hey, its been a while since last post. i have a 2000 f250 v10 auto w/112,000. my check engine light has been going off and on for the last 3 years. i finally had it checked at my local auto zone w/the computer reader. some fault codes came up that i can not figure out in my machanics book. here are the codes. p0171 and p0174 i went to get my truck smoged and it did not pass. they said the left and right bank is to lean. what do the codes mean and what can i do to repair to save $$$ also my truck seems to be eating the gas much more than ever. could this be the cause. please help. thanks.

 

I had these codes in my truck when I had a compression problem in 1 cylinder. Your system runs lean because one cylinder does that ignite the fuel and only air is detected causing it to read lean. Does the truck run smooth ? No miss to it ? Have you had your o2 sensors checked ? Check all coils and fuel injectors w/ a test light while it's running to see if they aren't any problems.

 

Here is a link: http://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_cod...gen-sensor.php

POST:
P0171 OBD-II Trouble Code
Technical DescriptionSystem Too Lean (Bank 1)

What does that mean?Basically this means that an oxygen sensor in bank 1 detected a lean condition (too much oxygen in the exhaust). On V6/V8/V10 engines, Bank 1 is the side of the engine that has cylinder #1.

Note: This DTC is very similar to P0174, and in fact your vehicle may show both codes at the same time.

Symptoms:
You will more than likely not notice any drivability problems, although there may be symptoms such as a lack of power, detonation (spark knock), and/or a hesitation/surge on acceleration.

Causes:
A code P0171 may mean that one or more of the following has happened:

The MAF (Mass Air Flow) Sensor is dirty or faulty. Note: The use of "oiled" air filters (K&N, etc.) can cause the MAF to become dirty if the filter is over-oiled
There could be a vacuum leak downstream of the MAF sensor.

Possible SolutionsPossible solutions include:
In the vast majority of cases, simply cleaning the MAF sensor does the trick.

I find it's best to take it off and spray it with electronics cleaner or brake cleaner. Make sure you are careful not to damage the MAF sensor, and make sure it's dry before reinstalling.

Inspect all vacuum and PCV hoses, replace if necessary

Check for a dirty fuel filter and proper fuel pressure

Hope this helps...Good luck!

biz

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2003 F250 SD SC 142" XLT FX4 V10 Auto 4x4 3.73s

 

Biz ,has given you great info on your problem.
follow his info and also look for any exhaust leaks upstream of the o2 sensors.
The most common cause with these engines is the hose to the PCV that goes to the throttle body (the elbow gets a crack in it) right at the throttle body.
Also intake gaskets (actually o-rings) they shrink over time.
Rich

 

Thanks for the response. i just put a k&n filter should i remove it? also i just had my fuel filter replaced at jiffy lube and the employee had indicated the check engine light may go on. also my truck did start surging off and on after i installed the k&n. however, prior to all this my truck did have ignition knock during up hill pulls of my fifthwheel. what would cause the knock? i put premium fuel and it helped just alittle. thanks again..

 

I would say switch everything back to normal. reset the check engine light, then trouble shoot the existing issues

 

IMO...just clean the MAF sensor. Reset/clear the PCM...and see if the codes come back. Sometimes to much oil is on the K&N filter...and it gets the MAF sensor dirty. Not that big a deal.

If that does not do it...then I would remove the K&N...and start over. 8 times out of 10...cleaning the MAF will do the job.

Good luck,
biz

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2003 F250 SD SC 142" XLT FX4 V10 Auto 4x4 3.73s

 

just cleaned the MAF censor and i disconnected the batt in hopes the computer would reset it self. reconnected batt started truck and check engine light is off . could this censor have an effect on the gas milage? my truck still has a new issue after installing a new fuel filter at jiffy lube. intermittenly sputers at idle almost as if it is starving for fuel. what are your thoughts.

 

Glad to hear that cleaning the MAF sensor worked. With a dirty MAF sensor the fuel mileage will certainly suffer. So...now you should be good to go.

As for the sputter...I noticed you have 112,000 miles on your SD V10. So...when were the spark plugs and boots changed? What spark plug brand was used?

Usually, the sputter is from the ignition. That is because you just had installed a new fuel filter. I do not understand what the jiffy lube person is telling you. Does NOT make any sense that a check engine light would come on after installing a fuel filter. At least if it is installed correctly. If it is the ignition...could be the spark plugs, boots, or COPs themselves. Especially with all those miles.

biz

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2003 F250 SD SC 142" XLT FX4 V10 Auto 4x4 3.73s

 

I just finished the repair work on my 99 F250SD. The fuel level was allowed to get real low (14 miles to empty!), and after the refill the engine started surging when in gear at a stop. First I thought maybe bad gas, so I added some Lucas gas treatment. Then the check engine light came on and the codes were P0171 & P0174- left & right banks lean. I read a lot here and suspecting maybe crud in the tank / filter installed a new fuel filter, then cleaned the MAF. No change. I checked as best I could for vacumn leaks and found zippo, so off to the dealer it went. Turns out to be the PCV valve line does have a vacumn leak (as described below by others).

Bottom line...if you are getting these codes take the time and swap out the PCV & line ($45 in parts if you get them from Ford) BEFORE you try anything else. From all I've seen this particular vacumn leak is hard to catch.

 

I've been fighting the P0171 error code for a while and finally (I think) found the culprit in the elbow hose from the PCV that goes into the throttle body. There was a nice split in the hose.

Seems easy, right, well really that's where the fun began. After struggling to get the elbow hose off, I figured a quick trip to Autozone would put me in the right again...wrong. It seems they don't have pre-formed hose that matches the different sizes on each side of the elbow. Advance Auto had the same issue - the pre-formed elbows they have were the same size on both ends.

Now, after three hours of messing with this, I'm ready to put me ego aside and ask for help. Can someone direct to me where I can find the part number for the elbow or where I can order it? I've gone through rockauto.com, motorcraft.com and even the SD Workshop Manual.

Does anyone have a clue for me? As you can tell, I'm fresh out....

 

Go to a NAPA store to get the parts - or - go to Ford and get the them. NAPA should be cheaper, but will have the exact parts you need.

 

Get the parts from the Ford dealer - there is no profit in trying to save $$ on this part - after all, it's only $45.