Overheat then P0174/P0171

[kinko]

Hello,

I was driving my explorer the other day when my thermostat finally closed up. I noticed the temp going up and pulled over at the nearest place, but by that time my check engine light had also come on. I replaced the thermostat and drove home no problem, then reset the computer by disconnecting the battery. The engine light stayed off for about 10 min then came on when I began driving.

I know the P0171 and P0174 codes that I got mean that both banks are too lean, and I have seen several places say that there is a vaccume leak or my MAF is in need of service, but I wonder if any of you know any connection between the overheat and the engine codes. Is there some place I should look first, such as a head gasket or something that would fail under excess heat?

Thank you for any help.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! What year vehicle are we talking about? Your 93 uses EEC-IV codes. The code numbers posted are for OBD-II.

 

[kinko]

Sorry, i didn't know i had a 93 ;-) (fixed profile)

Its a 99 SOHC

 

[BrooklynBay]

Maybe the intake manifold gaskets are leaking as a result of the overheating?

 

[kinko]

Sounds like a good possibility. I can get a set of lower and uppers (just the gaskets, not a repair kit) for 13+tax and put them on myself. I see over here ( http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=487634 ) that there is some ford kit i can buy. Is the extra stuff necessary? The engine is about 20 miles short of 100k. Maybe I should do some more stuff while I have the intake parts off?

 

[BrooklynBay]

That 00M12 kit is a Ford TSB fix for this problem.

 

[kinko]

Would I need the extra parts though? I know its a TSB fix but its for a problem I didn't have until I overheated the engine.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Don't make a big job out of it. Just replace whatever is necessary, and is the most accessible when you pull off the manifold. Check WWW.FastPartsNetwork.Com.

 

[BrooklynBay]

You might find this thread helpful: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=177975 Look at the pictures in the link in post # 5.

 

[kinko]

Thank you for the links. I will probably get around to replacing the gaskets. My first reaction to the problem was injector cleaner. I have run some thru for about 50 miles. I took the splash guard off and checked all the connections. The IAC hose was a little loose, so I pushed it back on. I checked connections to the MAF and throttle position sensor. I've got 10 miles with no light yet, but I assume it will be back.