In 45yrs of wrenching (shade tree mechanic), I have had little success with propane especially with modern mills, unable to get close and nasty with propane, that is why I built my own smoker(could not afford the $$$ for a commercial model), works wonders. Connect it and sit back and wait for the wisps..... great for the evap codes..and exhaust leaks.. but I digress.

Make sure you have no leaks on the upper exhaust bank #2, that too has triggered P017X, the O2 is seeing incomplete burn or too much oxygen in the system.

 

I AM THE SMARTEST MAN ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!

Or at least the luckiest.

First, a special thanks to Philip, who kept me on the injectors and guided me toward the problem

Now, The story...

So there I was, razor blade in one hand, cyanide in the other, staring at my Explorer. This things books for almost $6,000 but I bought it for $1400. How could I lose?

I've chased all of the problems down to those pesky codes... 0305 and 0174.

So, I put down the razor blade, still gripping tightly to my poison pills, and traded out a couple of plug wires... the code stayed the same. I tossed the cyanide in my mouth and as I was ready to swallow, I figured I would try to "gas" the lower manifold before I gulped down a quart of Jack to accompany my cyanide pills.

As I fed my hose into the space unde the intake, the engine smoothed out. I quickly spat out the pills and cocked my head. I tried it again but nothing happened. Thinking maybe it was farther down, I fed the beast more hose. It smoother out again, but I couldn't replicate it.

As I looked downward at the top of what was about to become a victim of my 7MM Magnum, A-bolt Browning, I realized I was staring at the #5 injector. I reached down and plucked the connector from it with no effort. "That was odd" I though. I put it back on but it didn't "snap" into place. As I pushed a little harder, I heard my choking 5.0 convert to that rythmic purr you expect from your v-8. I GOT IT!

It appears that some (foul language omitted) before me broke the locking tab off from the connector. I threaded a zip tie through it, pressed it in tight, and went for a ride.

WOW! Just like new. No codes yet and none expected. The injector wasn't firing, thus the lean condition and the misfire. I guess when I was serching for a vacuum leak, the hose treaked the connector and completed the circuit.


Now, we party.


**some embelishments were made during the telling of this story.**

 

Happy and glad it was that easy, my next diagnostics, once the tecron had a chance to do its thing would have been a stethoscope on the injectors (steady ticking as it fires), we would have found it then....

Enjoy and keep the faith, methodical testing cures most ails with little $$$$.. Philip