Look below the lightswitch then. The '84 I test drove had one, and it's been awhile since that happened. There is what looks like a blank panel. You may need to pull that panel off and replace the bulb.

 

The only time the check engine light ever came on in my 1986 e150 was when the timer went off. Thats right there is timer that is supposed to represent about 80,000 miles of usage and it will turn on the light. And there is a reset procedure for it. I either was real lucky or the Ecm on the feed back systems cannot turn on that light come to think of if my 1984 never did turn on a light and I know it had some problems with a vaccum leak and a bad TPS. I could pull the codes and get them for the 1984 but it never turmed on a light.

 

I know it's weird it should have a Check Engine Light, but no sign of one, even the techs at Kragen were wondering how Ford got away with it, or thinkin maybe somebody put an old panel on guess i'll try searching for a plug that goes to nothing.

Anyhow this thing is offical named "The Van From Hell" it's still failing and still by a large number. I was at Kragen lookin at Code Readers still might buy one but I wanna make sure i'm not wasting money.

Anyhow here is the printout, this time I included the %CO2 and %O2 readings.

M1: 15 mph (%CO2 = 12.0 (so they think the CAT is fine))
(%O2 = 0.4)

M2: 25 mph (%CO2 = 11.8)
(%O2 = 0.4)
------

HC (PPM)

M1: 15mph (Max = 123, GP = 312, Measured = 116)
M2: 25mph (Max = 95, GP = 262, Measured = 141)
----
CO (%) (Came down some but still high)

M1: 15mph (Max = 0.77, GP = 2.07, Measured = 4.04)
M2: 25mph (Max = 0.97, GP = 2.27, Measured = 4.35)
----
The Nitros Oxide Emissions are still very low so they're not even worth listing.

I'm running out of idea's here, I stopped in a Carburetor Factory while I was out and asked the rebuilder there what could be the cause showed him the printout. He says it isn't getting enough air thinks maybe the O2 Sensor is giving false readings so the EEC Is trying to override it. Hence the low O2 Levels should be much higher. Now i'm beginning to wonder if it's the Air Injection Tube, two years ago Midas tried to say the old one was leaking and changed it and ever since then the emissions have been worse. Below is the printout from the test that I had done back in 2004 before any work was done by Midas or what was recently done with the Carburetor.

M1: 15 mph (%CO2 = 12.18)
(%O2 = 1.56)

M2: 25 mph (%CO2 = 12.56)
(%O2 = 1.38)
----
HC (PPM)

M1: 15mph (Max = 123, GP = 312, Measured = 97)
M2: 25mph (Max = 95, GP = 262, Measured = 82)
----
CO (%)

M1: 15mph (Max = 0.77, GP = 2.07, Measured = 2.72)
M2: 25mph (Max = 0.97, GP = 2.27, Measured = 2.35)
----
NO (PPM)

M1: 15mph (Max = 1056, GP = 2008, Measured = 164)
M2: 25mph (Max = 1061, GP = 2016, Measured = 115)
------------------------------------------------
It's worse off now then ever according to that, the 2004 printout was with the Old Air Injection Tube on they said it had a crack in it which is why they replaced it, I never saw no crack or heard any abnormal noises coming from it, btw the 04 reading was also prior to them changing the O2 Sensor maybe I got a defective one who knows i'm puzzled.

 

ok I went ahead and bought the Code Reader, It covers EEC-IV and MCU Systems, was not a waste of money I hooked it up earlier and it gave 5 codes, well actually 4, it gave a Code 22 which came up twice once in KOEO mode and once in CM mode. According to my book that indicates the MAP Sensor is out of range.
I also got a Code 41 which has three definetions in the book, but one is for a KOER Test which I didn't run. The two that apply here are 1. Sensor Signal out of range Always Lean (not likely i'm thinkin), or 2. No HO2S switching detected.

It gave a Code 10 which isn't a fault code, and a Code 21 for CM Mode the book doesn't list a Code 21 under CM but for KOEO and KOER Modes it indicates a bad Coolant Temperature Sensor (I don't think i've run across that Sensor yet, didn't see one when I had the Carburetor off.

 

The coolant temp sensor should be in the front of the intake, just to the right of the water neck. It may even be in the thermostat housing. It looks like you have an O2 sensor code, I'd go ahead and replace it again as it looks like it's toast again. Make sure you have a good vacuum line to the map sensor. It may be time to replace it as well.

 

Thats what I was affraid of, unfortunatley on our Van the Front of the Intake is very difficult to access without pulling a bunch of stuff off. Even when I had the Carburetor off reaching it would not have been easy. If it didn't have all the A/C Crap in the way it wouldn't be much of a problem, i'm tempted to just have the system evac'd and yank it all out because the wiring for the system is all out of whack and the thing doesn't stay on anyway, so it's basically useless in the summertime it's just taking up space. As far as the Thermostat Housing goes there is a Ported Vacuum Switch there that at one time (before I knew what it was) I thought was the ECTS , no sensor though but i'll look to the right of the T-Stat Housing, or rather try to look, lots of wiring and hoses in the way and not much room to maneuver my hands. I don't imagine getting the Sensor out will be an easy task.

Would a brand new Bosch O2 Sensor really go bad in two years time?, I thought those things lasted awhile and even when it was last changed it didn't make a difference on the Emissions. I hope it's the Sensor but I'm worried that it's the O2 Sensor Connector and not the Sensor itself.

 

It almost sounds like the shop never changed it. What make no sense is that your emissions went up with the new sensor. The coolant temp sensor might be in the intake where the hose for the heater goes into it. On my '92 there was a fitting there that it screwed into.

 

Keep up the good work joe!

 

Joe, your a/c issue may be a bad clutch. I had a malibu that would do the same thing. On our '88 EFI 302 the ECTS is in the top of the manifold in a fitting that also supplies the heater core.

 

I am only getting in on the end of this five page report. I do not know if this has been covered or not.

> Would a brand new Bosch O2 Sensor really go bad in two years time?,

It can, but, more likely it was damaged or contaminated when it was installed. The connection itself has to be spotless since the O2 sensor sucks air through the wire itself for the sensor. If someone threw grease in there or did a bad splice it would not work correctly. The most common problem is the connector is bad or the wire has been burnt against the exhaust itself.

That does not count an idiot without the proper tools that puts in on with a regular socket instead of an O2 socket. They either cut the wires and splice them together after the install or worse they fold the wire into the socket and squish the wire between the socket and O2 sensor. Or they get liberal with the anti-seize and get it on the sensor itself. The only way to be sure is to have an expensive scanner or use a home made test probe to slip (not pierce) into the connection.

The other common thing to go wrong is the heat stove gets rusted up and no longer works. This has been a problem since they started using them 30 years ago. On your van it should be easy to check the operation with it cold and then with it running since it is on the driver's side pipe.

On my 1985 351w (1 ton) there is only a check emissions light on the left hand panel and a module sits behind it.

On these types of problems I usually remove and replace both the EGR and sensor along with the PVC . BUT, while I am at it I clean out the passages that led to the carb., the carb passage, and the intake manifold passage. They are usually very restricted if not totally blocked.

re:not enough air

I forget what the gizmo is called at the moment, but, it is like a bi-metal valve, round, has a flap, and sits at the beginning of the air cleaner hose.

The other thing you have to do is check or replace the check values for the charcoal cannisters. Most are easily accessable through the wheel well.

 

I think the heat stove yer reffering to is what my Chilton Book refers to as a Warm Up Valve or some thing like that, supposed to restrict exhaust gas flow through the drivers side pipe and supposedly helps the engine warm up faster. It doesn't look like it's rusted up and I think it was replaced a couple of years ago. Is it normally open (Exhaust Flows Freely), or normally Closed (restricted) when the engine is off? If it's normally open I could just disable it, around here it never gets cold enough to really matter esp not this time of year. The Bi-Metal Sensor in the air cleaner yer talking about I already know is bad, but the intake flap is constantly open, Vacuum is supposed to close it when the engine is cold but the system isn't working so I couldn't imagine that being the cause, I know it's not "Starved For Air" as far as the engine not being able to breathe, if that were the case it wouldn't run or at the least run like crap, which it's not it's running great.

As far as grease on the O2 Sensor Connector goes I can confirm that, I did notice some in there but I think it's Dielectric grease or something yer probably right the mechanic that changed it is a moron. I can try removing the Sensor to check the end of it i'm a little skiddish about that thing though the last time I removed it (awhile back) the threads got messed up (I did use an O2 Sensor Socket but that made no difference), they were supposedly repaired by Midas when they supposedly installed the new sensor but now I wonder. Fortunatley however it isn't the type of sensor you need to splice in, there is a plastic connector on the Sensor (which is a major pain to remove) with a single flat rectangular prong inside. I don't think the wire got burnt against the exhaust it is routed away from that, the part that bothers me is where the Sensor plugs in at, it looks chewed up and thats where I noticed the grease at. I don't imagine there is another connector down the line is there, i'd probably have to cut it to change it. Ford never did make anything easy.

Also aren't new O2 Sensors supposed to have Anti Seize Compound already on the threads?

 

> I did notice some in there but I think it's Dielectric grease

Yes, that is the grease I was talking about. Big mistake. See if you can scrap most of it out. I do not know what you could spray in to remove the rest of it, what works to dissolve silicon grease? The problem is, silicon itself is bad for the O2 sensor, as it is for most sensors.

I would not try to remove the sensor without a die and tap set or without the ability to weld in a new bung considering the threads were messed up before. I doubt they fixed it with a new bung, they ran a tap through it and then torqued a new one in.

> I don't imagine there is another connector down the line is there

Usually not except the main harness connection with 30 or so wires.

When you connect the sensor back up, I would suggest making sure it does not come apart. I have seen that on a few Tauruses. What I do is wrap a small tie wrap around it so it can not come apart. Then around each end of the connector (male and female side) I wrap another small one around the wire itself. That way the 1st one can not slip off that is holding both halves together.

> Also aren't new O2 Sensors supposed to have Anti Seize Compound already on the threads?

Yes, but, that never stopped people from adding more because they did not know what it was. They slop on some of that grey brake stuff for GM (instead of the copper stuff at least) and call it good.

 

I did remove the Sensor earlier (when it was cold of course), the threads in the manifold were ok albeit rusty, so they did do something to it, but it didn't take much for it to come off or go back on. I wanted to check the condition of the Sensor itself to see if there was anything that shouldn't be there, I noticed it was a little scored but considering the heat in there i'm not surprised by that find. The thing that bothered me was the connector was so brittle the plastic and insulation around it came apart, the metal connector inside was still intact and attached though, Mananged to clean some of the gunk out of it but I doubt I got it all definetley would need to spray something in there, also found some green slimy crap this thing is in bad shape somebody really screwed it up awhile back just wish I could remember who, at the time my parents handled all the repairs so I knew nothing...
If I need to change the Sensor I may just have a shop do it I don't want to buy a new Sensor and then not be able to install it, or a Tap and Die set that would only be used once.

Also today I tried changing the MAP Sensor, I got a couple from the Junk Yard yesterday while I was out there (don't really feel like shelling out $100+ for a new one if I don't have to) anyhow still throwing out a Code 22 , code appears in both KOEO and CM Tests, if it were CM only I wouldn't be concerned because I did have the Sensor disconnected when I had it running earlier (was running a Vacuum Test on the Sensor's Vacuum Line, which is strong and steady so I think the Vacuum Line is fine). Oh well thats why I pulled two, if the second one don't work then I'll try and find a cheap one somewhere, maybe AutoZone, it's a low priority at the moment anyway til I can get it to stop throwing O2 Sensor Codes.
The only way I can be sure if it's the connector or the Sensor is to try and test the Sensor again with the Multimeter, the last time I got inconclusive readings because I guess I didn't have the right setting dialed in. Anyway I'm not concerned with what the readings are I already know it's still failing smog, I just want to see if it's switching at all, if it is then I guess it's the connector....

Tomorrow is another day I guess....

 

Joe, a new map sensor should be about $54 at the zone. You need to reset the computer, get it to start spitting codes out and unplug the tester that should clear the codes.

 

Well come to find out it might not even be the Sensor, I was told today that I should get a Continuity Tester at Radio Shack and run a test on the wire from the MAP to the EEC because the connector for the MAP Sensor might be the problem, I did clear the codes and even after changing the sensor twice (using both the ones I got at the Junk Yard) still spitting out a Code 22, so thats telling me there is a break in the wire somewhere or somebody screwed the plug up somehow. Either that or I was unlucky enough to get two bad sensors. The EEC Harness was a little bit loose so I tightened it down but that didn't fix anything. The ECTS Code also came up again after driving it earlier so that Sensor definetley needs changing too, btw I found it it is in that Heater Hose Outlet you described the reason I didn't notice it before was because it was obscured by other hoses I found the plug and just followed it, kind of a weird location for it you'd think it would be in the Intake Manifold itself.