a bad plug cause this? Could it be a COP? What would cause it to RUN TO LEAN.

 

This is a continuation of the other thread you started regarding the same issue, yes? Here's the exaustive list of potential causes. Have you checked the dipstick?

 

It isn't running to rich, and I wish I could understand all that but I am no mechanic. If I found a shop that had a computer to run on it, would that shop be able to pin point whats going on?

My main concern is every truck I owned I took to a shop to have them replace and fix everything but the issue. Ford today tried to replace the phasers when they are just knocking a tad bit, and blamed the lack of fuel on the phasers which isn't true at all. The truck spits, pops and sputters under a load on hard acceleration. The system is running to lean. I am so annoying with this issue I am about to pull my hair out. I almost had an accident today I went to pull out in traffic and stomp my truck down to get up with traffic and it just sputtered before actually taking off like its suppose to.

My question is could a bad spark plug, or COP cause this? What is the common cause of this issue? I know there is a list but a lot of those things are uncommon, and vacuum leaks would happen at idle and in park as well. This happens when its put under a load, like it isn't getting enough gas. I have seen both Cylinder 8 and 7 misfire according to the code scanner in the past. The engine light if the truck will do it enough will flash when its doing what its doing. The engine light came on and showed lean codes. I've flushed it several times with seafoam through the booster line. Ran injector cleaner through the fuel tank, Cleaned the tb. Cleaned the MAF. None of the codes appear to be related to any sensor malfunction. The truck is obviously missing and straining when the acceleration is pushed down to hard.

So I guess it could be an injector, but if its a injector there is 8 injectors, one per cylinder right? That would mean that both 7 and 8 are both acting up. If its the fuel rail that would make more sense, because the fuel rail is what delivers fuel to each injector right? I could of got shafted on the plug changed. They never let me see the old plugs they pulled, but claimed all 8 broke. I am beginning to wonder if they changed them at all. This dealership is shady in this area. So what my main concern is would the plugs cause a system to lean code, or could the COP's be causing this system to lean code, which in turn is causing my truck to not get enough fuel some how and mess up.

 

You're going to have to get some oil on your hands if you want to diagnosis and fix this this cheaply. Even then, there is no guaranty. No one on here started out mechanically inclined. Most of use learned the hard way by getting raped at a dealer/shop. For me it was a bogus $700 brake job shortly after I graduated from college (I was as broke as my brakes). I'm a research scientist, not a mechanic. But I sure as heck wasn't going to allow that to happen again.

If you suspect you got screwed on the plug change...pull them and see what they look like. If they did replace them they will come out with 35 ft/lbs of torque. If one brakes, then you know you got screwed. However, a bad plug, cop or injector will throw a P030x misfire code. If you're getting codes for cylinder 7 and 8, pull the plugs, COPs and injectors and put them on cylinders 1 and 2. If the codes change banks (P0171 instead of P172) you've found your culprit.

My guess is that it was a bad plug/COP and it was fixed by the dealer when they replaced the plugs. Unfortunately, it caused downstream damage to the cat. Hence the popping and sputtering. Like we discussed in the other thread a bad cat will cause misfiring and other related codes and symptoms like you are experiencing. If the light is on solid now get the codes read and report back with the numbers, all of the numbers. Don't bother with the descriptions the numbers tell the complete story.

Outside of all of that, ask around and try and get someone to reccomend a reputable shop in your area that will diagnose the issue and provide a fix guarantee.

 

Well the popping and sputtering, and hesitation is no different from before. I should of gotten the exact code. The guy cleared the engine light I didn't ask him to, but he did. So the light is gone. Now I have to try and get it to do it again. I ain't afraid to get my hands dirty. I never pulled an injector or fuel rail, but I almost would have to take a guess that it would be that. This truck does have dual exhaust. I guess I need to break down and find a good shop that will diagnose the problem. The plug I did try and pull out, came out with ease, but it scared the **** out of me, and I tightened it down in there with a torque socket, and only put 35lb's back onto it.

Soon as I grab those numbers I will post back. So far the information was only showing bank 2 as being lean, and no misfire, and it probably won't misfire till the engine light starts blinking, which just means I need to put my foot in it, and I don't always need to drive like that, but it is increasingly annoying I try to put my foot in the truck to pass someone and my truck makes crackling and popping noises, and hesitates, before it actually kicks in and goes, and most of the time it will kick in and do what its suppose to after making the noise. I also noted that with Overdrive off it gets up without no where near as bad of a miss. I don't know if this is normal but if I throw my truck into 2nd gear, it will pop but its not a missing pop or a sputter its just a popping sound. I assume thats normal since its got true straights on it.