mass airflow sensor!!!

[Ryan betts]

so in my never ending saga of repairing my truck im at the mass airflow sensor chapter. just got done getting new brakes ( rotors and pads) put on so now its on to the problem of the horrible idle that my 2001 4x4 trac has. its gotten so bad that when stopped at a light i have to put it into neutral so it wont shake like its having a seisure. i got my engine light checked and it threw 3 codes:

1-po732- incorrect second gear ratio condition.- im guessing this is the transmission flair. but i dont think that that would be involved with the rough idle so im not too worried about this one for now.

2-p0171 trim bank one condition

3.-po174trim bank two condition- it says that when both these are being indicated that it could likely be a fuel pressure condition or Mass airflow sensor fault...



i didnt see any projects on replacing the MAF sensor...is this a hard thing to accomplish? i also read that the sensor can be cleaned...does anyone know if this works/how to go about cleaning it? so what do yall think it is... the air flow sensor or somthing with the fuel system? i am hoping that this will be fixed soon because i start school tomorrow and need a reliable vehicle to get me there! thanks in advance!

 

[Todd Z]

Ryan, the 2001 ST job 1 was known for blowing intake manifold gaskets....... I would start testing for that....



Cleaning the MAF is easy and cheep to try first too



Todd Z

 

[jaydawg74]

The MAF sensor is pretty easy to clean. You'll need to go to the part store and buy a can of mass air flow sensor cleaner spray and a torx security bit, # t-20 i believe. Remove the wiring harness, unscrew the security screws using the torx bit, pull the sensor out, put it on your workbench under a rag or cardboard and spray the little wires in the sensor about 12 times. Let it sit for a little while to dry, i usually let mine sit for about an hour or so. Put it all back together.

 

[EddieS'04]

There is a posibility the the torque convertor is not unlocking. Lugging the engine down. There is a solenoid that a few members had fail and caused this.

 

[Carlos Chio]

Ryan, have you checked the condition of the PCV and hose assembly? Do a search in the projects section for "Seafoam", "PCV replacement", and "Throttle body cleaning". My '02 also threw those codes at me this week. After doing alot of research on this site I came to the conclusion that With the 1st Gens the culprit usually lies in the PCV and/or hose assy. Your Trac is probably running lean due to a vaccum leak in that part of the system. Yesterday on my '02 I went ahead and replaced the PCV w/hose, cleaned the MAF, Throttle body, and seafoamed it for good measure. Mind you, I have 80,000 on the odometer. All of these tasks are easy and can be done in an afternoon with a couple of Sam Adam's Summer Ale to accompany patience. Good luck.

 

[Coleman Brumley]

On the job 1 '01, those codes are almost always the intake manifold gaskets. The job 1 doesn't have the elbow problem tha the job 2 has -- unfortunately because it's a less expensive fix. While the gaskets are only $6 or so from Ford, the labor is expensive. Mechanics quote around 3 hours for the work to replace the gaskets.



I went through this, literally, the day after I came home with my '01 job 1. It didn't exhibit the problem when I test drove it. Bought it, brought it home and the next morning -- BAM! :boohoo:

 

[Bill Koonce]

If you clean the MAF sensor and nothing changes, then what?



Sometimes wisdom and good decision-making takes you to your dealership asking for help. It will be expensive help, but there's at least a 50/50 chance that you'll have a running vehicle within a few days, vs. weeks, even months of trial and error.



Speaking for my own level of incompetence, those codes have "red herring" written all over them. I'd pay the cash and preserve my sanity. If you can find a TSA for your exact same condition, and it works for you as a DIY total fix, then I owe you props. But that P0732 code has nothing to do with MAF, and can be the tip of a very nasty iceberg.



Best wishes!

 

[Carlos Chio]

Coleman, you are correct. That is the difference between Jobs 1 & 2. Tough break. How much did that repair end up costing you?

 

[Coleman Brumley]

If I recall, it was in the $150-$200 range. They also cleaned the intake manifold.



I tried cleaning the MAF and doing the seafoam project first, because I could do those myself. But they made no difference.



Subsequent to the gaskets being replaced, I cleaned the IAC. However, I think before winter I'm going to replace the IAC because I still have a rough idle from time to time. I have no CEL and the shaking isn't nearly as bad as when the gaskets were shot, but you can feel a little rumble at idle. I'm only replacing it because I'm sure if that little shake is normal or not.

 

[Ryan betts]

Thanks for the responses guys! Coleman, that sucks that it happened for you the day after you brought it home. i have a couple mechanic friends, so ill try to get them to look at the gaskets and see if that is the problem. how would you tell if the gaskets have gone bad??

 

[Tom Schindler]

how would you tell if the gaskets have gone bad??

You can't. You replace them and put it back together. If the problem goes away, the problem is fixed. if it does't, you got something else.



Gaskets are not hard to do.





Tom

 

[TRACket Paul]

It might be worth your time to clean the Idle Air Controller.