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Too Lean Codes

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Old Jun 5, 2019 | 10:23 PM
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Too Lean Codes

Running 218K on my 2005 F-150. Error codes are three Too Lean, P0171 (Bank 1) and a pair of P0174 (both on Bank 2).
In last nine months, have cleaned MAF sensor multiple times, and replaced it for second time in less than four years. Truck also developed a real bad habit of stalling out at idle while in drive (at the long red light, in other words), though that has not happened in more than two months. Fuel efficiency, particular on city, has flattened out. Highway mileage is still not too bad.
Is this the 02 sensors? To be clear, the lights only came on in the last month.
 
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Old Jun 6, 2019 | 06:07 AM
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It is NOT the 02 sensors, they are simply reporting the conditions.

More than 90% of the time, your symptoms are caused by a vacuum leak.
 
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Old Jun 6, 2019 | 08:23 AM
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And 90% of the time, that other 10% of the time your symptoms are caused by misfires.
 
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Old Jun 6, 2019 | 04:26 PM
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Remember, vacuum is highest with throttle plates closed . . . and the engine is not as easily able to deal with the extra air (coming in through a vacuum leak) at idle, which is at the bottom of its operating range. While driving on the highway, there is less vacuum to draw air in, and at the same time there is more air and fuel going through and what little air gets leaked in is easily digested without issues.

While we're here: How many miles are on the current set of spark plugs?
 
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Old Jun 6, 2019 | 10:41 PM
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Originally Posted by projectSHO89
It is NOT the 02 sensors, they are simply reporting the conditions.

More than 90% of the time, your symptoms are caused by a vacuum leak.
Is that the little vacuum tube that runs immediately in front of the cab? I replaced that around 2014.
 
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Old Jun 6, 2019 | 10:42 PM
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Originally Posted by CathedralCub
Remember, vacuum is highest with throttle plates closed . . . and the engine is not as easily able to deal with the extra air (coming in through a vacuum leak) at idle, which is at the bottom of its operating range. While driving on the highway, there is less vacuum to draw air in, and at the same time there is more air and fuel going through and what little air gets leaked in is easily digested without issues.

While we're here: How many miles are on the current set of spark plugs?
Less than 35,000 on average. Nothing is three years old, and all but one was replaced within the last two years.
 
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Old Jun 6, 2019 | 11:55 PM
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Originally Posted by Roadside
Less than 35,000 on average. Nothing is three years old, and all but one was replaced within the last two years.
I wonder why they weren't all replaced at the same time?
 
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Old Jun 7, 2019 | 07:52 PM
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Only one went bad initially. The rest were replaced at the same time as the coils.
 
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Old Jun 8, 2019 | 10:18 AM
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You have different vacuum tubes running around the truck. One can be the 4x4 iwe source,another is the pcv sytem ,one on the fuel rail pressure sensor, one on the evap system , brake booster . Any gasket or crack on intake manifold etc .
So you see where a homemade smoke machine off you tube comes into play .And using torque pro you can look at 02's and see if they are responding/ switching at idle and 2500rpm .I finally built my own little smoke machine . My wifes explorer had been acting up for a year and my mech did not have one.Second try smoke came up from under battery ,purge solenoid hidden there $29 bucks later it was fixed . Plastic had dissolved from alcohol in gas
Another friend had a van that had been connected to there different s.machines luckily it was on a lift and he saw a little puff from gas tank . Gas tank gasket folded at factory installation causing problem . when system pulls small vac on fuel system to check integrity.
Yes it does sound like a vac leak .
Good luck
 
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Old Jun 8, 2019 | 11:19 AM
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But I haven't heard a vacuum sound.
 
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Old Jun 8, 2019 | 12:58 PM
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Originally Posted by Roadside
But I haven't heard a vacuum sound.
And you never will unless the leak is HUGE.

My usual method is to set up the scanner to graph the upstream O2 voltages, run the engine at idle and spray suspect areas with brake cleaner and watch for a response from the sensors. When the spray hits a vacuum leak, the response from the sensor is almost immediate.
 
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