P0401 Egr Flow Insuffcient
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Senior User
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From: Georgia
P0401 Egr Flow Insuffcient
I installed a new egr valve, the old one was kind of dirty and took the battery cable off and reset the code. 30 miles later it came back. I ran a bottle of seafoam thru the vacuum line and man did it smoke out the neighborhood. It runs a whole lot better now, smoother and quicker but I was wondering if there is anything else to check before I reset the thing again?
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From: Sugar Land USA
How do 2Fords. I have the same code stuck in my truck. I changed the egr and DPFE to no avail. CEL comes on after 20 or so miles. I was wondering how you put the SeaFoam thru the vacuum line? I had heard that intake removal was the next step to clear out the clogged egr ports. I have 187,000 on it and my mileage of late has been taking a big hit (down to 11.75 from 14.2 in an E-250).
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From: Georgia
Damn, 11.75. I just calculated mine today, and it is 16. All I did was pulled the vacuum line from the brake booster and let the truck run and the vacuum will suck it from the can, just pour it steady. Try not to let the truck die. Once you get it all in there, let it sit for about 15 min. It will take a bit to start but it will smoke like the fourth of july. just drive it like you stole it for about 5 miles and it should stop smoking. I did not remove the little end that goes into the brake booster, just poured it thru it. the other option is thru the pcv hose. What is a DPFE? 
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From: Sugar Land USA
Yeehaw, it sure does smoke!!! I pulled the hose from the manifold and added a new one and stuck it in the can. Left the engine running while I did that. Sucked that can empty in about 10 seconds! I couldn't see my house, my truck, hell, couldn't see the neighbourhood!! I was suprised that nobody called the fire department! Had people stopping to see what all the commotion was about! After I re-read your post I figured that's how you must've done it. It did help but not the way you'd think. I found a small exhaust leak at the manifold where the head pipe attaches. With all the smoke comming out from the truck I could see it pretty easily (had ther doghouse off and could see the pipe). I tightened up the exhaust pipe (never heard it making noise tho?) and so far all sems to be okay. It was the passengers side pipe right where the pipe to the EGR comes from. DPFE is short for; Differential Pressure Feedback EGR. It's a small sensor that tells the ecm if the flow is too low. I changed out the vacuum regulator too. I've replaced all the components now!
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From: Georgia
how hard does it look to replace the egr tube? i just wonder if that is stopped up, and does that dpfe sit above the egr or on top of the intake? thier is a connection to the egr from a sensor on top of the intake and then i see a sensor connected off the egr tube. i am going to run another can thru it before i start tearing into it.
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From: Sugar Land USA
Well, that wasn't the fix for me 
The light came back when I took it for a spin around the block. Seems that running 75 plus doesn't affect it but going 15 does!? My tube was easy, but I have a van and the pipe is just siting there in plain view when you pull the doghouse. I guess I'll try the pulling the intake next and cleaning out the ports. If that doesn't do it, then I'm at a loss. I've done everything else but that. That DPFE thing was about 6-9 inches away from the EGR valve (at least in my van) and was held on by two small screws and two vacuum hoses. Maybe I'll port the intake while I've got it off?
The light came back when I took it for a spin around the block. Seems that running 75 plus doesn't affect it but going 15 does!? My tube was easy, but I have a van and the pipe is just siting there in plain view when you pull the doghouse. I guess I'll try the pulling the intake next and cleaning out the ports. If that doesn't do it, then I'm at a loss. I've done everything else but that. That DPFE thing was about 6-9 inches away from the EGR valve (at least in my van) and was held on by two small screws and two vacuum hoses. Maybe I'll port the intake while I've got it off?
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From: Sugar Land USA
Pulled the intake today. Geez what a mess it was. The ports in the intake for the EGR are about 1/4 inch. Mine were so small I didn't think I could get a 1/16 in drill bit in them. I don't think Seafoam would've removed the deposits. I change my oil every 3000-3500 miles (along with the filter) and my engine inside looks pretty grim! Maybe time to broom this turkey?
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From: Georgia
i dont want to have to pull my intake. not that advanced. my father in laws truck did not smoke after I added the seafoam. we had to take it down the street and romp on it to get it to smoke, but it is the 4.6 but he said it was much smoother and had better throttle response. so hopefully mine will be ok after this second round. the light has come on since i reset it. but it has only been 35 miles.
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From: Sugar Land USA
Oh, you have the V-8?! In that case, pull the throttle body off and behind it is a spacer looking thing. That spacer is connected to the egr and has 2 holes in it for the exhaust gas to pass. Just clean out those holes with a drill bit or a wire and you'll be fine. The V-6 has the egr ports directly in the intake (hence needing to be pulled when they plug up). If I had a V-8 I could've fixed my truck in about 20 minutes!
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Joined: Jun 2004
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P0401 solved!!!
Logged into FTE and went to the forum on 4.2 V6's, to look for help with a P0401 EGR problem. I found a lot of good information and after a little investigation found I had a bad PDFE sensor. Thanks a million to all you guy's.
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From: Trussville, Alabama
Originally Posted by james's f_1_fiddy01
ok how do i
A) get seafom
B) use it
and
C) does it hurt your car?? SERIOUSLY i cant afford to kill my truck
A) get seafom
B) use it
and
C) does it hurt your car?? SERIOUSLY i cant afford to kill my truck
a) NAPA
b) https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s...light=seafoam+ (see post 15)
c) not that I have ever heard.