2011 Explorer XLT - 3.5L V6 TIVCT Engine - Misfire - P0201, P0301, P0316

[jlrohio]

2011 Ford Explorer XLT (45K miles)
- 3.5L V6 TIVCT Cyclone Engine
- Misfire - Cylinder 1
- Codes: P0201, P0301, P0316
-----------------------------------------------

Yesterday, I get a call from the wife that her vehicle is running very rough and there's white smoke coming out the back of the vehicle and she smells gasoline. She pulled the vehicle over and I had it towed home.

Today, I was able to get a scanner on it and pulled codes: P0201, P0301, and P0316

P0201 - Injector Circuit / Open Cylinder 1
P0301 - Cylinder 1 misfire detected
P0316 - Misfire detected on startup (first 1000 revolutions)

After scanning the codes, I went to start the vehicle to see how it operated and verified that it was running very rough and yes there was white smoke coming from both tailpipes and the heavy smell of gasoline in the air. While it was running, I was able to put a stethoscope up to all injectors and they all appear to be clicking away. I then turned it off while I then tried to go online and figure out the firing order of the 3.5L V6 TIVCT Cyclone Engine.

I could not find anything definitive for the firing order of this 3.5L engine and was hoping someone could confirm the firing order of this engine? Is this it?

--------------------------
Passenger | Driver
--------------------------
1 2 3
o o o
-------
o o o
4 5 6
--------------------
Front of Vehicle
--------------------

I hope the above is NOT the correct firing order, as #1 cylinder would be under the intake manifold!

Another issue crept up here and I'm not even sure it is related or just a major coincidence but when I went to restart the vehicle, it would not start - the battery was dead! I jumped it and got it running but then noticed after a while the battery appeared to be draining itself (watching a multimeter go down) and again was dead. I decided at that point to just go buy another battery and be ready for tomorrow. I figured at 5 years and heading into winter, it was safe insurance to replace the battery.

Can a bad coil or problem spark plug cause battery drain issues, in addition to misfires?

 

[peterk9]

Not sure if this helps or not. I'm guessing that the 3.5L engine is the same regardless of which Ford vehicle it is used in. Could be wrong though.
http://www.manualslib.com/manual/745073/Ford-Transit-2015.html?page=268

Peter

 

[blwnsmoke]

White smoke with a gas smell is raw fuel being vaporized in the exhaust system. My guess is a bad and/or fuel injector stuck open dumping fuel in.

But I am no expert so take it for what it is. To me if it was a bad coil pack it would be lack of fuel, not excessive fuel.

 

[blwnsmoke]

A quick Google search for p0201 points to the following:

Bad injector, bad wiring get harness (connection or break/chaff in wire) or bad pcm.

 

[jlrohio]

Not sure if this helps or not. I'm guessing that the 3.5L engine is the same regardless of which Ford vehicle it is used in. Could be wrong though.
http://www.manualslib.com/manual/745073/Ford-Transit-2015.html?page=268

Peter

Thanks Peter...I guess I should have been more clear with what I was asking....I should not have said "firing order".

What I was trying to determine is locating where the #1 cylinder is on these 3.5 engines in our Explorers.
If I'm standing in front of the car, looking at the engine...I believe the #1 cylinder is the top left cylinder (passenger side), injector, coilpack//sparkplug, under the intake manifold ??

BTW, has anyone done a writeup yet on removing the intake manifold?
I guess we're (this generation) starting to get into that window where more of us will have to start tearing down our engines doing repairs...I just never thought I'd be starting it at 45K miles!

 

[jlrohio]

A quick Google search for p0201 points to the following:

Bad injector, bad wiring get harness (connection or break/chaff in wire) or bad pcm.

"If" it was a bad PCM, do you know if there would be other indications of a bad PCM...or would affect other cylinders?

I'll see if I can put an ohm meter on the injector itself and/or report back findings, from testing, of what is being sent to the injector. Does anyone know what voltages I should be looking for?

White smoke with a gas smell is raw fuel being vaporized in the exhaust system. My guess is a bad and/or fuel injector stuck open dumping fuel in.

But I am no expert so take it for what it is. To me if it was a bad coil pack it would be lack of fuel, not excessive fuel.

I did hear clicking coming from the injector.
If a bad coil pack (or bad spark plug), my guess would be that fuel would be dumped into the cylinder but never burned and just exhausted??

 

[blwnsmoke]

"If" it was a bad PCM, do you know if there would be other indications of a bad PCM...or would affect other cylinders?

I'll see if I can put an ohm meter on the injector itself and/or report back findings, from testing, of what is being sent to the injector. Does anyone know what voltages I should be looking for?





I did hear clicking coming from the injector.
If a bad coil pack (or bad spark plug), my guess would be that fuel would be dumped into the cylinder but never burned and just exhausted??

Going off my experience with my wife's Audi, the 1.8T motor back was famous for coil packs failing. Au did had several recalls and my wife had them fail multiple times on her. Every time it failed, it would trigger a flashing CEL and the area would fall flat on its face. At no time was there ever white smoke from over fueling due to a coil pack failure.

In the Superduty world, there have been instances where an injector got stuck open and dumping raw fuel in and melted a cylinder but you don't have spark in diesels. Just saying that I believe it is an injector issue and not coil pack.

Read this, hope it helps

https://www.obd-codes.com/p0201




Also, from what I read on the Ford truck forum with the 3.5, all Ford v6 motors are the same. 1-3 on passenger side, 4-6 on drivers. 1 and 4 are closest to headlight with 3 and 6 closest to fire wall.

 

[jlrohio]

Also, from what I read on the Ford truck forum with the 3.5, all Ford v6 motors are the same. 1-3 on passenger side, 4-6 on drivers. 1 and 4 are closest to headlight with 3 and 6 closest to fire wall.

Are you saying is should look like this?

--------------------------
Passenger | Driver
--------------------------

4 5 6
o o o
-------
o o o
1 2 3

--------------------------------------
Front of Vehicle - Headlights
--------------------------------------

If so, that would be awesome as #1 would be right up there, up front...

I've looked for a Haynes or Chilton manual but apparently, they don't make one for our vehicles, yet...
I wonder if AllData at the library would be of help??

 

[MikB]

You had the cylinder position right the first time. Standing in front of the engine, left, 1,2,3, right, 4,5,6. Having to take off the upper part of the intake manifold doesn't look to hard. There are only about half a dozen bolts, if I recall, and they are all accessible. Just pay attention to the throttle body and what's hooked up to it.Ok, there's 7 bolts.

 

[blwnsmoke]

Are you saying is should look like this?

--------------------------
Passenger | Driver
--------------------------

4 5 6
o o o
-------
o o o
1 2 3

--------------------------------------
Front of Vehicle - Headlights
--------------------------------------

If so, that would be awesome as #1 would be right up there, up front...

I've looked for a Haynes or Chilton manual but apparently, they don't make one for our vehicles, yet...
I wonder if AllData at the library would be of help??

I believe it is this way but I'm sure one of the experts will chime in.
Passenger | Driver
--------------------------

1 2 3
o o o
---------------------------transmission
o o o
4 5 6

--------------------------------------
Front of Vehicle - Headlights
--------------------------------------

Found this for you..

So being FWD, #1 would be towards the passenger firewall, #2 middle rear and #3 on the driver firewall... then # 4 would be passenger headlight etc.

 

[jlrohio]

You had the cylinder position right the first time. Standing in front of the engine, left, 1,2,3, right, 4,5,6. Having to take off the upper part of the intake manifold doesn't look to hard. There are only about half a dozen bolts, if I recall, and they are all accessible. Just pay attention to the throttle body and what's hooked up to it.Ok, there's 7 bolts. View attachment 92674

Thanks for the clarification. I just got back from the local library seeking clarification from AllData - But they don't have that anymore - they are using an online "ChiltonLibrary"...and the best part, is that I can now access it from home!!

It appears from your pictures that your pic came from the same online resource, as they have similar colored pictures...I'm looking at the Upper Intake Manifold removal procedure right now.

Here they those procedures (without the pics):
--------------------------------------------------------------

Removal
1. Remove the Air Cleaner outlet pipe. Intake Air System Components — Exploded View.

2. Disconnect the EVAP canister purge valve and throttle body electrical connectors.
- Detach the wiring harness pin-type retainer.

3. Disconnect the EVAP vapor tube from the EVAP canister purge valve. Quick Connect Coupling.
- Detach the EVAP vapor tube from the 2 retainers.

4. Release the clamps and disconnect the power brake booster vacuum supply hose and crankcase ventilation hose from the upper intake manifold.

5. Detach the 2 coolant tube retainers from the upper intake manifold.

6. Remove the upper intake manifold support bracket bolt.

7. Remove the 7 bolts and the upper intake manifold.
- Remove and discard the gasket.
- Clean and inspect all of the sealing surfaces of the upper and lower intake manifold.


Installation
1. Using a new gasket, install the intake manifold and the 7 bolts and tighten in the sequence shown in 2 stages.
- Stage 1: Tighten to 10 Nm (89 lb-in).
- Stage 2: Tighten an additional 45 degrees.

2. Install the upper intake manifold support bolt.
- Tighten to 10 Nm (89 lb-in).

3. Attach the 2 coolant tube retainers to the upper intake manifold.

4. Connect the power brake booster vacuum supply hose and crankcase ventilation hose to the upper intake manifold.

5. Connect the EVAP vapor tube to the EVAP canister purge valve. Quick Connect Coupling.
- Attach the EVAP vapor tube to the 2 retainers.

6. Connect the EVAP canister purge valve and throttle body electrical connectors.
- Attach the wiring harness pin-type retainer to the upper intake manifold.

7. Install the Air Cleaner outlet pipe. Intake Air System Components.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[jlrohio]

I believe it is this way but I'm sure one of the experts will chime in.
Passenger | Driver
--------------------------

1 2 3
o o o
---------------------------transmission
o o o
4 5 6

--------------------------------------
Front of Vehicle - Headlights
--------------------------------------

Found this for you..

So being FWD, #1 would be towards the passenger firewall, #2 middle rear and #3 on the driver firewall... then # 4 would be passenger headlight etc.

Thanks - That cylinder/firing order pic is similar to what I found in the online Chilton manual.

It appears that I'll be removing a Upper Intake Manifold this evening as opposed to the simple fix!!

Thanks again!

I'll be back and share what happened...I anticipate at least inspecting the coil pack, inspecting the Spark Plug, and possibly swapping them into another cylinder to either recreate the issue or lean towards a wiring issue...or maybe even a injector issue.

 

[jlrohio]

So I got home tonight and did the following.

- Removed Air Cleaner and Upper Intake Manifold.

- Removed & inspected spark plug in Cylinder 1, compared to spark plug in Cylinder 4. (all appears normal - re-gapped to .049)

- Reinstalled AND swapped Cylinder #1 and Cylinder #4 spark plugs

- Removed fuel rail and then removed/inspected Cylinder #1 and Cylinder #4 fuel injectors (all appears normal)

- Reinstalled AND swapped Cylinder #1 and Cylinder #4 fuel injectors

- Installed fuel rail and then turned key to ON position (did not start it) to check for leaks at the fuel rail (fuel is pressurized in the fuel rail when key is turned to on) - Noted that Cylinder #1 was pulse spraying fuel into Cylinder 1 (I could see (and hear) this through the open port looking down into the engine (as the upper intake manifold was off).

- One thing that I did NOT do (that I should have) before closing up for the night was remove the electrical cannon plug from the injector and see if it was still spraying when the key was on. If it was not, then that would definitely lead me down the path of an obvious electrical problem.

BTW, that video up above, that blwnsmoke posted, about the constant spraying really helped me understand a bit more about my possible issued.
I've followed it up by doing some reading in the Chilton Online manual and I have some tests printed out that I'm going to conduct tomorrow.

I'm only slightly closer to a fix...I can't imagine what could possibly cause a "short to ground", if that is what it may end up being but I'm pretty sure the constant spraying is saying short to ground somewhere.

I'll follow-up tomorrow afternoon - I have pictures of my teardown - I'll have to find a place to post them and link them here.

 

[jlrohio]

Finally got back to things this afternoon.

Disconnected the cannon plug from the injector in Cylinder 1 and turned the key to the ON position and heard the fuel pump come on.
There was no fuel coming out of the injector into Cylinder 1.

With the key still in the ON position, I then plugged the cannon plug up to the injector and it started spraying fuel into the engine - so I have some sort of electrical problem that is sending a signal to the injector to keep open and spraying.

Just to make sure I indeed swapped injectors, I removed the fuel rail again and swapped Cylinder 1's injector with Cylinder 5's...but the open fuel injector stayed with Cylinder 1.


At this point, I'm at a loss as to what more I can troubleshoot. I dread taking it to a shop, let alone a shop telling me they don't have the specialized equipment to test the computer and to take it to the dealer! This is going to get expensive!


Might this be something covered under Ford's 5 year Powertrain warranty??


-

 

[MikB]

My first reaction would to find the wire in the cannon plug which is putting power to the injector by comparing against one [plug] that's not. Isolate that wire. I happen to have a tool that will help trace a short. They are very inexpensive. They use inductivity to trace. It's a simple inductive meter. But, I've always found that overthinking a problem leads to confusion so, the easiest solutions are always the simplist. The cause could be as simple as a short within the cannon plug or, nearby.

 

[jlrohio]

I did do some simple voltmeter testing and was not getting anything out of the ordinary in readings between the #1 and other cylinders I tested while the key was in the ON position. I guess I could have done some Fox & Hound tracing...but didn't think of that, at the time.
Working on electrical items/things in cars, beyond simple things (fuse, making sure 12V is here or there, running a new 12V, testing for OHM's, etc...) have never been something I've wanted to deal with.

For the time being, I've dropped it off at a neighborhood auto shop that is very trustworthy - they'll let me know where to go from here - or if I have to go back to the dealer if anything beyond their means is required.

I appreciate everyone's responses so far. I'll update this as I get more info/seek more assistance so that it may be available to others in the future....as these latest generation get older and things start breaking more and more! The slogan, "Quality is Job #1" is NO longer actively used by Ford...I wonder why!

 

[peterk9]

Keep in mind that this is 5 year old vehicle, give or take, with 45k miles. It's true that quality appears to have slipped, but this is the first report of its kind on this Forum so it isn't like it appears to be a common problem. No vehicle is immune to a breakdown regardless of age or mileage. I'm quite sure many of the members reading this thread are interested in what the actual problem/repair is.

Peter

 

[jlrohio]

So, I got a call from the local garage today. They were not able to find the true cause(s) to my issue of the #1 cylinder fuel injector continuously spraying fuel into cylinder #1 and causing a misfire and producing excessive smoke out the tail pipe from all of the unburned fuel being sent down through the exhaust system.

The local garage basically redid everything I had done.

- Removed Air Cleaner and Upper Intake Manifold.

- Removed & inspected spark plug & coil pack in Cylinder 1

- Installed new spark plug and swapped coil pack with another cylinder

- Swapped out Cylinder #1's fuel injector with another one

- Tested all negative connection points on the vehicle's inner bumpers, etc..


They recommended I take it to the dealer to reflash the PCM (or to have them test if the PCM is still good - I hope it is - it costs over $800 on FordParts.com).

In watching FordTechMakuloco's video's, I see that the dealer should honestly charge only a 1/2 hour to reflash the PCM (it took him 8 minutes to re-flash a PCM in his YouTube video - and he even went through the trouble of erasing all sorts of other codes).

Does anyone have experience with their dealer reflashing the PCM and what the cost was?

I believe my PCM was reflashed during the steering rack recall in July - as they had to replace my steering rack...but that was all done under the recall. I wonder if that might have something to do with my current issue - I seem to recall their was PCM issues for Explorers that had the earlier recalibration done.

Now I only hope I can find an honest service writer and tech like FordTechMakuloco.

 

[peterk9]

In many cases there is a set time established for certain procedures and they go by that for the amount they charge.

Peter

 

[jlrohio]

IRT PCM's; I'm seeing multiple PCM's for my vehicle. I've narrowed it down to two, based upon my build date (June 2011).

Here are the two:

Part Name: Powertrain Control Module
Brand: Ford Parts

Part Number: 12A650
Price: $764.85

Part Description: 3.5L Cyclone V6 Petrol TIVCT ; Module May Be Used On Many Applications Of The Same Hardware Type Must Reprogram, Module Must Be Reprogrammed To The Vehicles Calibration Strategy
Vehicle Build Date after: 4/4/2011

and

Part Name: Powertrain Control Module
Brand: Ford Parts

Part Number: 12A650
Price: $312.10

Part Description: 3.5L Cyclone V6 Petrol TIVCT ; Module May Be Used On Many Applications Of The Same Hardware Type Must Reprogram, Module Must Be Reprogrammed To The Vehicles Calibration Strategy
Vehicle Build Date after: 4/4/2011

Could one be a refurbished one and the other new??