2002 F150 with Lean codes 4.2

 I was going through some old files and this one was easily diagnosed from just the paperwork though the truck left here years ago. 2002 Ford F-150 XL with 4.2 engine and trouble codes stored that indicate lean fuel mixture on both banks. 

Important clues are stored in the freeze-frame. The truck is sitting at idle, still warming a cold engine and fuel trims are high. 

These engines had a known problem with the seals around the bolts that attach the plenum to the lower intake manifold. While the engine was cold the seals would draw up and allow a vacuum leak. Once warmed up the seals would stop leaking. This is a common problem on many engines with the plenum gaskets allowing this to happen but on the 4.2 it was usually not the actual plenum gasket but the seal at the attaching bolts. The fix was to replace the plenum gasket and attaching bolts. The gasket was readily available at any parts store but to get the updated bolts they had to come from Ford. The updated version was green in color. 

You could verify this as the problem by letting the vehicle cool down overnight, start the engine, pull up the short term fuel trims on a scan tool and watch the data while spraying some carb cleaner in the area between the plenum and lower intake. If the vacuum leak was there it would pull in some of the carb spray and you would see the immediate change in the fuel trim. 

Kenny@ggauto.repair

Tips for Diagnosing a Ford 6F35 with Codes P073D or P177F by Jim Mobley

Tips for Diagnosing a 

Ford 6F35 with Codes 

P073D or P177F

Article 

Data-Driven Diagnostics May 2023

A Road Paved With Analyses 

 Article

Transmission Digest September 2024 Wayne Colonna

 Old Knowledge Can Still Help the Modern Shop

Article

RE5R05A (Gears)

 Part One

Part Two

High-Voltage Hybrids (2007 Counterman)

Article HERE

Trade Secrets (July 2007 Motor)

 Article HERE

Foreign Service AIR pumps (2007 Motor)

 Part 1

Part 2

Shortcuts to GM Solenoid Electrical Diagnosis (Steve Garrett)

Part 1

 Part 2

Jatco CVT and Daimler Chrysler (2007 Gears)

Jatco CVT tech article (Gears 2007)

 Part 1

Part 2

Toyota immobilizer system (2005 article)

Toyota's immobilizer system (2005 articles)

 Part 1

Part 2

Park-by-wire systems (GEARS magazine)

 Park-by-wire

GM’s 10L80 Pump Noise Gets Fixed (GEARS magazine)

 GM’s 10L80 Pump Noise Gets Fixed

Where did my power go? Oversize tires (GEARS article)

 Oversize Tires

Solving issues with the 68rfe transmissions (GEARS article)

 68RFE GEARS Magazine

Verify What the Scan Tool is Telling You (Dana Deeke, Transmission Digest)

 Verify What the Scan Tool is Telling You (Dana Deeke, Transmission Digest)

HERE

From the Ground Up (Gears article David Chalker)

 Good testing information for ground connections. HERE

Toyota/Lexus U880E: Beyond the Valve Body (parts 1&2)

 Toyota/Lexus U880E: Beyond the Valve Body Part 1

Toyota/Lexus U880E: Beyond the Valve Body Part 2

Transmission Digest Article RE5R05A Doesn't Move

 It Doesn't Move and I Cannot See Why

Technically Speaking by Wayne Collona

December 2017

AS68RC Intermittent Pressure Switch Codes (Transmission Digest)

 Click to read article.

May 2023 Transmission Digest

2016 Dodge Charger SXT 3.6 P0128

 The car came in with a complaint of a check engine light, but no driveability problems. I scanned a code P0128 and noticed the engine coolant temperature was remaining at 182F. The code will set when the engine coolant temperature hasn't reached normal operating temperature within what the computer decides is reasonable time. In other words, it took too long to warm up. Verified the cooling system was full and used a temperature gun to test the 182F was accurate. Usually this would be a bad thermostat. Often the plastic thermostat housing if broken, but even without that happening the thermostats usually give problems about 100,000 miles and this car was at 109,999. Best move?: Replace the thermostat and then see if the problem is taken care of. The OEM thermostat is a 203F. Always use the OEM recommended temp. Remember that the engine module will be doing calculations based on the thermostat installed being a 203F. 

I did lose just a small amount of coolant and topped off the system but this brings to mind something I should mention. Your coolant is a mixture of 50/50 antifreeze and water. You can mix concentrate with distilled water and make your own 50/50 mix but you should use distilled water, not tap water. Usually easiest for you to buy and add is the pre-mixed 50/50. It will be less trouble for you and you'll know you are using distilled water. 

The engine coolant warmed properly after the thermostat replacement. I had checked and found an open recall on the car for a software update to prevent cruise control runaway under certain conditions and advised the customer.

Thanks for reading.

Kenny@ggauto.repair 

2013 Dodge Durango always heat out passenger vents

 With A/C on and blowing out vents, the driver side is cold but the passenger side is putting out hot air. There is blend door actuator for each side and the right side can be accessed by removing the glove compartment and the panel behind the glove compartment. You may expect to see the blend door actuator is bad but usually the actuator is good and has a broken gear. The gear is how the actuator is able to move the blend door. The gear is available as a stand alone part. The gear broke for a reason. Usually the reason is that the blend door is stuck. The actuator tries to move the stuck door and the plastic gear breaks. You can try to free the door by using the broke gear and turning by had. Sometimes it will come loose, but replacing the gear only is likely to have the same problem as soon as the door sticks again. The fix is to replace the air distribution housing which houses the door. A seal deteriorates in the old housing and sticks the door. New housing assembled with new parts. The problem is the replacement involves removing the instrument panel to access the housing. I've noticed some creative "fixes" online to avoid having to actually do the repair and while it is understandable to try, it isn't a proper repair. Most just postpone the same problem or don't allow the door to operate in it's full temperature range and they all require the door to free up before attempting.

  The part you'll need (19) 2011-2013 Mopar 68079501AB

You'll find the original seal has turned into a very sticky, tar-like substance. Have fun. 

(photos found online)

Kenny@ggauto.repair

2002 Cadillac DeVille Base 4.6 multiple trouble codes

 I was cleaning some old papers from under the counter for way too long and found an old scan report for this Cadillac. I found it interesting that even though I don't remember the particular car, I do have enough familiarity with them that I can pretty well guess what was found wrong by looking at the stored engine codes. I can even see that the codes had been cleared and had all returned after failing tests yet again. The same seven codes were cleared, stored as history and returned as failed since cleared. 

The P0101, P0171, P0174 and P0300 were mostly likely from a vacuum leak. The vacuum leak was commonly a bad spacer tube between the intake manifold and the throttle base mount. I actually replaced one of those a few days ago on a 2004 model. 

That would leave the U1064 and U1096 as likely a bad ground issue. The battery on these is under the rear seat inside the car. The negative cable connects from the battery to the car body. A short ground cable at the alternator connects to the body and allows for engine ground. Usually the problem is a poor connection at that cable near the alternator. 

The P0340 is a code that I would wait and see if it appeared again after the previous repairs. The code could have been related to the poor ground. If it returned the sensor is not hard to get to for inspection or testing. 

Thanks for reading!

Kenny@ggauto.repair

Automotive security: From basic locks to advanced cybersecurity (link to article)

Automotice Security Vehicle Service Pros article.

Identifix Direct-Hit (Cool Tool)

 Direct-Hit does so much that it would be impossible to cover in a short article. Repair information to the infinity and beyond is a fairly close description. Once you get the vehicle information entered you have access to many related tools. I've entered a 2007 Honda CR-V. We have quick hits available to specs, fix data, repair info and iATN. 

 

We have top searches, with P2646 being the most searched.

The most common fix is the vvt oil pressure switch or the vvt solenoid. There is also a tsb related to the code (actually several). 

You can go into a deep dive with this software for sure.

Direct-Hit, great tool!

Kenny@ggauto.repair

Snap-on Shopkey Pro (Cool Tool)

 I rarely point out some of the capability available to me to do automobile repair. Scan tools, scopes, meters, testers I give more time to because they look impressive and do great things. But some things I don't give much thought to because they quietly help the business get done. It's like loosening a fastener with a 10mm wrench, I don't video or give it a highlight because it is just quietly doing the job, nothing flashy. 

Snap-on Shopkey Pro is a bit like that, just quietly doing the job so I sometimes ignore just how impressive it can be as a tool. Just enter a vin, a tag # or the vehicle data and let it take it from there. 

I'm going to use a 2010 Lexus RX350 for this. I only have to add the License Plate initially and the lookup will give me the VIN and choosing Use This Vehicle with give me the specifics of the application. From the next screen I get a list of most commonly replaced components for this car numbered 1 thru 10. It is based on 172,973 repairs. Having used this for several years now, I will say that Disc Brake Pads is pretty much always the #1 most commonly replaced component. 

If I was curious about just when the brake pads are needing replaced I can take a peek at that as well. Most pad replacement peaks at 75,000 miles. But 75,000 to 100,000 would cover a common range. 

I can even see that the most common complaint leading to brake pad replacement it Noise Heard From Brakes. 

I also have access to the most common trouble codes for this vehicle. #1 is P0057. 

You can also get the sense that O2 sensor problems are fairly common. The most common fix for the P0057 is replacing that sensor and the peak mileage for that replacement it 100,000 miles.

There is a lot of information available concerning the trouble code, testing and diagnosing the problem. 

Next list is common symptoms, where Engine Does Not Start has managed to top brake noise. But just barely. 

The most common cause of the Engine Does Not Start? A bad battery. 

There is even a list of the most common search look-ups for this application. Firing Order. 

We could go deeper into the software, but I think you get the idea. Great tool, gets little credit because it works so quietly. 

Thanks!

Kenny@ggauto.repair

Ford 10r Speed Sensor Issues (Transmission Digest link)

Ford 10r Speed Sensor tips 

Jim Mobley, Transmission Digest article.

February 5, 2024

Cooling System Service

 I had a 2012 Silverado in here with a plugged heater core. A plugged heater core is a direct result of cooling system neglect and a 2012 doesn't have a high bar to meet since the recommended service interval is 150,000 miles. At 312,000 miles this one had missed 2 service intervals and while I did gain decent temps by flushing the core, it needs a full replacement and more than one full system flush to remove as much of that contaminant as possible. Much better would have been to never let it get in that condition. 

Similar situation with the 1999 F150 this morning. I did gain 32 degrees of heat by flushing, now 132 vs 100 but it needs the core replaced and system cleaned. Coolant should be replaced at 30,000 mile intervals on this one. 

Know your oil!

 It is very important to your engine life to keep your oil changed regularly and to use the recommended oil for your vehicle. There are recommended oils for every automobile. For instance, the 1999 F150 w/5.4 vin L was originally suggested to use 5w20 oil but Ford later changed the recommended weight to 5w30. It was found to perform better in that application. The 2000 Ford Sport Trac w/4.0 vin K recommends 5w30 synthetic blend. Use the recommended weight. Use the recommend type or higher. If your recommend oil is standard you can go up to a blend or a full synthetic if you wish but if your recommended oil is a full synthetic you never step down. 

There are also specifications that should be met for your application. All of this gets most especially important when your car uses variable valve timing. These systems are prone to problems when maintenance is even a little bit neglected. I would recommend full synthetic on vvt system, early oil changes and meet the oem specifications as applicable. GM vvt systems need DEXOS specifications met. On vvt applications I recommend fewer miles between changes, full synthetic oil that meets specs. It will save you having expensive vvt problems. 

The next issue is about keeping oil level in the safe range. A lot people now neglect to check their oil level between changes. I have found many problems to be caused by low oil level. Vvt systems especially will cause poor performance issues when oil is low. Know that many cars now consume oil, even low mileage cars are guilty as it is part of the design of many and with extended oil change intervals a common occurrence. Check your oil level regularly, at least until you figure out the mileage it will need a quart added. On that note, don't add oil unless it is a quart low. Don't top it off as less than a quart low. 

Keep your oil clean, serviced and full. 

Kenny@ggauto.repair