96 Ford Dead, po171 and 174

[Fordah]

Hi. I have a 1996 Ford Explorer sport with 120k miles. 4.6 v6 engine and manual transmission. The ford no longer runs more than 1-2 mins. It will start up, idle for 1-2 minutes and then die. If I try to drive it, it will die even faster. Before the failure problems occurred, the car would sputter while driving in any gear. it had this behavior for about a week before it finally died. The codes I got from an AutoZone scan were po171 and po174. I replaced the fuel filter and the MAF looks clean. Now I'm thinking vacuum leak? Hoping someone might have a good idea. I'm a novice when it comes to repairing cars.

 

[koda2000]

you have a 4.0L V6, not a 4.6L. Yes, P0171/P0174 indicate a vacuum leak. considering your car will not even run anymore, it must be a pretty big leak. check all your vacuum hoses. being a large leak should make it easier to find. if you have the SOHC engine, check the PCV elbow first.

 

[Fordah]

you have a 4.0L V6, not a 4.6L. Yes, P0171/P0174 indicate a vacuum leak. considering your car will not even run anymore, it must be a pretty big leak. check all your vacuum hoses. being a large leak should make it easier to find. if you have the SOHC engine, check the PCV elbow first.

Thanks, will check it out and get back to you!

 

[koda2000]

Thanks, will check it out and get back to you!

if you don't find any vacuum leaks, you might want to check your fuel pressure. it should be around 60-65 PSI. has the fuel pump ever been replaced? whens the last time you changed your fuel filter? Ford recommends you replace the filter every 30,000 miles.

 

[Fordah]

if you don't find any vacuum leaks, you might want to check your fuel pressure. it should be around 60-65 PSI. has the fuel pump ever been replaced? whens the last time you changed your fuel filter? Ford recommends you replace the filter every 30,000 miles.

Spot on! After fumbling for a few days, not really knowing where to look for vacuum leaks (although, I did find the PCV elbow you were talking about, and it was fine) I decided to get a diagnostic from a mechanic. He found that the pump is only pushing out 20psi. Im going to attempt to replace it with my dad, since he has experience replacing this pump on other cars.

Thanks for all your help! Do you have any recommendations on brands/parts I should buy? Or a good website to order from?

A

 

[rb142]

Don't use an Airtex. Changing pumps is a pain and not a place to use cheap parts. I'd put in a Motorcraft unless you are really low on cash or planning to get rid of the truck soon.